Product Description
This lively recording is a perfect way to introduce classical music to the entire family. It looks at the music through the lives of the great composers and their environment, from the churches and cathedrals that produced the familiar sound of Gregorian chant, to Johann Sebastian Bach, the family man composing for the glory of God, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the child prodigy, genius and prankster who wrote some of the finest music ever yet was buried in a pauper's grave. The story will be taken to the composers of the 21st century. This unusual and special production by the two most important brand names in classical music includes more than 100 musical examples taken from the extensive Naxos catalogue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent Introduction to Classical Music
"The Story Of Classical Music" produced by Naxos AudioBooks is an excellent introduction to Classical music. The 4 CD set traces the origins and progression of classical music from the Medieval Period through the 20th century. "The Story Of Classical Music" is written by Darren Henley and read by Marin Alsop. Each CD is loaded with many wonderful musical excerpts/examples from the vast Naxos label and includes the Naxos catalog numbers next to each track as a convenience. Total playing times on the four CDs is 4 hours and 34 minutes. CD 4 doubles as an interactive CD-ROM chock full of extra great features, including the composers, musical instruments, national flags and anthems, and much more, with additional audio examples. Clearly, the text is written and read with older children in mind. However, this should not deter anyone from purchasing this comprehensive and enjoyable release. The whole family will love it. The price is also an unbelievable bargain. Highly recommended.

Great Introduction to classical music for the beginners
This is a great review of classical music for the beginners.

This audiobook will give you a review of classical music over the history and introduce you to the most famous composers and their work.
The audio book reading is smooth and easy and the included music samples are just superb!

nobel

Great to listen to while stuck in DC traffic!
I am an adult; but relatively new to the world of classical music.I began listening and enjoying classical almost exclusively about 10 years ago. Having never studied music or it's history, this CD set is just great for me to learn more about the orgins of my 'new' favorite music. I recommend this set for young adults and old adults too!

A great set!
An amazing CD set.My kids haven't stopped asking for it.It is informative and entertaining and our whole family has learned quite a bit that we did not know before.It really introduces you to the composers and ties them together in time and space.

wonderful listening
This is a wonderful CD that will entertain and inform the listener.It is geared toward children but all ages will enjoy and learn from it.Initially I began listening without reading the pamphlet and was puzzled by the narrator's New York accent.Professional narrators are typically devoid of any and while this is not thick, it is evident, as in au-ways and go-wing.I then read the material and realized eminent conductor was chosen to narrate.While the voice is pleasant and with just the right amount of animation, a non-accent would have been preferable.This was not a grating accent but it was something of a distraction for me.

Chopin was described as having died of a disease called consumption.Tuberculosis would have been a more accurate and professional term to use.

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this work and would encourage all libraries, classrooms, and homes to have it as part of their collection.Disk 4 is outstanding for its content and resources.Be sure to get right to it and go through all of the features.It's really quite excellent and well done.Kudos to the team that put this package together.Good work! ... Read more

Product Description
A lively history from 1000 B.C. to Broadway.

Drone On! is a humorous spin on the history, mystery, magic, mythology, musicians, musical instruments and multiculturalism of Celtic music.

The book covers the influence of the Celts on classical composers, country crooners, film soundtracks, today's explosive shamrock 'n' roll as well as the phenomenon of the global touring shows Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.

Undoubtedly Irish/Scottish cultures have shaped the music of North America, from Newfoundland to Nashville, and continue to inspire musicians everywhere, with rhythm and repertoire. From the Celts' first piping-and-plundering over 3,000 years ago, to some twenty-first century triumphs, this music still delights.

Like poet Arthur O'Shaughnessy (1844-1881), the author sees the Celts as music-makers, dreamers of dreams and "the movers and shakers, of the world forever, it seems." Never before has Celtic music and all its complexity been treated with such loving irreverence. Drone On! is bouncy enough to be read in one go -- while each chapter can be savored for its light-hearted lore. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not my style
I'll confess I only made it through the first 2 chapters, then I quit.The info seemed decent, but you really have to like this style of writing, which I don't.I'm guessing the author's 3 main objectives, in order of priority, were (1) be light 'n' breezy even if you say nothing (we learn that the bagpipes are "an instrument intended to make up for the country's ongoing lack of battle strategy"); (2) imitate David Barry; (3) say something about Celtic history.If you like that style (and it appears other reviewers do), then fine.If you don't, well I couldn't get past the 2nd chapter.

Let's cover as many bases as possible
This is a very entertaining and readable over view of the history of Celtic music including the kitchen sink with pots and pans.Ms. Czulinski has obviously done a lot of research, but there's also a bit of stretching that goes with her trying to be clever, entertaining and humorous.

