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Showing 1 - 20 of 10864 items
By Heidi Westerlund, Helena Gaunt. 2021
This book addresses the need to rethink the concept and enactment of professionalism in music, and how such concepts underpin…
professional higher music education. There is an urgent imperative to enable the potential of professional musicians in our contemporary societies to be more fully realised, recognising both intense challenges that are currently threatening some traditional music practices, and significant scope for new practices to be imagined in response to deep veins of societal need. Professionalism encompasses the conduct, aims, values, responsibilities and ongoing development of a practising professional in the field. Professional higher music education engages both with providing future professionals with relevant education in particular craft skills, and with nurturing their visions for their work as artists in future societies. The major focus of the book is on performance traditions that have dominated professional higher education, notably western classical music.Pioneering the field of Springsteen scholarship when it first appeared in 1997, Born in the U.S.A. remains one of the definitive studies…
of Springsteen’s work and its impact on American culture. Moving beyond journalistic and biographical approaches, Jim Cullen situates the artist in a wider historical canvas that stretches from the Puritans to Barack Obama, showing how he has absorbed, refracted, and revitalized American mythology, including the American Dream, the work ethic, and the long quest for racial justice. Exploring difficult questions about Springsteen’s politics, he finds a man committed to both democratic and republican principles, as well as a patriot dedicated to revealing the lapses of a country he loves. This third edition of Born in the U.S.A. is fully revised and updated, incorporating discussion of Springsteen’s wide output in the 21st century. While addressing Springsteen’s responses to events like 9/11, it also considers the evolution of his attitudes towards religion, masculinity, and his relationship with his audience. Whether a serious Springsteen fan or simply an observer of American popular culture, Born in the U.S.A. will give you a new appreciation for The Boss.By Michael Gallope. 2024
An insightful look at how avant-garde musicians of the postwar period in New York explored the philosophical dimensions of music’s…
ineffability. The Musician as Philosopher explores the philosophical thought of avant-garde musicians in postwar New York: David Tudor, Ornette Coleman, the Velvet Underground, Alice Coltrane, Patti Smith, and Richard Hell. It contends that these musicians—all of whom are understudied and none of whom are traditionally taken to be composers—not only challenged the rules by which music is written and practiced but also confounded and reconfigured gendered and racialized expectations for what critics took to be legitimate forms of musical sound. From a broad historical perspective, their arresting music electrified a widely recognized social tendency of the 1960s: a simultaneous affirmation and crisis of the modern self.Hootie & the Blowfish’s drummer chronicles the band’s rise, fall, and rebirth, as well as his path from addiction to…
recovery and a more fruitful life.For a time, there was no bigger band in the world than Hootie & the Blowfish—rock & roll’s unexpected foil to the grunge music that dominated the early ’90s airwaves.?In Swimming with the Blowfish, Jim?Sonefeld, drummer and one of the band’s principal songwriters, reveals the inside story of the band’s humble beginnings, meteoric rise, sudden fall, and ultimate rebirth—and in the telling he opens his heart to readers about addiction, recovery, and faith.Hootie became ubiquitous in the ‘90s—their debut album Cracked Rear View was one of the best-selling in the history of rock music; they won two Grammy Awards; their live performances were played alongside the Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M., and even Willie Nelson and Neil Young; and they appeared at the biggest venues in the world. Though Jim enjoyed the perks that came with fame—the parties, the relationships, the money, the drugs and alcohol—eventually it all became a camouflage that hid a deeper spiritual malady. As his life was careening toward disaster, he reached out his hands to seek relief in twelve-step recovery, eventually settling into a loving, but by no means uncomplicated, homelife.A book that encapsulates a band still beloved by legions of fans, Swimming with the Blowfish is much more—an unpretentious, emotional story of one man’s spiritual path to a more fruitful life. Jim’s journey is shattering, redeeming, and ultimately as comforting as your favorite flannel shirt.Praise for Swimming with the Blowfish“I’ve truly relished hanging out with the fun-loving, mischievous ‘Soni’ through the years, but this book exposes a more deeply-rooted, impassioned side he didn’t always show. He captures the spirit of the surreal and sometimes unsettling life behind the scenes of one of my favorite bands, sincerely revealing that he is as fragile as the rest of us. It’s an eloquent yet humbling example of a lesson we can all learn from—that no degree of fame or fortune leaves us immune to experiencing pain, powerlessness, and regret.” —Dan Patrick, sports broadcaster and host of?The Dan Patrick Show?