Product Description
From the huge success of the Chords' "Sh-Boom" to the arrival of the Beatles a decade later, rock 'n' roll influenced an entire generation of young Americans. Combining popular culture and social history with a sourcebook of lists and a biographical dictionary, "That Old-Time Rock & Roll" recreates the fun and excitement of rock's first decade and shows how the music reflected American life and thought in the 1950s and early 1960s. Richard Aquila provides an overview of the birth and growth of this pivotal genre and demonstrates early rock's links to both the youth culture and the dominant culture of the Eisenhower/Kennedy era.Year-by-year timelines and a photo essay place the music in historical perspective by illustrating the decade's top news stories, movies, TV shows, fads, and lifestyles. Complementing this topical summary is a concise biographical dictionary that details all the performers who made the charts between 1954 and 1963, along with the label and chart position of each hit. Both a history of the music and a history of the times, "That Old-Time Rock & Roll" is an outstanding source of information about the charter members of the baby-boom generation.In a new introduction, Aquila discusses how his long-time interest in rock 'n' roll came to fruition and surveys the progress of rock 'n' roll scholarship since his book's original publication. ... 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

Product Description
This indispensable music reference provides a day-by-day account of events and accomplishments in the world of music since the turn of the century. This new edition combines the 1971 fourth edition and the 1986 Supplement, and adds 500 new entries covering the years 1986-1991. It provides a complete history of this century's music in one volume. Includes a dictionary of terms and index.Amazon.com Review
Nicolas Slonimsky's first edition of Music Since 1900 came out in 1937--his entry into theworld of lexicography--and this fifth edition, published in 1994, was thelast book he wrote. But that's only one reason why this book should be acquired,cherished, and continually browsed. The "Descriptive Chronology" beginsJanuary 1, 1900, with the publication of Hector Berlioz's first volume ofcollected works, wends its way through Gershwin's first performance of"Rhapsody in Blue" (February 12, 1924) and the founding of the Polish MusicPublishing Society (April 15, 1945), and ends with the death of Ernst Krenek, composerof "Jonny spielt auf," (December 23, 1991). With letters (such as those toSlonimsky from Charles Ives) and documents (such as the transcript of theHouse Un-American Activities Committee hearing on Hanns Eisler), aDictionary of Terms (abecedarianism to Zen), and a comprehensive index, theresult is a scrupulous, eccentric, irresistible music reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How Often Does a Reference Book Make You Laugh Out Loud?
Nicolas Slonimsky (b. St. Peterburg, Russia in 1894 - d. Christmas Day 1995 in Los Angeles at the exceptional age of 101 years, 9 months, 28 days) was an institution. He labeled himself a 'musical lexicographer,' having written several indispensable musical reference works such as 'Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians,' and 'The Lexicon of Musical Invective' (containing hilarious entries from reviews and other sources), as well as the esoteric and encyclopedic, 'Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns.' He also wrote one of the most amusing musical autobiographies around, 'Perfect Pitch.' But before he became a scholar/writer he was a pianist, conductor, composer, and champion of modern music. For instance, he was the first person to conduct an orchestral work of Charles Ives in Europe, and in an appendix of this gargantuan book (1260 pages) he prints twenty pages of letters he received from Ives. Because he lived so long he knew just about everybody in the field of twentieth-century music. (I even met him once when he was approaching his 100th birthday.)

The primary content of the book is a day by day account of musical events throughout the Western world from January 1, 1900 up to the death of Ernst Krenek in 1991. This volume, its Fifth Edition, contains all the material of the previous editions (with corrections and additions) plus 1500 additional entries for the period after the Fourth Edition.

For a reasonably well-informed music-lover there is rarely a page in this book without information about events in music history that are familiar, as well as others that are interesting but otherwise unknown. To illustrate this I opened the book literally at random to pages 150-151 and found entries, among others, on the première of Zandonai's 'Francesca da Rimini'; a squib about the fifteen-year-old Henry Cowell demonstrating 'tone clusters' to the San Francisco Music Club; the première of 'Hashish,' a tone-poem by Sergei Liapunov; the première of George Butterworth's 'The Banks of Green Willow'; the première of Vaughan Williams's now-beloved 'London Symphony'; the première of Franz Schmidt's opera 'Notre Dame'; the première of Albéric Magnard's magnum opus, his Fourth Symphony; the first performance as orchestral piece (as opposed to accompaniment of a ballet) of Stravinsky's 'Sacre de printemps,' Pierre Monteux conducting. All these took place in February-April 1914. You get the idea.