There is the occasional slip up and perhaps slipped typo.For example, the song called in the text "Suil a Ruin" misses an "i", which indicates that the writer may not know much about the languages.For the "s" to be an "sh" sound, it needs to have an "e" or "i" following the "s", in this case the word is "Siuil" or sometimes "Siul."I also don't understand what she means by "backwards hornpipe" in the case of the pibgorn, which is simply two modified cow horns, one as a mouthpiece, the other as an amplifier with a whistle tube with reed in between and within the mouthpiece.In another instance she incorrectly equates cynghanedd with penillion singing.The lyric may often be in cynghanedd or may not and the rules are pretty straightforward and not as anarchic as she makes the music seem.Penillion, or cerdd dant, as it is also called is simply two different melodies, one instrumental, which begins first, and the other, vocal in counterpoint, both of which have to end together.

She veers away from the subject somewhat in the latter half of the book by exploring the influence of Celtic music and the Celts in general on other genres, in classical music, movies, etc. and the influence of other musics on the various Celtic nations.(which is germain.)

In the case of influences, she mentions a little known Wagnerian piece: "Gesang auf Fingal" and neglects one of his masterworks: "Tristan und Isolde."

I realize I'm picking at nits here, but the book, while entertaining and occasionally a little "precious", does seem to have been written quickly in the rush of enthusiasm, and suffers a little from this.It wanted for a guiding hand and critic and someone pretty expert in the subject of the Celts.

Overall, however, I found in it a lot of information I didn't know, and I find it quite valuable.The bulk of the information which I am familiar with is generally spot on, save for the occasional off note, such as those mentioned above.

I recomend it highly to anyone who wants to know about the music of all Celtic nations and those with Celtic influence and have a good time reading about it.But I think it should be read in connection with a more in depth and serious work.As an introduction, it's pretty darn good.

A wonderful romp through history and myth with music
Winnie has brought together thousands of years of stories with a Celtic theme all tied together with music.It's fun, it's fast.I loved every page.Her emails, too! MORE!!

Excellent introduction to Celtic music
Well-written, and funny!The author clearly knows her stuff, and I learned a few things (me a self-proclaimed Celtic music buff).

drone on and on and on - please
This lady could have droned on forever, without losing my interest.The production values of the book suck (YOU try reading the back cover) but the book itself rocks.Despite the fact that she swings back and forth between centuries and millenia like some celtic whirling dirvish (mix of metaphors?), I've never read a more riveting history book in my life - or music book.Neither have I written a review online about a book before, and wouldn't bother if this one wasn't so outstanding. ... Read more

Product Description
A history of Irish dance, from its ancient origins to the present day, and detailed step instructions for 30 popular Irish dances are covered in this comprehensive guide to the dancing that has enthralled audiences worldwide. This book provides information about professional and social Irish dancing, paying special attention to the importance of music, costume, embroidery, and shoes. With clear and simple instructions to the most well-known Irish dances, as well as step-by-step photos demonstrating arm and body positions for reels, jigs, and hornpipes, this book will benefit anyone with an interest in or love of Irish dance. ... Read more

Product Description
Alternatives to grand opera and the popular musical can be traced at least as far back as the 1912 premiere of Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire." Yet this ongoing history has never been properly sorted out, its complex ideas and philosophy as well as musical and theatrical achievements never brought fully to light. The New Music Theater is the first comprehensive attempt in English to cover this still-emerging art form in its widest range. This book provides a wealth of examples and descriptions not only of the works themselves, but of the concepts, ideas, and trends that have gone into the evolution of what may be the most central performance art form of the post-modern world. Authors Salzman and Desi consider the subject of music theatre from a social as well as artistic point of view, exploring how theatre works in culture, and how music works in the theatre. Illuminating their discussion with illustrations from current artists and their works, The New Music Theater both describes where we have been and points the way to the future of this all-encompassing art form. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A must read!!!
Unlike reviewer "A Customer", I do score books and give this one an unreserved 5 stars!

Fans of old time, country, and bluegrass music are prone to spent hours on end discussing what is "authentic".Petersen argues convincingly, in an engaging style rare for academic authors, that much of the argument is about artifice(*), that much of what appears to be authentic was actually invented to meet the needs of what was to become a huge commercial industry.

Those who care about the origins of old time, bluegrass, and country music will find this a stimulating read.They may not agree with it, but will find it fascinating and thought provoking.They won't be able to think about the music the same way again.

(*) Acknowledgment: I gave a copy of this book to a friend who is deeply knowledgeable about old time and early country and bluegrass music.Without having read the book, his wife looked at the cover and said succinctly, "It discusses the artifice of country music."So, I credit *her* with the perfect one word summary of the book!

The sometimes surprising origins of "country".
The "authentic" in country music is not as easily defined as might be thought.
Peterson traces its roots from the early "hillbilly" days on the new medium of radio to the death of Hank Williams in 1953, noting along the way the contributions of promoters, performers, and fans in continuously re-defining the genre to adapt to changing tastes and circumstances.
Many readers will be looking for the early histories of the old time performers, and they will not be disappointed. They may be surprised at the professionalism that lay beneath rustic exteriors, and the degree of conscious attention to "signifiers of authenticity" by their favorite artist.