“Jim Sonefeld details his rollercoaster ride through rock and roll, addiction and sobriety with searing honesty and grace.” —Radney Foster, singer-songwriter of Foster & Lloyd and author of?For You?to?See?the?StarsTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNew York Times bestselling author Alan Paul's in-depth narrative look at the Allman Brothers' most…
successful album, and a portrait of an era in rock and roll and American history.The Allman Brothers Band’s Brothers and Sisters was not only the band’s bestselling album, at over seven million copies sold, but it was also a powerfully influential release, both musically and culturally, one whose influence continues to be profoundly felt.Celebrating the album’s fiftieth anniversary, Brothers and Sisters the book delves into the making of the album, while also presenting a broader cultural history of the era, based on first-person interviews, historical documents, and in-depth research.Brothers and Sisters traces the making of the template-shaping record alongside the stories of how the Allman Brothers came to the rescue of a flailing Jimmy Carter presidential campaign and helped get the former governor of Georgia elected president; how Gregg Allman’s marriage to Cher was an early harbinger of an emerging celebrity media culture; and how the band’s success led to internal fissures. The book also examines the Allman Brothers' relationship with the Grateful Dead—including the most in-depth reporting ever on the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, the largest rock festival ever—and describes how they inspired bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, helping create the southern rock genre.With exclusive access to hundreds of hours of never-before-heard interviews with every major player, including Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman, conducted by Allman Brothers Band archivist, photographer, and “Tour Mystic” Kirk West, Brothers and Sisters is an honest assessment of the band’s career, history, and highs and lows.By Orange Hippo. 2023
K-POP cannot be stopped!Since its large-scale assault on the world stage a decade ago, K-POP has defied a cynical musical…
industry and defined a generation of musical talent, creating a soundtrack to the 21st century in the process. Today, more than 80 million K-POP albums are sold each year, with tens of billions of streams and MVs to boot, uniting the millions of K-POP fandoms together into one demilitarized, and friendly, army.Much like K-POP blends together the genres of electronic, pop, hip-hop, rock, and R&B, The Little Guide to K-POP fuses together all the facts, stats, quotes, quips, wisdom and trivia you'll need to keep up to speed with this lightning bolt of an evolving genre.From BTS to BlackPink, Seventeen to EXO, Red Velvet to SuperM, and everyone else inbetween, The Little Guide to K-POP celebrates ten years of musical revolution, throwing a bite-size spotlight on the viral dance moves, songs, groups, agencies, MVs and the heart-throbbing idols at the centre of this global cultural phenomenon.'No matter who you are, where you're from, your skin colour, your gender identity; just speak yourself. Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself.' RM, BTS, at the United Nations, September 20, 2021.By Orange Hippo. 2023
K-POP cannot be stopped!Since its large-scale assault on the world stage a decade ago, K-POP has defied a cynical musical…
industry and defined a generation of musical talent, creating a soundtrack to the 21st century in the process. Today, more than 80 million K-POP albums are sold each year, with tens of billions of streams and MVs to boot, uniting the millions of K-POP fandoms together into one demilitarized, and friendly, army.Much like K-POP blends together the genres of electronic, pop, hip-hop, rock, and R&B, The Little Guide to K-POP fuses together all the facts, stats, quotes, quips, wisdom and trivia you'll need to keep up to speed with this lightning bolt of an evolving genre.From BTS to BlackPink, Seventeen to EXO, Red Velvet to SuperM, and everyone else inbetween, The Little Guide to K-POP celebrates ten years of musical revolution, throwing a bite-size spotlight on the viral dance moves, songs, groups, agencies, MVs and the heart-throbbing idols at the centre of this global cultural phenomenon.'No matter who you are, where you're from, your skin colour, your gender identity; just speak yourself. Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself.' RM, BTS, at the United Nations, September 20, 2021.By Orange Hippo. 2023
