Books by Mary Wright

The Prepper Book is for children aged three and up plus anyone who needs pre-training before beginning Book One. The lessons are slowly paced to allow for training of the hands while the relationship between written music (in alpha form) and the keyboard is learned. Training pointers are given to parents and teachers for introducing the age appropriate songs.For more information visit www.MaryWrightBooks.com

Book 4 teaches rhythms: 2 notes on 1 count, held over notes, quick notes and triplets. Students learn to play an additional 30 songs using these fun rhythms. CDs in two formats accompany Books 1-4 to assist learning through listening; format 1 is classic piano; format 2 is 'crazy combo'- different for every song.For more information visit www.MaryWrightBooks.com

Book Three, using both hands, extends the key range to teach extended finger movement and crossings, the pick-up, rests and holds. In six lessons, students add a delightful 26 songs to their repertoire. Lyrics are written with all the ACPP songs as singing is an important aspect of music development.For more information visit www.MaryWrightBooks.com

Anyone Can Play Piano, Book Two, adds the left hand to the right hand songs learned in Book 1. Book 2 includes 2 lessons and 36 songs, many from Book 1, plus a few new ones. The book is comprised of 53 pages.For more information visit www.MaryWrightBooks.com

Anyone Can Play Piano, Book 1, is the first of a four book, series, that teaches a new way to read notation for playing the piano. Alphabet letters and symbols are used in place of the Grand Staff and notes. The ACPP system is for all ages, including the very young. Upon completing the series, students may opt to learn traditional note reading through the ACPP Transition Series, or continue playing in the ACPP library, which includes songs for youth, classical renditions and hymns from various denominations.For more information visit www.MaryWrightBooks.com

"She's got no more business there than a pig has with a Bible." That's what her father said when Mary Herring announced that she would be moving to Washington, DC, in late1942. Recently graduated from the North Carolina School for Black Deaf and Blind Students, Mary had been invited to the nation's capital by a cousin to see a specialist about her hearing loss. Though nothing could be done about her deafness, Mary quickly proved her father wrong by passing the civil service examination with high marks. "Far from Home: Memories of World War II and Afterward," the second installment of her autobiography, describes her life from her move to Washington to the present. Mary soon became a valued employee for the Navy, maintaining rosters for the many servicemen in war theaters worldwide. Her remarkable gift for detail depicts Washington in meticulous layers, a sleepy Southern town force-grown into a dynamic geopolitical hub. Life as a young woman amid the capital's Black middle class could be warm and fun, filled with visits from family and friends, and trips home to Iron Mine for tearful, joyous reunions. But the reality of the times was never far off. On many an idyllic afternoon, she and her friends found somber peace in Arlington Cemetery, next to the grave of the sole Unknown Soldier at that time. During an evening spent at the U.S.O., one hearing woman asked how people like her could dance, and Mary answered, "With our feet." She became a pen pal to several young servicemen, but did not want to know why some of them suddenly stopped writing. Despite the close friends and good job that she had in Washington, the emotional toll caused Mary to return to her family home in IronMine, NC. There, she rejoined her family and resumed her country life. She married and raised four daughters, and recounts the joys and sorrows she experienced through the years, particularly the loss of her parents. Her blend of the gradual transformation of Southern rural lif