(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not 'score" books.) ... Read more

Product Description
How do you spell "Mendelssohn"? Where do you place the hyphen in "Beethoven" if it breaks between two lines? Is it "premiere" or "première"? The answers and much more can be found in this completely revised and updated resource for authors, students, editors, concert producers--anyone who deals with classical music in print. This essential volume covers some of the thorniest issues of musical discourse: how to go about describing musical works and procedures in prose, the rules for citations in notes and bibliography, and proper preparation of such materials as musical examples, tables, and illustrations. One section discusses program notes, another explains the requirements for submitting manuscripts and electronic files. A new section outlines best practices for student writers. An appendix lists common problem words. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Short, sweet, and handy
The advice from this concise, practical handbook could come from the mouth of any music professor. How wonderful to have an instructor right beside me as I tackle a new writing project! Pat C ... Read more

Product Description
The intertribal pow-wow is the most widespread venue for traditional Indian music and dance in North America. Heartbeat of the People is an insider's journey through the dances and music, the traditions and regalia, and into the functions and significance of these vital cultural events.Tara Browner comes to the pow-wow as a participant--she is a dancer of Oklahoma Choctaw heritage--as well as a scholar. Focusing on the Northern pow-wow, which derives from the northern Great Plains and Great Lakes region, Browner presents an in-depth discussion of the pow-wow's roots and traditions, protocols, and order of events. She also describes footwork, styles of singing, and the diversity of participants' regalia. Browner centers her discussion of the Northern-style pow-wow around the Lakota Sacred Hoop and the Anishnaabeg Sacred Fire.Browner traces the history of specific events such as the Grass and Jingle Dress dances and distinguishes among various dance types, including Traditional, Fancy, and "special" exhibition dances as well as ceremonial honor dances, giveaways, and memorials. She also discusses women's changing roles within pow-wow performance and thoughtfully examines how continually changing musical repertories, dance styles and regalia, and customs foster a vibrant state of transformation that coexists, often uneasily, with more traditional Native mores. She closes her study with a series of interviews with members of two families of pow-wow dancers, one Lakota and one Anishnaabeg. Marked by meticulous scholarship and firmly grounded in Browner's extensive experience as a pow-wow participant and observer, Heartbeat of the People is a unique and powerful celebration of the vibrancy, continuity, and evolution of an ancient music and dance tradition. ... Read more

Product Description
When the artist moves into the classroom or community to educate and inspire students and audience members, this is Teaching Artistry. It is a proven means for practicing professional musicians to create a successful career in music, providing not only necessary income but deep and lasting satisfaction through engaging people in learning experiences about the arts. Filled with practical advice on the most critical issues facing the music teaching artist today--from economic and time-management issues of being a musician and teacher to communicating effectively with students--The Music Teaching Artist's Bible uncovers the essentials that every musician needs in order to thrive in this role. Author Eric Booth offers both inspiration and how-to, step-by-step guidance in this truly comprehensive manual that music teaching artists will turn to again and again. The book also includes critical information on becoming a mentor, succeeding in school environments, partnering with other teaching artists, advocating for music and arts education, and teaching private lessons.

The Music Teaching Artist's Bible helps practicing and aspiring teaching artists gain the skills they need to build new audiences, improve the presence of music in schools, expand the possibilities of traditional and educational performances, and ultimately make their lives as an artists even more satisfying and fulfilling. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Essential for Teaching Artists and Arts In Education Practitioners
There is little in the Arts In Education field that directly and practically addresses Teaching Artists and the work we do in education. Eric Booth combines his experience, insight, and commitment to the arts in education to establish a revitalized foundation.

Dale Davis
Executive Director, The Association of Teaching Artists

A 'Must Read' for Musicians and Music Educators
The Music Teaching Artists Bible is a must read for music professionals, novices, and virtually anyone involved in music and arts education. To be more globally competitive and to develop better citizens we need high quality programs in our schools. Eric Booth definitely 'gets it' as he walks the reader through a series of steps we can take to improve our children's education and enrich all of our arts experiences.

an essential resource for all teaching artists
The Music Teaching Artist's Bible is an inspirational, practical, and unsentimental resource. It has relevance for teaching artists of all disciplines (not just music) and at all levels of teaching expertise. As a professional developer and teaching artist myself, I am taken with the clarity of language and the specificity of information in Mr. Booth's book. The Music Teaching Artist's Bible emphasizes listening: to students, educational partners, audience responses and works of art, and reflecting and revising based upon what we hear and learn. I am thrilled to have this comprehensive source for the essential ideas of teaching artist practice. I know I will refer to it all the time.

A Profoundly Useful Book
As a music teaching artist and teacher, I can't say enough good things about this long overdue work.If I had to choose one word to describe it, I think I would go with "useful"--to working and aspiring music teaching artists certainly, but also to educators in all fields, musicians seeking insight into a contemporary approach to pedagogy, and even to non-experts who are interested in exploring how the arts and learning intersect and interact.