Also included is a section of musical 'documents' such as the Ives letters mentioned, as well as things like the Futurist manifesto, a talk by Alban Berg entitled 'What is Atonality?,' letters to Slonimsky from luminaries such as Arnold Schoenberg, George Bernard Shaw, Anton von Webern and Edgard Varèse. There are documents from Soviet Russia illuminating the control the government placed on composers and some of their responses.

Also included is a valuable section of definitions of musical and allied terms applicable to the modern era with entries from abecedarianism (a gentle term to describe simplistic music - oh, what he has to say about what we would now call minimalism!) to Zen (and its influence on the avant-garde). He also defines some of his own neologisms; for instance, he tends to refer to twentieth-century music as 'vigesimosecular.' One can imagine him smiling at his mock-pompous use of such words.

Slonimsky's writing style is idiosyncratic. He is frequently puckish, sometimes acerbic, always superdensely, polysyllabically multifactual; I counted 300 words in one exuberant Russian-doll-like sentence. He created an enormous number of musical neologisms to describe musical processes and styles, some of which have entered the technical vocabulary; for instance, 'pandiatonicism' to describe the process by which 'all seven degrees of the diatonic scale are used freely in democratic equality.' He takes sly pokes at music he does not admire but is never mean-spirited. He gives technical analyses of major works (e.g., his extensive exegeses of the Mahler symphonies which were premièred in the 20th century.) He has some inexplicable hobby-horses. For instance, he gives the precise age at death of important musicians as I've done in my opening sentence. He raves about composers that few others seem to care for, e.g., the Swiss Hans Huber. He completely omits some composers that are now well-thought-of, e.g. Sweden's Wilhelm Stenhammar. He tends to go on at length about uses of scales and melodic patterns, not surprising considering his expertise in that area. But overall he is fair-minded and although not anywhere near complete - that would be impossible - the encyclopedic nature of the work requires fervent admiration. There are a few typos along the way - unavoidable - and an occasional error of fact, although it is clear that he makes every effort to correct them (there are frequent retractions of errors made in earlier editions); this even extends to poring over governmental and church birth and death records and newspaper reviews of première performances.

For someone like me who often writes reviews of recordings of obscure twentieth-century works, this volume is indispensable. For others who are generally interested in the musical history of the previous century it would be valuable if not absolutely necessary. Every library worthy of the name ought to have a copy. Slonimsky was one of our cultural treasures and thank goodness his words will live on.

Review by Scott Morrison ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Serious papers on new music and topics that seemed to matter more in the 1960s than they do now
While this collection of essays from important music theorists and composers is from 1972, the works themselves are from the 1960s and are concerned with ideas about perspective, chance, choice, and coherence.There are also papers on electronic music, polyphony in 12 tone music (that never went very far), psycho-acoustics, and other topics.

In some ways these papers are quite dated.However, they are by very important thinkers about music and composers of the time.Babbitt, Boulez, Stockhausen, Boretz, Cone, Westergaard, and more.Much of the language is of the academic stripe that seems to me to be unnecessarily opaque in order to keep the unwashed from hearing and understanding what the priests are doing inside the temple.Other essays seem to be quite interesting if a bit abstract.

The point is this.If you are interested in what was being debated and considered at the edge of art music in the 1960s, these are pretty informative and representative papers.If you want to learn about music that you actually listen to and you aren't addicted to this stuff, well, these papers probably won't mean much to you.

Still, you can get copies of this book quite inexpensively.I particularly recommend the essays by Cone "A View from Delf" and "Beyond Analysis".They are interesting and useful. ... Read more

Product Description

TheEncyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music: Pop, Rock, and Worship is the first comprehensive reference work on a form of American music that is far more popular than nonfans may realize. It fills a major gap in the literature on American music and Christian culture, looking at this increasingly popular genre in the context of the overall history of religious music in the United States.

With over 200 entries, The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music covers important performers and industry figures, songs and albums, concerts and festivals, the rise of Christian radio and television, and other issues related to the growth of inspirational music. Scholars and fans alike will find a wealth of revealing information and insightful coverage illustrating the influence of gospel on modern American music with musicians such as Elvis, Sam Cooke, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and U2.The work also examines the use of fundamental rock, pop, and rap music templates in the service of songs of faith.