The world's biggest star squeezed down to a miniature pocket-size.Harry Styles is the hero we all deserve right now. And…
judging by the deafening noise he received on his sell-out world tour to support his acclaimed record, Harry's House, he is the defining icon of our age, no doubt.With more than 80 million record sales (combined with One Direction), Harry is one of the very few modern superstars worthy of all the fuss. According to many, he is set to become the next Bowie. This tiny tome celebrates the star in the only way we know how – in his own words, and more than 185 bitesize quotes. From his earliest pre-fame interviews right through to his most recent world tour, there's no part of his life left unturned.As he turns 30 in 2024, and with a career-defining album and world tour about to be put to bed, whatever Harry does next will have the eyes of the world on him. While you wait for his return, The Little Guide to Harry Styles will keep you company in bed – and wherever else you need a little Harry-shaped pick-me-up.'I just don't think you need to be a dick to be a good artist. But then, there are also a lot of good artists who are dicks. So, hmmm, maybe I need to start scaring babies in supermarkets?' Harry StylesBy Orange Hippo. 2023
The world's biggest star squeezed down to a miniature pocket-size.Harry Styles is the hero we all deserve right now. And…
judging by the deafening noise he received on his sell-out world tour to support his acclaimed record, Harry's House, he is the defining icon of our age, no doubt.With more than 80 million record sales (combined with One Direction), Harry is one of the very few modern superstars worthy of all the fuss. According to many, he is set to become the next Bowie. This tiny tome celebrates the star in the only way we know how – in his own words, and more than 185 bitesize quotes. From his earliest pre-fame interviews right through to his most recent world tour, there's no part of his life left unturned.As he turns 30 in 2024, and with a career-defining album and world tour about to be put to bed, whatever Harry does next will have the eyes of the world on him. While you wait for his return, The Little Guide to Harry Styles will keep you company in bed – and wherever else you need a little Harry-shaped pick-me-up.'I just don't think you need to be a dick to be a good artist. But then, there are also a lot of good artists who are dicks. So, hmmm, maybe I need to start scaring babies in supermarkets?' Harry StylesBy David Trippett. 2024
Few composers embodied wider cultural interests than Wagner or had greater cultural consequences. This is the first collection to examine…
directly the rich array of intellectual, social and cultural contexts within which Wagner worked. Alongside fresh accounts of historical topics, from spa culture to racial theory, sentient bodies to stage technology, America to Spain, it casts an eye forward to contexts of Wagner's ongoing reception, from video gaming to sound recording, Israel to Friedrich Kittler, and twenty-first century warfare. The collection brings together an international cast of leading authorities and new voices. Its 42 short chapters offer a reader-friendly way into Wagner studies, with authoritative studies of central topics set alongside emerging new fields. It sheds new light on previously neglected individuals such as Minna Wagner, Theodor Herzl and Houston Stewart Chamberlain, and investigates/assesses/examines the global circulation of Wagner's works, his approach to money, and the controversies that continue to accompany him.By Tommy James, Martin Fitzpatrick. 2011
The sensational ’60s music memoir—part rock & roll fairytale, part mob epic—that “reads like a music-industry version of Goodfellas” (The…
Denver Post).Tommy James was the 60’s pop icon behind timeless hits like “Hanky Panky,” “Mony Mony,” “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Crimson and Clover,” and more. These songs helped define the era, and they have been covered by artists ranging from Billy Idol to Tiffany to R.E.M. But just as compelling as the music itself is the life Tommy James lived while making it.In Me, the Mob, and the Music, James reveals his complex and sometimes terrifying relationship with Roulette Records and Morris Levy, the legendary Godfather of the music business. It is a fascinating portrait of this swaggering era of rock ‘n’ roll, when concerts were wild and the hits kept coming—while, just backstage, payola schemes and mafioso tactics were the norm.By Brian Boone, Marc Schonbrun. 2017
Learn the basics of music theory in this comprehensive and accessible guide.From classical to hard rock, and jazz to hip…