This range of potential readers gives one some idea of how synthetic, comprehensive this book is.Booth succeeds in applying and referencing theory while always remaining concrete and accessible; he is highly practical without oversimplification; his work offers deep guidance and yet remains open-ended and thought-provoking. This is both a book about professional practice, and a deep work on pedagogy in our contemporary context, one with far-reaching implications.It can serve as a reference, as a blueprint, as a textbook, and as an inspiration.And...it's really entertaining and personable.

I don't want to go on too much, so I'll just mention two more things I particularly appreciate about this book. The first is the way it effortlessly dissolves the false but commonly posed opposition between "conventional" and "new" music pedagogy.Booth brings to bear a certain rigor in both his knowledge of music performance and of teaching artistry that enables him to span a wide range of techniques and issues and bring together old and new approaches to old and new problems in teaching music and extending musical experience, all the while providing a variety of organizing principles that are at once musical and progressive.

The second thing that struck me is that, amidst the great wealth of practical advice and pedagogical structure, Booth communicates a great sensitivity to the ART of teaching and a recognition of the teaching artist as an individual.From the outset he stresses the importance of bringing YOU to bear in the work, and explains and shows in many ways that teaching artistry is not an abstraction, it is artists teaching.In this day of increasingly rigid, teacher and student suffocating algorithmic curricula, recognition of this fact alone is potentially liberating.This book takes that simple recognition and provides many maps of how to make it real.

Buy and read this book.

Nick Jaffe
Chief Editor, The Teaching Artist Journal

... Read more

Product Description
Helping users write clear, convincing, persuasive prose on musical topics, this practical guide focuses on general writing issues as well as special challenges of writing about music–with clear, step-by-step explanations of the process of writing a paper. Updated to reflect the latest research methodology, resources, and technology, it continues to offer strong coverage on research, organization, drafting and editing–and includes a thorough section on basic writing skills. Contains complete chapters on writing about music, analysis and research, getting started, writing a research paper (from choosing a topic through outlining, writing the draft, editing and revising), questions of format, other kinds of writing projects (i.e., seminar presentations, concert reports, program notes), writing styles, and common writing problem. Covers the latest musicological research and new resources for researching both print and electronic publications. Discusses writing papers on a PC, and provides a sample paper in the appendix that illustrates matters of format and discusses the events in the musical work. For writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Great Place to Start
Whether you're just beginning your career, or well established and need a pick-me-up for inspiration, this easy read gives just the right punch. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to the principles of dance and training developed by Lester Horton. It includes a foreword by Alvin Ailey, reminiscences of early Lester Horton technique by Bella Lewitzky, and a three-dimensional portrait of the life and work of Lester Horton by Jana Frances-Fischer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Will Review Later
I never received the item from the source I ordered so I ordered from another place...I will review it when I get it.I did get a full refund the very next day.Thank you. ... Read more

Product Description
Borrowing from contemporary semiotics and post-structuralist criticism, Foster outlines four models for representation in dance which are illustrated through an analysis of the works of contemporary choreographers and through historical examples beginning with court ballets of the Renaissance. ... Read more

Product Description
"School of Classical Dance" is the official textbook of the Vaganova School and takes the reader from the basic concepts of the syllabus to the most complicated exercises taught at the end of the eight-year course. A thorough and logical presentation of the classical vocabulary, from its basic forms to advanced variations, is followed by a sample lesson for a senior class. The eight-year syllabus of the Vaganova school, now officially adopted by all Russian ballet schools, is then given in full. "School of Classical Dance" is both a work of reference and a stimulating handbook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The magic ballet book.
Ever since I have been dancing, it is the first time that I have come across a book which describes the tehniques of the vaganova method in detail. Every one who is an associate with ballet will benefit from thatbook. This official textbook of the vaganova school covering the basicconcepts to the most complicated excercises.It is an outstandingreference work and a stimulating handbook. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents the fundamental concepts of music theory. For beginners with no prior musical experience, this text aims to teach the essential concepts of music from note reading to melody harmonization, from cadence structures to motivic development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Would never purchase from them again...
What I recieved did not include everything that was promised in the ad.There was highlighting throughout the book and most of the excercises were already completed.I would have returned it, but then I would have been charged a 10% reshelving fee that I was unaware of prior to purchasing... Stay away! ... Read more

Product Description
This is the basic book for recreational dance. It is the eighth edition of the best-selling introduction to dance, one whose unique combination of dance instruction, descriptions of major forms of dance, and directions for over 260 individual dances provides future dance instructors with the background needed to be successful teachers.The cultural background of dance for each country is presented along with specific suggestions for developing style. It reflects the most recent trends in dance, and includes a wealth of suggestions for dance resource materials. The methods teacher has an all-inclusive textbook for students, the teacher in training has a reference book that will last a lifetime. Coverage includes the Rumba, Cha Cha, Fox Trot, Waltz, Swing, Hustle, Tango, Salsa, and Country-Western dances. Detailed illustrations and diagrams clarify techniques throughout, making learning each dance as easy as 1-2-3. For beginning and experienced teachers of dance, or for the dance enthusiast. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Book Review
I think the book was described perfectly the way it came...fast shipping and no hassles with the seller...GOOD

Great Price
I purchased this book before the semester started and found out it wasn't actually required for the course.However, since I purchased it for $16.99, I could not bring myself to return it. The packaging left a little to be desired and it was a bit banged up, but it's full of great information.