Product Description
Includes 136 music examples ... Read more

Product Description
Musicians frequently incorporated portions of works by other musicians into their own compositions and performances throughout the twentieth century. This book examines how this practice of "quotation" affected cultural dialogues regarding race, childhood, madness and the mass media. When a musician borrows from a piece, he or she draws upon not only a melody but also the cultural associations of the original piece. By working with and altering a melody, a musician also transforms those associations. ... Read more

Product Description
17 easy piano arrangements by Bill Wolaver of such hits as: I Can't Live a Day * Live for You * More * Show Me Your Glory * Spoken For * and more. ... Read more

Product Description
The essays in this collection reflect the range and depth of musical life in the United States during the first half of the twentieth century. Contributions consider the rise and triumph of popular forms such as jazz, swing, and blues, as well as the contributions to art music of composers such as Ives, Cage, and Copland, among others. American contributions to music technology and dissemination, and the role of these forms in extending the audience for music, is also a focus. ... Read more

Product Description
23 favorites arranged with beginners in mind, including: Abba (Father) * Awesome God * El Shaddai * Friends * The Great Divide * How Beautiful * In Christ Alone * In His Presence * Joy in the Journey * Let Us Pray * People Need the Lord * Place in This World * Shine on Us * Thy Word * The Warrior Is a Child * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Organ was a Sin
There are so many interesting facts in this book. Myfavorite is that the organ was considered a sinful instrument to use in church when it first was introduced. Funny how the organ is being replaced by keyboards now. It is all relative - so many churches live and die on minor issues..sad..what would Jesus think?

AComplete Explanation and guide to Christian Music
This book is perfect for our times. It is my experience that churches, pastors and congregations are totally confused and uninformed regarding music for their church.Mr. Miller gives a fair and complete explanation of all kinds of music and what it means.The objective view is based on the Bible.I think before we can argue about the "Comtemporary Christian Music Debate" we need to be well informed on every level.Mr. Miller does just that.The book helps to clarify what is true and what we have heard from others.Every Christian needs to be informed on this subject. His research is both fascinating and extensive. This unique treasure of information is a must for anyone searching true answers on Christian Music.

Francine Larson, Co-Author of "Character Keys to a Bright Future."

Great Historical Background to a Current Debate
There is nothing more divisive than the type of music used in churches across the country on Sunday mornings. Yet, do we need to quarrel? Author Steve Miller provides a biblical framework for deciding what type of music will speak to the hearts of people. What other criteria should we use? The best sections of the book deal with the history of church music. Great lessons are here! Can't wait for an updated version to be written by this writer.

Proponents and opponents of CCM should read this book.
Having read MANY books on the subject of contemporary music in the church, this is the best I have ever seen.It is sound, Biblical, thoroughly researched (11 years of research!), and balanced.If you have questions,or just want to learn about the history of Christian music, there is NOBETTER book.

This is a GREAT book!
This is definitely one of the best Christian books I have ever read! Steve Miller takes the reader through the whole history of Christian music, from the time when only psalms were acceptable, all the way up to CCM. In doing this he lovingly shows how all these different styles of music can communicate to completely different cultures and times. He also takes common arguments against CCM and breaks them down to show that our God is a God who can and does speak through all forms of music, whether it be traditional hymns, or more modern-day CCM. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who's open to finding out more about God and music ... Read more

Product Description
Arranged by Dan Coates. Contains: Angel Eyes * Because You Loved Me * Desperado * From a Distance * The Greatest Love of All * (Everything I Do) I Do It for You * I Can Love You Like That * I Swear * If You Believe * Stairway to Heaven * Un-Break My Heart * Valentine and 10 more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

great purchase
It is like Christmas every time I get a new music book, and this is no exception.
The product was just as described, and I received in a very timely manner. Will do business with this seller again!

Buy Dan Coates Complete Advanced Piano Solos Instead
The 22 songs in this book are also in Dan Coates Complete Advanced Piano
Solos (77 songs) with the exception of Stairway to Heaven.
I posted a list of all 77 songs in my review of that book as well for those interested.

Angel Eyes
Because You Loved Me
Desperado
From A Distance
I Do It For You
I Can Love You Like That
I Swear
I Will Always Love You
If You Believe
In This Life
Open Arms
Over The Rainbow
The Rose
Stairway to Heaven
Theme From Ice Castles
Theme from New York, New York
UnBreak My Heart
Up Where We Belong
Valentine
The Wind Beneath My Wings

popular songs, florid arrangements
Mr. Coates does professional-sounding arrangements and tries to work with songs that are already popular--a big service to those of us struggling with improvisation. After a while all of these sound a bit alike, with lots of big right-hand chords and the melody in octaves up in the top register. I dropped a lot of this an octave to allow for poorly tuned pianos and older audiences, and because all those high notes tend to sound girly. Fiddle with the arrangements a bit, though, and you'll have music that even younger audiences will appreciate.

