Showing titles in Instruction & Technique

Opera is the fastest growing of all the performing arts, attracting audiences of all ages who are enthralled by the gorgeous music, vivid drama, and magnificent production values. If you've decided that the time has finally come to learn about opera and discover for yourself what it is about opera that sends your normally reserved friends into states of ecstatic abandon, this is the book for you.

It's Not Just A Song by GRAMMY and BRIT nominated Irish singer-songwriter RuthAnne Cunningham is the must-have guide to writing hit songs. RuthAnne explores the psychology of the writing room, building relationships, production, what makes a good (or bad) deal, royalties and revenue, and the art of staying inspired. Her experience navigating the traditional music industry "Boy's Club" offers young female artists, in particular, some invaluable tools to get a step ahead in their early career and be wary of the hidden pitfalls.

Despite being unable to play an instrument, Susan Rogers became an extraordinarily successful record producer—and certainly one of the most successful women record producers in history—because of her ability to listen. (She was an engineer on Prince's "When Doves Cry", which inspired the title of the book.) This Is What It Sounds Like distils a lifetime's expertise as a producer and an award-winning professor with a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, to present a new theory of listening for everyday music fans.

Mary Gauthier was 12 years old when she was given her Aunt Jenny’s old guitar and taught herself to play with a Mel Bay basic guitar workbook. Music offered her a window to a world where others felt the way she did. Songs became lifelines to her, and she longed to write her own, one day. Then, for a decade, while struggling with addiction, Gauthier put her dream away and her call to songwriting faded. It wasn’t until she got sober and went to an open mic with a friend did she realize that she not only still wanted to write songs, she needed to.

From the triumphant “Main Title” in Star Wars to the ominous bass line of Jaws, John Williams has penned some of the most unforgettable film scores—while netting more than fifty Academy Award nominations. This updated and revised edition of Emilio Audissino’s groundbreaking volume takes stock of Williams’s creative process and achievements in music composition, including the most recent sequels in the film franchises that made him famous. Audissino details his lasting impact and cements his legacy as one of the most important composers in movie history.

Beginning Singing will give you the essential knowledge and techniques to discover and develop your true voice. Easy-to-understand concepts and practical exercises will help remove vocal limitations and allow your voice to soar! Includes free bonus audio and video lessons. Whether you want a career in music or simply wish to dazzle family and friends at karaoke night, Beginning Singing is for you.

A neuroscience-based approach to learning how to play music at any age You can learn to play music, no matter what you've been told about your musical talent or aptitude. Each and every one of us has been gifted with a fully customizable brain, one we can mold to learn anything, at any age. With...

The Inner Game of music is that which takes place in the mind, played against such elusive opponents as nervousness, self doubt, and fear of failure. Using the same principles of "natural learning" W. Timothy Gallwey developed so successfully for tennis, golf, and skiing and applying them to his own field, noted musician Barry Green shows how to acknowledge and overcome these internal obstacles in order to bring a new quality to the experience and learning of music.

Positively 4th Street is a mesmerizing account of how four young people (Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mimi Baez Farina, and Richard Farina) gave rise to a modern-day bohemia and created the enduring sound and style of the 1960s.

No Bull Music Theory for Guitarists is the groundbreaking guitar theory book for guitar players. Now, guitarists of all levels can understand most of the music theory they'll ever need, without the confusion. Easy-to-understand language, explanations, and practical examples mean you can understand in hours music theory concepts that can confuse guitar players for years. No music reading or theory knowledge required!

Oliver Sacks’ compassionate tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of our own minds. In Musicophilia, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians and everyday people - those struck by affliction, by unusual talent and even, in one case, by lightning - to show not only that music occupies more areas of our brain than language does but also that it can torment, calm, organise and heal.

Whether you are an absolute beginner, a pop wannabe, a karaoke crooner, or simply want to add singing to your repertoire, Learn to Sing is for you. Friendly advice from your very own instructor will help you develop your voice and enable your talent to flourish. Not got much time? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started

Whether you want to build a studio, work in one, start a label or just make better music. If you are a beginner, this book will lead you in the right direction in the least amount of time. Or if you have some experience you will definitely find new insights.

"'Boy, do I have a lot to learn!'" Anyone who's ever picked up a musical instrument of any kind - from the first caveman banging rocks to that little kid at the guitar shop - has thought that. I know I did. I'd been trying for years to break in to the music scene, to show everyone my chops, to make my mark. And I was good. But I wasn't great. I knew that there was something wrong. Then the teacher showed up...."

If you thought music theory was dull, think again! With the right guidance, it can be woven into every practice – and you'll see astounding results straight away. Playing by ear will get you a long way – it certainly worked for Jimi Hendrix. But the world will only ever know one Hendrix… and for every inspirational story you’ve heard about a famous guitarist who knows nothing of music theory, there’s a whole host of other stories about musicians who do – they’re just not the ones who make the headlines.

If you are a singer, you are an athlete. And the athletic skills that make you a great vocalist come from one source: your brain. The Singing Athlete is the first book of its kind: a view on voice training through the lens of both the physical body and the nervous system. As one of the top teachers of professional Broadway performers, Andrew Byrne has developed a unique synthesis of athletics and neuroscience that will guide you to higher levels of performance.

A "radiantly accomplished" (Wall Street Journal) music scholar presents an accessible introduction to the art of listening to jazz In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively introduction to one of America's premier art forms. He tells us what to listen for...

Have you ever wondered how off-key you are while singing in the shower? Or if your Bob Dylan albums really sound better on vinyl? Or why certain songs make you cry? Now, scientist and musician John Powell invites you on an entertaining journey through the world of music. Discover what distinguishes music from plain old noise, how scales help you memorize songs, what the humble recorder teaches you about timbre (assuming your suffering listeners don’t break it first), and more.

Playing music should be as simple and natural as drawing a breath, yet most musicians are hindered by self-consciousness, apprehension, self-doubt, and stress. Before we can truly express our inner self, we must first learn to be at peace and overcome the distractions that can make performance difficult. Kenny's remarkable work deals directly with these hindrances, and presents ways to let our natural creative powers flow freely with minimal stress and effort.

This second edition of Rock the Dancefloor! is the essential one-stop handbook for new and experienced DJs. Completely updated with the latest developments in DJing and expanded with new chapters on sourcing and organising your music, using subscription services and creating DJ mixes, its proven five-step formula covers everything from getting your gear together to DJing success.