HUGE store of information
This book has it all, from dance steps to instructions on how to successfully teach social dance.It has been a huge help and resource to me as I prepare my teaching curriculum for the year.

A great resource book for physical educaion teachers
If you want to teach your class something about partner, folk, social, contra, and ballroom dance, it is here.This book covers everything from A to Z.It even gives you a glossary just in case you did not know some of those square dance calls.And, its many indexes and other additions at theback of the book are fabulous to help you plan and find all kind ofrelevant material.I wonder what happened to Ms. Pitman and Ms.Walker, co-authors of earlier editons.Yes, I have used Dance A While foryears.It was recommended to me in college during the 60's. I lost it andam so happy to see it is still in print.Because, what ever other books Ilooked at when I needed information never came close to providing what Ineeded to find out.Thank you Jane Harris for updating and improving agreat book.

A great book for dance teachers
This is the best book I used for learning how to teach dancing.It contains a good selection ofsimple dances which are suitable for novice dancers, andprovides detailed dance descriptions and good advice for theteacher. The only drawback is that it doesn't come with music, so you haveto track down a suitable recording for each dance. I have used this bookfor teaching recreational folk dance groups and school classes, and find itto be an excellent resource. ... Read more

Product Description
Music is so ubiquitous that it can be easy to overlook the powerful influence it exerts in so many areas of our lives - from birth, through childhood, to old age. The Social and Applied Psychology of Music is the successor to the bestselling and influential Social Psychology of Music. It considers the value of music in everyday life, answering some of the perennial questions about music.

The book begins with a scene-setting chapter that describes the academic background to the book, before looking at composition and musicianship.It then goes on to look at musical preference. What aspects of music are crucial in determining whether or not you will like it?

In chapter 4 the authors consider whether rap and rock are bad for young people, highlighting some of the major moral scandals that have rocked pop music, and asks whether these have become more extreme over time. The following chapter looks at music as a commercial product. How does the structure of the music industry affect the music that we hear on the radio and buy?

The book closes with an examination of music education. How does musical ability develop in children, and how does this relate to more general theories of how intellectual skills develop? Do musical skills develop independently of other abilities?

Exceptionally broad in scope, and written in a highly accessible style by the leading researchers in this field, The Social and Applied Psychology of Music will be required reading for anyone seeking an understanding of the role music plays in our lives.

The book closes with a examination of music education. How does musical ability develop in children, and how does this relate to more general theories of how intellectual skills develop? Do musical skills develop independently of other abilities? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A catalogue of reference to music and psychology
This is a useful work that both broadens the sphere of study of the relationship between the discipline of psychology and the study and performance of music and provides a ready reference to a large segment of that literature that future scholars will be able to access. The book examines the relationship between the production, creation and enjoyment of music and the social contexts in which that music is created and enjoyed. It brings together the literature of aspects of music production and enjoyment beyond the narrower precincts of the cognition and perception of music. The authors do a valuable service in reviewing much research and provide the start point for more work. They also expand the scope of study of the conditions under which music is experienced and appreciated, bringing the topic to the state of affairs in the 21st Century and the ubiquitous digitization of content. This is a valuable and quite salutary lesson.

The problem with such a reference work is that it has to treat almost everything with a light touch. Descriptions of research work can sometimes be quite superficial and limiting and criticismsappear rather weak. For example, there is a large section on creativity, a topic of clear relevance to the theme. A number of theories and methods are reviewed, but there is insufficient depth of analysis to enable a beginner really to understand the issues and problems. The interested reader can readily access the material, but the book is the starting point, not the guide that it could be.

Reviews of social psychological research that are relevant are also reviewed with insufficient depth. Studies on social conditions that can act to exacerbate or alleviate performance anxiety, for example, are not reviewed in most cases and those that are are secondary sources. the reference to relevant research in areas of cognition and ways that people respond to music exposure also shows a surprising lack of breadth and depth of analysis. To take this position, of course, can be seen to be unduly critical. To review all relevant material would be an impossible task and render any such monograph unreadable. At the same time, perhaps the authors could have been less adventurous and have limited the scope of their book and considered fewer issues in more detail.

There is, however, much to be gained from this book and much to be savored. The authors have done a great deal to educate the person interested in psychology and in music about how the fields intersect. The authors are clearly enthusiastic about the field, have produced much empirical research in the area and are excellent proselytizers. But the book does, in the end, act more as a catalogue to the riches of inquiry into music rather than introduce the reader to the joys of understanding.

