Music

An essential exploration of Nordic composers and musicians, and the distinctive culture that continues to shape them

A major history of British music, especially folk music, based around the life of iconic sound engineer Bill Leader. Based on extensive and exclusive interviews conducted over ten years with Bill and other major players. Each volume in this series is illustrated with rare, often unpublished images and original artwork by Peter Seal.

''Wagner''s art refuses to stand still, declines to play by the rules and will not observe any of the social graces''What is it that makes Wagner''s art so endlessly powerful? So influential, seductive and repellent? So simultaneously creative and destructive? And why does it continue to shock, thrill and disturb all those who encounter it?In Disturbing the Universe, David Vernon probes - in his incisive, provocative style - each of Wagner''s mature works individually, from Der fliegende Holl├ñnder to Parsifal. He unpacks and interrogates the exquisite networks Wagner created through the radical development of opera into musikdrama.Written in spirited and enticing prose, this book will appeal to Wagner addicts and connoisseurs as well as to novices and sceptics. It invites us all to look anew at a timeless and controversial art.

The living embodiment of The Beatles, a musical juggernaut without parallel, Paul McCartney is undoubtedly the senior figure in pop music today. In this authoritative biography, journalist and acclaimed author Howard Sounes leaves no stone unturned in building the most accurate and extensive profile yet of music's greatest living legend.He is one of the biggest stars that has ever existed, the only key member left from the unquestioned 'biggest band of all time'. But despite the almost unprecedented press coverage he has received throughout his lifetime, the private personality of Paul McCartney remains a source of intrigue and relative mystery to the public.Spanning the entirety of McCartney's life from early childhood right up to the present day, FAB delves deep into the life of this remarkable and often surprising man, revealing the often dark reality behind his consistently positive, relaxed public image. For the first time, Sounes will examine in detail the lifestyle of one of the richest men on the planet, the truth behind his much publicized divorce from Heather Mills, as well as his tempestuous relationship with the other Beatles, with startling revelations.Drawing on countless interviews, legal records and public documents, Howard Sounes' meticulous approach and brilliant powers of research reveal the real Paul McCartney, like you've never known him before.

Music practice arguments in families are seemingly so ubiquitous that it''s become a trope used in sitcoms. But it doesn''t have to be this way. Your child can have a wonderful experience with music and you can enjoy watching their progress without it becoming a battlefield.  In Practice Pie, I''ll teach you how to support your child in their musical journey. I can''t promise it will be as easy as pie (but then, is pie really easy?) but I can promise to make it quick and practical, with a little humour thrown in for good measure. You signed your child up for lessons because you wanted them to enjoy and appreciate music. You deserve a taste of that fun, too. Let''s get baking so we can take a bite of some delicious music practice pie!What Teachers Are Saying..."Learning to play an instrument takes practice and learning to practice takes practice. Nicola Cantan''s ''Practice Pie'' is the perfect recipe for showing parents how to create tasty practice sessions at home with their children."Shelly DavisPiano Parent Podcast, pianoparentpodcast.com

No period of Bob Dylan's six-decade career confounds fans more than the 1980s. The singer began the decade with Saved, the second in a trio of explicitly religious records, and a tour in which he declined to play his older songs because of concern they were anti-god.

As well as examining all of ELO's recorded catalogue, the author has spoken to many people who have been involved with the band over the decades, uncovering along the way previously unseen photographs and new information about the group and their recordings, making this one of the most comprehensive guides to ELO ever published.

"This book features more than 150 rarely seen images documenting the rise of hip hop in the early 1980s, taken by French photographer Sophie Bramly. Bramly lived in New York during this period and became firmly embedded in the emergent scene. The book features many stunning, intimate images of a star-studded roll call of legendary hip hop figures, all of whom were only just getting known or in their ascendency. These include Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmixer DST, Jazzy Jay, Red Alert, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, Lisa Lee, the Fat Boys, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, and many more. Bramly knew that hip hop was becoming a cultural force rather than just a musical fashion, and spent many hours photographing the four essential elements of this new world: the emcees, the deejays, the graffiti artists, and the break dancers"--

Paul Harris‿s ground-breaking and inspirational new approach encourages teachers to explore and transform how they teach. Paul identifies and reimagines the barriers or ‿conditions‿ that can stand in the way of effective teaching, to allow for the most immersive and positive learning experience. Written in Paul‿s accessible and engaging style, ideas are tackled from both a practical and psychological perspective, rooted in Paul‿s renowned Simultaneous Learning methodology. For teachers of all disciplines and learners of all ages, this seminal book will begin your journey towards an unbounded, unconditional way of teaching. Unconditional Teaching is in my view one of those potentially transformative “best books about teachingâ€?, and I would encourage every instrumental teacher to make a priority of reading it. A miniature masterpiece, a profoundly rewarding read: I quite simply cannot recommend Unconditional Teaching highly enough!Andrew Eales, pianodao.com review, January 2022Whether you‿re a new teacher, or an experienced one, this book is a must-read. Prepare to be both challenged and inspired; everything you take from it will enrich and enhance your teaching. This is the book I wish I‿d read before I taught my very first lesson, but it‿s of no less value now. David Barton, davidbartonmusic.co.uk, April 2022

Learn all you''ll ever really need to know as a ukulele player in this step-by-step, easy-to-understand, entry level introduction to music theory (includes free online video demos).No music reading necessary, just confusion-free language with diagrams and hands on examples to put theory into practice.This step-by-step guide is for you if:You''ve just picked up a ukulele and have learned to play a few chordsYou''ve been playing for a while and now want to develop your playing through a greater understanding of the art of making musicYou find yourself confused by the words and language other musicians use at jams, ukulele club, campfire song sessions etcYou''ve learned to play from chord sheets, song sheets, books or online videos and now want to understand more about what makes music workYou want to learn the basic nuts and bolts of music so that you can learn and remember songs more easily, work out other peoples songs and maybe even write some of your own (!)You''re looking for a step-by-step method for learning 95% of the music theory you''ll ever need to know, without the confusion and explained in simple terms which everyone can understandThis book will help you:Break free from song sheet slaveryNail the theory behind keys, chord families and useful chord progressionsLearn to understand the music you play and listen toUse your own knowledge and ability to learn songs more easilyBuild your knowledge step-b-step, chapter-by-chapterTest your knowledge with quizzes each step of the wayI''ll see you inside!

Now in its second edition, this book improves on a predecessor that has proven to be a resounding hit for singers and their teachers, speech-language pathologists, laryngologists, practitioners of Alexander, Yoga, Feldenkrais, and others, and, increasingly, as an adopted text for instructors and students.

Psychedelia meets Black Power, sexual liberation meets social conscience, and street portraiture meets fantastical cartoon in this epic volume of groove. Complete with cultural context, design analysis, and interviews with key industry figures, the collection gathers more than 500 legendary record covers that visualized a golden era of African...

"The Book to discover the Music of the Seventies" Back in print for 2020! The definitive record guide to the progressive era of rock music, Strawberry Bricks presents a comprehensive discography with reviews of 500+ albums, with band histories, musical synopses, key tracks and critical commentary, all presented in the historical context of a timeline. Beginning in 1967 and continuing through 1982, a generation of musicians took rock music in directions unforeseen as they charted what would become known as progressive rock. From art rock to krautrock, from England to Germany to Italy and all across Europe, Strawberry Bricks offers a candid reappraisal of rock's most cerebral genre.

Vinyl World is a small cultural history of the record and celebrates the vinyl lifestyle and legendary records in a vibrant coffee table book. Text in English and German.