hop, music is constantly evolving. But its fundamental principles remain largely unchanged. Understanding these basics is key to becoming a successful musician, composer, or well-rounded music lover. Music Theory 101 covers everything novice musicians and lifelong learners need to know, including:-How to read sheet music-Understanding the construction of chords and scales-The different rhythm and time signatures-How keys are identified and organizedFull of music trivia, music history, comprehensive instruction, and visual aids of scales, music symbols, and chords, Music Theory 101 is the essential guide you need for a crash course in music theory that even professional musicians would envy.By Charles E. Brewer. 2011
Based on primary sources, many of which have never been published or examined in detail, this book examines the music…
of the late seventeenth-century composers, Biber, Schmeltzer and Muffat, and the compositions preserved in the extensive Moravian archives in Kromeriz. These works have never before been fully examined in the cultural and conceptual contexts of their time. Charles E. Brewer sets these composers and their music within a framework that first examines the basic Baroque concepts of instrumental style, and then provides a context for the specific works. The dances of Schmeltzer, for example, functioned both as incidental music in Viennese operas and as music for elaborate court pantomimes and balls. These same cultural practices also account for some of Biber's most programmatic music, which accompanied similar entertainments in Kromeriz and Salzburg. The many sonatas by these composers have also been misunderstood by not being placed in a context where it was normal to be entertained in church and edified in court. Many of the works discussed here remain unpublished but have, in recent years, been recorded. This book enhances our understanding and appreciation of these recordings by providing an analysis of the context in which the works were first performed.By Matthew Oware. 2018
What do millennial rappers in the United States say in their music? This timely and compelling book answers this question…
by decoding the lyrics of over 700 songs from contemporary rap artists. Using innovative research techniques, Matthew Oware reveals how emcees perpetuate and challenge gendered and racialized constructions of masculinity, femininity, and sexuality. Male and female artists litter their rhymes with misogynistic and violent imagery. However, men also express a full range of emotions, from arrogance to vulnerability, conveying a more complex manhood than previously acknowledged. Women emphatically state their desires while embracing a more feminist approach. Even LGBTQ artists stake their claim and express their sexuality without fear. Finally, in the age of Black Lives Matter and the presidency of Donald J. Trump, emcees forcefully politicize their music. Although complicated and contradictory in many ways, rap remains a powerful medium for social commentary.By Maurice Windleburn. 2024
This book is the first study of John Zorn’s ‘file card’ works, with special focus made on the pieces Godard…
(1985), Spillane (1986), Interzone (2010), and Liber Novus (2010). It explains the unique creative process behind these compositions, contextualizing them in relation to the history of file cards, the ‘open work’ concept, cinematic listening, and uncreative aesthetics. Semiotic, hermeneutic, and ekphrastic analyses draw hypertextual links between the four file card compositions and the worlds of their respective dedicatees: author Mickey Spillane, filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, novelist William S. Burroughs and painter Brion Gysin, and psychiatrist C. G. Jung.This book will appeal not only to those interested in Zorn’s music, but also to scholars of music semiotics and hermeneutics, intermedia studies, and avant-garde music.By Kristin Hersh. 2024
Throwing Muses frontwoman and critically acclaimed solo artist Kristin Hersh meditates on the future of her craft in this wry,…
existential and passionate addition to Melville House&’s new series, FUTURES.Over a long, hot Christmas in Australia, Throwing Muses frontwoman and critically acclaimed solo artist Kristin Hersh considers her future as a songwriter.Is it possible to create music and not show off about it? How can artists establish and refine a following without becoming part of the commercial problem? And just how many times is it healthy to watch It's A Wonderful Life in 3 weeks?In The Future of Songwriting, Hersh chooses to interrogate these questions through philosophical dialogue. From in-depth conversations with a comedian friend about the similarities between songs and jokes, via a fruitful visit to Sydney's 'bone museums', to a revelation from an acupuncturist in New Orleans, she delivers a fierce, funny and existential meditation on the art of the song – and its future.By Neil V Rosenberg. 2006