Important Scholarly Work
North and Hargreaves provide a masterful review of a vast body of research completed over the last 30 years in the field of Social Psychology and Music. As with the emerging field of music psychology in general, there is a need for books like this to begin to synthesize and make sense of the research that has been conducted, often by specialists in diverse fields who normally don't follow each others' work. The authors offer a compelling case for the unique contribution social psychology can make as a counter-balance to the laboratory research carried out in the cognitive and neuroscience fields. Here we have data from people interviewed in the context of their lived experience, examining how music functions within the lives of individuals and groups. I also appreciated their critique of the majority of psychological research to date, which has used classical music almost exclusively as if it were the ideal style of music to study. This bias is unwarranted, given the vast amount of music that is available and present in people's lives, and the diverse tastes that draw people to so many other styles besides the classical genre. Something else is clearly at work psychologically that leads people to so many other kinds of music besides classical. It's time for the research field to become curious about this fact. I found their protracted discussion of research on youth sub-culture and music to be a bit biased toward regarding rap and heavy metal as threats to social order and well-being. Their choice of term, to call these styles "problem music," is itself a problem, which minimizes the compelling forces that draw young people to this music and fairly disregards the benefits that fans find there. No doubt, research shows a clear correlation between this music and serious social problems such as violence, sexism, and self-harm, but their analysis is lacking in nuance to consider this music as a mirror of a troubled social milieu rather than its agent. Overall, there is no other book quite like this, which is so comprehensive and expertly written by two prominent figures in the field. It will be of interest to students and researchers in the fields of music, psychology, and the social sciences. As a book of general interest, readers may find it a bit dry and heavy as a survey of social science research. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Worthy Effort
Here Cooper and Meyer take on the nature of rhythm in music, using a system of relationships between accents and unaccented or lesser accented notes based on poetic feet.It is one of the very few attempts to discuss rhythm (beyond a basic categorization such as simple/compound; duple/triple)--that it is not, perhaps, completely successful should not entirely invalidate the effort, or indeed, the achievement.Certain topics are not entirely well-explained. I remember that as a student I asked Professor Meyer the difference between two particular terms used in the book--his answer was that he could no longer remember (this was probably 15 years after the book was written) and that the distinction no longer seemed important to him.True, the book was jointly authored and perhaps this distinction was never fully convincing to Meyer--I don't know.In spite of this, the book is truly important for introducing and discussing the concept of form as a rhythmic idea.That rhythm, like pitch, can have hierarchic structures may at first seem counterintuitive; but Cooper and Meyer make a convincing arguement.And that after some 35 years this book is still in print and has not been superceded speaks volumes. ... Read more

Product Description

This is an excellent reference volume including essays on all aspects of medieval music performance. With forty essays written by experts in the field on everything from repertoire, voices and instruments to basic theory, all aspects of recreation are treated. This guide has already proven indispensable to performers and scholars of medieval music. Chapters on vocal and choral music; various types of ensembles; profiles of specific instruments; instrumentation; performance practice issues; theory; dance; regional profiles of Renaissance music, and guidelines for directors are all treated. It is a comprehensive and authoritative reference by leading performers in the field for a variety of enthusiasts.

Customer Reviews (3)

I'm enthusiast!
This book is really useful: I play the medieval lute and the 'ud and I found very interesting and helpful the chapters about improvisation and basic theory of the modes.

I really recommend it!

Begin here
I agree with the other review of this book, the
Bagby article is wonderful in its insight and also
its discouraging the adoption of riffs from contemporary
cultures (a la "world music") while finding inspiration and advice in them.Non-western musical traditions havehas its own genius and integrity witout insulting them by pasting them onto western practice.They should be studied for their own worth.
The articles about theory and practice in this book are the most practical I've ever seen in a book on the subject.Following Margriet Tindemans' advice in chapter 34 will definitely get you somewhere.
If you are going to buy only one book on the subject it should be this one.If you are going to buy several, this one should be the first.

Sheep guts, neumes, and poetic imagination
This collection of essays attempts to give a fairly complete overview of things we need to know to do a credible job of recreating medieval music, including poetic and dramatic forms, modes, tunings, the ever-elusive question of notation, and specifics about the instruments. This last is particularly helpful when one is moving sideways out of one's own area of expertise (eg, singers wanting to know more about how to direct the instrumentalists in suitable accompaniment textures, lutenists seeking to create a repertoire out of 14th and 15th c vocal forms, sensible people curious about the hurdy gurdy's fall from grace, etc.). Within any given essay are plenty of challenges to commonly received knowledge, with abundant references and citations. Illustrations, though sparing, manage to make departures from the ones usually given. In all, this book is bound to serve as a standard reference for years to come.

For a taste now, if nothing else, anyone involved in recreating medieval music simply must read Benjamin Bagby's essay "Imagining the Early Medieval Harp." He presents a quest, and captures many hints to point to a truly passionate and organic reconstruction of authentic performance practice. Why do we go to such efforts to assemble these hints and scraps of the past? Why would we even think of limiting ourselves to musical instruments barely exceeding an octave? Imagine, with Mr Bagby, the legend of Tristan with his 8-10 stringed harp, described in a 13th c account as "playing such sweet tones and striking the harp so perfecly... that many who stood or sat nearby forgot their own names." This is a possible ideal even today: Read on!