Commonplace
I should have read the reviews more carefully before I bought this book.I would have been happier with the original sheet music as these arrangements were uninteresting--basically embellishments that any pianist with some experience could add on their own.At least the sheet music would have included the words.If you are looking for arrangements with pizzazz (a little "wow!" factor here and there), don't buy this book.

Great songs, challenging arrangements...
This arrangement of songs by Dan Coates is definately challenging.I actually have to practice to get through these.Not for the beginning piano player.This book is for moderate to advanced talent levels. Great songs like Desperado, Angel Eyes, The Rose, Open Arms and more. My only complaint is that delivery time was VERY slow.Took nearly a month to receive. ... Read more

Product Description
Innovative and lively, this comparative and integrative study of the multicultural music of the United States explores the music of Native Americans, European Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans–the five broad groups that constitute American society and that have complex, unique, and often intermingled musical traditions that are reflected in contemporary American music. It features a blended historical/social, ethnic, and musical approach; strong contemporary focus; and coverage of a wide variety of musical styles. Music in Multicultural America. Native American Music Traditions. The Roots of European/Anglo-American Music Traditions. The Roots of African American Music Traditions. The Roots of Hispanic/Latino Music Traditions. The Blues. Jazz. Gospel. Cajun and Zydeco. Country. The Urban Folk Revival. The Ethnic and Racial Roots of Rock 'n' Roll. Motown, Soul and Funk. Tejano, Banda, and Contemporary Mexican. Caribbean and Salsa. Asian American Music. Hip-Hop and Rap. For anyone interested in American Popular Music. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

thank you
The sender of my new book was very nice;he quickly sent me the book and CD. I would recomend him.If next semester I need books and he has them I'll buy from him. Thank you.

Highly recommended!
This lively and accessible book explores the musical traditions of five broad groups - Native Americans, European Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans - with particular interest in how those multicultural roots have intermingled to create contemporary American music.

Along the way, author Elizabeth Barkley achieves a near impossible feat: presenting concise and candid histories of each cultural group, in addition to equally concise and clear explanations of the stylistic elements of their music.These elements are reinforced by the companion CD, which provides 18 listening examples with commentary.

My only criticism is that the book suffers from inattentive editing.For example, the first citation in Chapter One is "Ibid."Several photo captions apparently include layout notations not intended for readers' eyes, sometimes to a mildly humorous effect.The content deserves better.

Though designed for college students with no prior musical training, this book will be invaluable to high school and college music teachers wanting to infuse more diversity into their coursework, or for social studies teachers wanting to infuse more popular culture. I would also recommend it to those specifically interested in African American music since - not surprisingly -about half the chapters touch on it in one way or another. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Invaluable Resource
For anyone even remotely interested in a career in Christian music, GETTING STARTED IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC is a must-own book.

GETTING STARTED IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC, edited by Reed Arvin, features twelve chapters, written by thirteen individuals, covering most of the major issues that a new artist or writer faces. While a good book on the business of music, in general, will always be helpful there is much that is unique to Christian music and that is what makes this book so valuable. With contributors like Arvin, Charlie Peacock, Scotty Smith, Steve Green, Margaret Becker, and Joel Lindsey you know you're hearing voices that know of what they speak.

The book breaks the issues down into three sections: those facing artists and writers, only artists, and only writers. Subjects are discussed in an open and honest fashion, and the writers don't pull punches when it comes to potentially sensitive issues (such as whether one should even be seeking this sort of career in the first place). Arvin himself deftly covers the hot-button chapter on music vs. business. Harold Best's chapter on the role of music in worship is stellar, and should even be read by all those who lead worship in a church-only setting (especially in today's worship-booming environment). Other remarkable chapters include those on the history of Contemporary Christian music, Christians in the general market, the relationship between an artist and the local church, and the entire section on songwriting. It is hard to select only a few, though, since every section in the book contains a plethora of valuable information.

GETTING STARTED IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC will help new talent intellectually, emotionally, and practically. The advice offered is solid, and the opinions presented well thought out. For those entering the business, or even those who want to spectate from the outside in a knowledgeable fashion, this is one instance where a small investment will pay off handsomely in the long-run. A full FIVE STARS ... Read more

