Book Club?

[john11inc]

Would anyone be interested in a book club that focused on writings dealing with music?

[eleanorrigby]

Would anyone be interested in a book club that focused on writings dealing with music?

I'd be interested, yes please keep me posted.

[essynia]

Yes.

[ionian_tinnear]

Count me in.

[faa2010]

me also

[essynia]

Let's choose something, then, and go for it!

Any ideas?? And are we thinking things that revolve solely around music, or works of literature in which music plays *some* integral role?

What are some of your favorite works of literature, participants? Let's try to find something that is common ground for all of us! I personally adore anything from Aristotle to Toole, haha, and a few odd poets along the way .

It might be fun to investigate Socrates' criticism of musical education in Plato's Republic, now that I think about it.... That's always a fun one to get the ball rolling.

Shoot me thoughts!

-E.

[ionian_tinnear]

At the moment I'm reading Oliver Sacks - 'Musicophelia' which is interesting, but a bit long.  It is a neurologist's point of view on how music affects the brain.  Sacks is a pianist too, so I do give him some credibility!

Perhaps at first we can just shared what we're reading, then move towards discussions of things read in common, or choosing a book, reading it, and discussing.

Next music book on my list is 'The Mozard Effect'

[essynia]

Good idea.

I'm reading Every Man Dies Alone and the Qur'an.

Not as music-centric as yours, I guess, lol.

[zolaxi]

"An Equal Music" by Vikram Seth is a novel which deals with musicians and music as a theme. Well written and a good holiday read.

I enjoy dipping into "The Glenn Gould Reader" once in a while.

A fairly recent book by Eric Siblin called "The 'Cello Suites" will inspire you to get to know these pieces if you don't already.

Next, I want to get "Music for Silenced Voices: Shostakovich and his fifteen quartets" by Wendy Lesser.

[cjcarrington97]

I thought that I might as well add to this. Currently I am reading "Ugly" by Constance Briscoe.
I strongly, STRONGLY recommend you read it if you like true stories.
It's, something, being only 14 and not a great reader, something I've not been able to put down.
This is the blurb if you are interested:
I handed my school photograph to my mother. She stared from the photograph to me. ‘Lord, sweet Lord how come she so ugly. Ugly. Ugly.’

Constance’s mother systematically abused her daughter, both physically and emotionally, throughout her childhood. Regularly beaten and starved, the girl was so desperate she took herself off to Social Services and tried to get taken into care. When that failed, she swallowed bleach ‘because it kills all known germs and my mother always told me I was a germ’.

When Constance was thirteen, her mother simply moved out, leaving her daughter to fend for herself: there was no gas, no electricity and no food. But somehow Constance found the courage to survive her terrible start in life. This is her heartrending – and ultimately triumphant – story.

Here is some more information on the book, featuring the author herself.

[ionian_tinnear]

Now reading:

"Piano Mastery Talks with Master Pianists and Teachers" by Harriette Brower

which has excerpts from interviews with great pianists talking about their approach to playing.  Some talk about technique, some about interpretation, some just talk..

Has some interesting insights, and answers questions I see posted in the Students and other  forums.

If you have a Kindle or Kindle read, it's free from Amazon.  Amazon has several free Kindle editions of books related to music, composer's. etc..