Even more is given in the late Barbara Thornton's interview "The Voice," wherein very specific techniques are shared for cultivating a medieval imagination. Like a language itself, this imagination is also a receptivity to many emotional nuances and inflections that are simply not communicated by any other kind of music.

As Ms Thornton reflected, it was just as hard for a medieval person to gain mastery of medieval tradition as it is for us today. "The building blocks in medieval tradition are known and available." You'll find a treasury of them here. ... Read more

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Boosting the bass guitar, blending the vocals, overdubbing percussion while fretting over shoot-outs in the street. Grumbling about a producer, teasing a white engineer, challenging an artist to feel his African beat. Sound of Africa! is a riveting account of the production of a mbaqanga album in a state-of-the-art recording studio in Johannesburg. Made popular internationally by Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, mbaqanga's distinctive style features a bass solo voice and soaring harmonies of a female frontline over electric guitar, bass, keyboard, and drumset. Louise Meintjes chronicles the recording and mixing of an album by Izintombi Zesimanje, historically the rival group of the Mahotella Queens. Set in the early 1990s during South Africa’s tumultuous transition from apartheid to democratic rule, Sound of Africa! offers a rare portrait of the music recording process. It tracks the nuanced interplay among South African state controls, the music industry's transnational drive, and the mbaqanga artists' struggles for political, professional, and personal voice.

Focusing on the ways artists, producers, and sound engineers collaborate in the studio control room, Meintjes reveals not only how particular mbaqanga sounds are shaped technically, but also how egos and artistic sensibilities and race and ethnicity influence the mix. She analyzes how the turbulent identity politics surrounding Zulu ethnic nationalism impacted mbaqanga artists' decisions in and out of the studio. Conversely, she explores how the global consumption of Afropop and African images fed back into mbaqanga during the recording process. Meintjes is especially attentive to the ways the emotive qualities of timbre (sound quality or tone color) forge complex connections between aesthetic practices and political ideology. Vivid photos by the internationally renowned photographer TJ Lemon further dramatize Meintjes’ ethnography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Stunning book
"Sound of Africa!" should be required reading for anyone interested in the interplay of music and culture.Meintjes uses a Johannesburg recording studio as a space to examine interplays of power, and expressions of self (gender, sexuality, race, nationality, etc) through the recording process.Her subject is the mbaqanga group Izintombi Zesimanje, and her study of them sheds new light on the profundity of mbaqagna, a style all-too-often labeled as shallow.

Meintjes to her eternal credit, is also an excellent writer.The book is not dummied-down, but she writes clearly and succinctly, structuring the book's chapters in a way similar to the recording process.While she is constantly working with rather complex ideas, she is able to lay out her thought process in such a way as to keep the reader engaged and in the light.

Truly fabulous.It is unfortunate that a CD was not included with the book, as hearing the final product immediately after (or during) reading the book would be great.

'You are there' unique descriptions
Along with 'you are there' unique descriptions of the recording experience comes details on the music industry's motivations, mbaqanga artists' struggles for professional and political voice, and a discussion of how studios have changed in post-apartheid South Africa. ... Read more

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A Sense of Dance: Exploring Your Movement Potential, Second Edition, is written for true beginners—students who are exploring the art form for the first time and are not likely to describe themselves as dancers. Through this text, students discover that dance is an accessible art form that can bring greater self-awareness and self-confidence. It helps new dancers learn how to express themselves through dance.

This second edition, based on an already-successful textbook, features three new chapters that add even more depth to the topics covered. The chapters address the power of dance through time and place, culture, and community; a sense of style; and patterns of coordination.

Like the first edition, this empowering text uses an interactive approach to invite students to learn about dance through everyday experiences, personal observations, and guided experiences.

The following are some of the special elements in the text:

• "Inside Insights" encourage students to reflect on interesting observations that may affect their movement and expression.

• "Try This Experiment" exercises are guided physical explorations of concepts in the text that help students become more kinesthetically aware of their movements and discover new ways of moving.

• "Think About It" sections require students to reflect on how they can apply the information presented. These considerations provide good material for journal entries.

• "Your Turn to Dance" provides two opportunities per chapter for students to work in small groups to discover movement possibilities, solve problems, and hone their observation and evaluation skills.These become springboards for choreography that reinforces the concepts in the chapter—and provide another adventure of exploring movement potential.

The author uses a basic movement vocabulary that you can use to describe and evaluate movement possibilities, improve sensitivity when working in groups, develop critical-thinking skills, and express ideas and emotions through movement.

The book also contains these features designed to help students personalize and interact with the content:• Short quizzes• Highlight boxes• Self-assessment exercises • Updated, easy-reference index Whatever your students’ level of artistic awareness, this engaging text will inspire innovation and help you guide students in the discovery of their own creativity and sense of dance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Like having a Friend guide you through the process
A delightful, thorough and original review of the many skeins that weavethrough dance.The three chapters on choreographing were unbelievablyhelpful as I went through the process of making some of my own dances. Like having a trusted friend talk you through the process.I was able tocritically examine and revise (or throw-out!) some of the elements I wasusing.As the previous reviewer noted, a unique and particularly helpfulaspect of this book is the numerous movement and compositional exercisesthe author walks (dances) you through. ... Read more

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This study of the hidden side of music and its subtle effects is one of the most detailed books ever written on the subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Just another critic with a limited understanding of his subject matter
This book sat on my shelf for many years, unread.When I finally began reading it today, I was disgusted by the holier-than-thou attitudes.