Product Description
Rock and roll, and archetypal symbolism?Citing baby-boomer favorites including Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, the Beatles and other Rock greats, the author shows that they have drawn on the same primal source from which mythology, dreams, and poetic insight arise. Does today?s music of the masses deserve a place in the pantheon of traditional art forms, next to classical music, literature, and painting?Manish Soni shows that it does. Using illustrative references to passages from the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible, Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, Joseph Campbell and the Tao Te Ching,, he highlights some of the parallels between psychology, mysticism, religion, and contemporary art forms, as they all contribute to our human quest for greater meaning. He is persuasive in demonstrating how the same elemental well from which poetic revelation surfaced in ancient mythology is nowadays the inspirational spring for popular music. The author?s Indian heritage and hisdeep immersion in the Western culture, in which he was raised and educated, has given him a special perspective from which to synthesize both cultures and religious outlooks.* Manish Soni was born in New Delhi, and has lived in Moscow, Cairo, Kuala Lumpur, London, Sydney, and Boston. His formal education includes a BS degree from the University of Sydney, Australia, and an MS degree from Tufts University, Massachusetts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful and eye-opening
I was wonderfully surprised with this book. I came across it while I was browsing the site, thought that the title looked interesting and decided to invest some money in it. All I can say is that it was worth every cent.

The ideas in thisbook are so refreshingly original that I hardly know where to begin. Who would have ever thought that the lyrics of John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, et al, could be linked up with the Tao Te Ching, the Bhagavad Gita, the writings of Jung, Freud, Erich Fromm, and a whole host of other notables that the author quotes extensively from. What emerges is a view of rock and roll as a means of expression of the archetypal symbols that have made their way through to human consciousness down through the ages, and are continuing to do so in popular culture.

For anyone who is interested in music, Eastern philosophy, psychology, or original thinking, this book is a must-read. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Southern Music/American Music is the first book to investigate the facets of American music from the South and the many popular forms that emerged from it. In this substantially revised and updated edition, Bill C. Malone and David Stricklin bring this classic work into the twenty-first century, including new material on recent phenomena such as the huge success of the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the renewed popularity of Southern music, as well as important new artists Lucinda Williams, Alejandro Escovedo, and the Dixie Chicks, among others. Extensive bibliographic notes and a new suggested listening guide complete this essential study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Essential Reading on American Music
The updated version of this important study is a welcome addition to the history of American popular music.Each chapter is a thorough overview of various genres and eras of folk and popular music in America.The central claim that most of what we perceive to be American music is deeply rooted in the music of America's southland is a strong one, and it adds to our understanding of connections between regional culture and history.The excellent discography provides a terrific guide to important musicians and recordings, and the new information on Cajun, Zydeco, Norteno, and contemporary acoustic music update the earlier edition. ... Read more

Product Description
This great fake book contains over 400 contemporary Christian songs, ranging from the standards to today's current hits. Artists represented include: Avalon, Steven Curtis Chapman, DC Talk, Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, Crystal Lewis, Sandi Patty, Petra, Point of Grace, Rebecca St. James, Michael W. Smith, Jaci Velasquez, and more! Songs include: Abba (Father) * Awesome God * Beauty for Ashes * Butterfly Kisses * Can't Live a Day * Crucified with Christ * El Shaddai * Father's Eyes * Flood * Friends * The Great Adventure * His Strength Is Perfect * How Beautiful * I Could Sing of Your Love Forever * I Will Be Here * Jesus Freak * Mary, Did You Know? * People Get Ready ... Jesus Is Comin' * Shine * Thank You * Via Dolorosa * The Warrior Is a Child * Where There Is Faith * You Are My All in All * and hundreds more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A-LOT Songs to play!
When they say 400 songs, they mean 400 songs.
Instead of haveing 4, 5, and 6, books to find your music sheets from it's all under one cover.
PTL !

Good for our Praise Band
This has been a good song book for our Praise Band to utilize in our preparation for church services.

Best of contemporary Christian: over 400 songs
This wasexactly aspresented. arrived ina flash. Please note thatthis book is NOT a FULL SCORE. It is a "band book" withchords and words! Great selection of old and new songs!

Good fake book
Good selection of songs written up to about 2000 (any fake book is unlikely to have the latest). Although some hits are missing and there are some more obscure songs in there, it's very useful. (But if you don't know how to play from a fake book, look elsewhere for full scores.)

As I remember, songs are laid out such that it is unnecessary to turn pages in the midst of a song.

Comb binding is large enough that pages turn easily. It should be rather durable. (I own other fake books with similar bindings that have been too tight (skimping?): one has lost it's back cover, pages don't turn well in another so I hate to use it.)

Christian songbook
Only a few songs that I recognize, some songs I have been looking for
over all a good buy for me . ... Read more

Product Description
Modern-day versions of 14 period hymns performed by today's top CCM, gospel, and country artists. Includes: Amazing Grace (Chris Tomlin) * Fairest Lord Jesus (Natalie Grant) * How Great Thou Art (Martina McBride) * Were You There? (Smokie Norful) * more. ... Read more