The fruit of four decades of collaboration between bluegrass music’s premier photographer and premier historian, Bluegrass Odyssey is a satisfying and visually…
alluring journey into the heart of a truly American music. Combining more than two hundred of Carl Fleischhauer’s photographs with Neil V. Rosenberg’s expert commentary, this elegant visual documentary captures the music-making with the culture and community that foster it.By Theodore Dreiser. 2007
Dreiser's captivating portraits of turn-of-the-century America's famous figures In this volume, liberally seasoned with period illustrations, Yoshinobu Hakutani has collected…
and annotated a rich selection of Theodore Dreiser's pre-fame writings on the cultural milieu of his day. In these brief essays, Dreiser sallies into the vibrant world of creative work in turn-of-the-century America. He inspects the eccentric and revealing paraphernalia of artists' studios, probes the work habits of writers, and goes behind the scenes in the popular song-writing business, where this week's celebrity is next week's has-been. He profiles famous figures and introduces numerous women artists, novelists, and musicians, including the prolific and tireless Amelia Barr (mother of fourteen children and author of thirty-two novels), the illustrator Alice B. Stephens, and the opera singer Lillian Nordica. Hakutani's notes provide biographical detail on dozens of now-obscure individuals mentioned by Dreiser.By Rich Remsberg. 2010
Showcasing American music and music making during the Great Depression, Hard Luck Blues presents more than two hundred photographs created…
by the New Deal's Farm Security Administration photography program. With an appreciation for the amateur and the local, FSA photographers depicted a range of musicians sharing the regular music of everyday life, from informal songs in migrant work camps, farmers' homes, barn dances, and on street corners to organized performances at church revivals, dance halls, and community festivals. Captured across the nation from the northeast to the southwest, the images document the last generation of musicians who learned to play without the influence of recorded sound, as well as some of the pioneers of Chicago's R & B scene and the first years of amplified instruments. The best visual representation of American roots music performance during the Depression era, Hard Luck Blues features photographs by Jack Delano, Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, Arthur Rothstein, Ben Shahn, Marion Post Wolcott, and others. Photographer and image researcher Rich Remsberg breathes life into the images by providing contextual details about the persons and events captured, in some cases drawing on interviews with the photographers' subjects. Also included are a foreword by author Nicholas Dawidoff and an afterword by music historian Henry Sapoznik. Published in association with the Library of Congress.By Maria Cristina Fava. 2024
Surrounded by the widespread misery of the Depression, left-leaning classical music composers sought a musical language that both engaged the…
masses and gave voice to their concerns. Maria Cristina Fava explores the rich creative milieu shaped by artists dedicated to using music and theater to advance the promotion, circulation, and acceptance of leftist ideas in 1930s New York City. Despite tensions between aesthetic and pragmatic goals, the people and groups produced works at the center of the decade’s sociopolitical and cultural life. Fava looks at the Composers’ Collective of New York and its work on proletarian music and workers’ songs before turning to the blend of experimentation and vernacular idioms that shaped the political use of music within the American Worker’s Theater Movement. Fava then reveals how composers and theater practitioners from these two groups achieved prominence within endeavors promoted by the Works Project Administration. Fava’s history teases out fascinating details from performances and offstage activity attached to works by composers such as Marc Blitzstein, Charles Seeger, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Elie Siegmeister, and Harold Rome. Endeavors encouraged avant-garde experimentation while nurturing innovations friendly to modernist approaches and an interest in non-western music. Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock offered a memorable example that found popular success, but while the piece achieved its goals, it became so wrapped up in myths surrounding workers’ theater that critics overlooked Blitzstein’s musical ingenuity. Provocative and original, Art Music Activism considers how innovative classical composers of the 1930s balanced creative aims with experimentation, accessible content, and a sociopolitical message to create socially meaningful works.