Speaking of Buddy Bolden as one of the first jazz musicians, the author is unable to say anything meaningful about his actual music.Tame instead discusses the heavy drinking and syphilis which led to Bolden's commitment to a state institution, and then casts a pall over the whole genre by stating that Bolden's degenerate biography "set the pattern for all that jazz was to become and result in."Critics that are unable to describe anything specific about the actual techniques of music are a dime-a-dozen, and predictably, Tame focuses here on the personal life of the musician rather than the music itself.Tame's comments about jazz are insulting to anyone who has played and/or listened to jazz.Not all jazz musicians have substance abuse problems or social diseases: I played jazz for over 4 decades and have neither, thank you.And if some musicians have bad habits, that is their business: listen to the MUSIC, damn it.

Perhaps it is the improvisational component of jazz that upsets Tame.In the twentieth century, improvisation had for the most part become a lost art in academic and art music circles, even though it was known that many composers such as Mozart, Bach and Beethoven could improvise with a facility that rivaled their compositional abilities. Jazz musicians have a common vocabulary and a common if unspoken etiquette for musical interaction.Even more importantly, they have a solid aural tradition; and in the course of their learning process (often a largely self-taught one) they learn much of what they know by imitation and memorization, without the use of written scores.The free-flowing, spontaneous musical result of such an education clearly poses a threat to someone as obviously anal-retentive as Mr. Tame.

I studied 16th century counterpoint with the famous music educator and scholar Douglass M. Green.He once pointed out to me that, during his tenure at the Eastman School of Music, he noticed that jazz musicians often were better at writing counterpoint (both 16th and 18th century) than their fellow students who only had a classical background.The clear connection between the melodic content of classical counterpoint and modern jazz improvisation belies Tame's implications that jazz is simply a late-arriving aberration.

A glance at the index of this book reveals the extent of the author's expertise regarding jazz: jazz great John Coltrane is not even mentioned in a book published 18 years after his death.

Another troubling aspect of this book is the liberal sprinkling of homophobic comments.The author tells us that the ancient Greeks started playing too many notes without enough substance, degenerated into homosexuality, and then the whole civilization fell into ruin.He describes Tchaikovsky's downward spiral as the result of his sexual preference, without even considering the possibility that societal attitudes and mores that push certain behaviors into the shadows may be the real problem.

As another reviewer pointed out, lumping Stravinsky's marvelous "Rite of Spring" in with John Cage's music constitutes a critical brush-stroke that is much too broad in its dismissal of most 20th century art music.

Like a eunuch in a harem, David Tame is just another critic who knows how it's done, sees it done every day, but cannot do it himself.(Thanks to Brendan Francis Behan for that pithy quote.)

hit the nail on it's head, miss the point
Mister Tame writes a provocative book.
His research is excellent and he brings forward interesting topics that should be at the core of the teachings of music theory. But...
His analysis is weak and one sided. Contemporary music brought about a much needed discussion on spirituality, allowing for great religion to be viewed in their similarities.
Music is an art that use sound and non-sound and can not be defined by acoustic principles of tones although it may use this element.
The study of Tones (as differentiable angles) and resonance should be studied from kindergarden to universities. It is important and that could really change the world for the better.
The judgement pronounced on many musical work is shallow. He doesn't understand the true function of music and he is accusing many of materialism while himself seem trapped in that cloud.
Any way, a book worth being read!

The Effects of Sound
David Tame has presented fascinating information that affects us all. This is a brilliantly written book in easy to understand language and terms for anyone who is not familiar with different composers or their compositions as well as for those who appreciate music. The information given is an eye opener as to the effects of various kinds of sound on body, mind and soul. It is a revelation as to how much sound does affect everyone and our society whether we are aware of it or not.

Listen to the bumper music of all 'Conservative' talk shows
I found this book absolutely fascinating. For years I have wondered how 'Conservative' talk show hosts could preach such hatred and bigotry yet sprinkle their shows with tons of so-called 'liberal' music. Rush, Hannity, Drudge, and Ingrahm all do this on their radio talk shows. The author of 'The Secret Power of Music' gives the answer. These 'conservatives' just like the fake money preachers on tv are under the same degenerate hypnotic effect of music as everyone else. In fact if you listen closely, these so-called 'family-values' hosts are inexplicably drawn and fascinated by music that exibits the most liberal of values - talk about cognitive dissonance.

This is a bad book.
I am a musicain. This book is wrong. This book is perfect for people who are looking to blame the problems of society on everything but society itself(themselves). Music is a product of society, not the other way around as Tame argues. David Tame is insane! ... Read more