Audiobook Review: The Storyteller by Dave Grohl

I've always loved the Foo Fighters and Dave Grohl ever since I learned he was the drummer for Nirvana and then became the guitarist and frontman for his own band after Kurt Cobain died. Foo Fighters is very much a band of my generation.  I listened to the audiobook of The Storyteller which Grohl narrates so it felt more like I was sitting with him at the kitchen table while he regaled me with stories from his life in rock n roll. I love how salt-of-the earth Grohl is, managing to stick pretty close to his humble roots despite having a life in an industry that can get you swept up in the fame, money, and vices pretty quickly. But Grohl is quick and frequent to credit his public schoolteacher mother who recognized that her son would never be fit for the academia track and let him go to pursue his dreams of being a musician before he even finished high school. What a gift that was to him to live his own life rather than trying to get him to fulfill her dreams that she had for him.

Despite my love for Grohl as a person, his writing, and hearing his rich yet gravelly baritone voice narrate his story, I did find  it frustrating that the book didn't follow a linear timeline and there were holes that I wanted to know more about (how did he meet his wife? Why are his oldest daughters talked about frequently but his third daughter only gets two passing mentions?) And yet, despite my frustration with this, I think the tone of the book was meant to be more about telling stories rather than a linear memoir, I am willing to overlook those criticisms because I loved listening to him tell his stories so much. By far the best audiobook I've listened to in 2021. 

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl*
Published: October 5, 2021
Publisher: Dey Street Books/Harper Audio
Pages: 376
Audiobook length: 10 hours, 35 minutes
Genre: Memoir
Audience: Adults/Rock music lovers
Disclosure: Audiobook purchased from Libro.fm, which supports independent bookstores

*Purchasing the book from the above Bookshop affiliate link supports independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale. 

The Music in George's Head by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Stacy Innerst

George's Rhapsody in Blue was smooth and sultry.
Brash and bouncy...
No one had ever heard anything like it.
Except George.
He'd been hearing beautiful music all his life.

As a youngster, beautiful is certainly not the word I would have ever used to describe George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. But just as my palate for different, more sophisticated foods has expanded as an adult, so too has my ear for music. Now instead of groaning every time I hear the introductory shrieking notes of the clarinet that signals this piece of music, now I just smile, sit back, and enjoy this 17 minute piece of Americana.

The moody blue palate of the illustrations are somehow both brooding and uplifting at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. And if you are not familiar with this brilliant piece of music, take 17 minutes out of your day and go fix that problem right now. I'm actually listening to it as I write this review because I was tired of it being stuck in my head. I may as well just listen to it outside my head.


The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Stacy Innerst
Published: September 8, 2016
Publisher: Calkins Creek
Pages: 48
Genre/Format: Picture Book Biography
Audience: Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori and the Invention of the Piano by Elizabeth Rusch illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

Cristofori spends the rest of his long life perfecting his invention, coaxing it to respond precisely to a musician's touch. He hopes that someday someone will use it to capture the music of life... [his] invention, eventually called simply the piano, becomes a powerful tool in the hands of brilliant composers everywhere.

One of my earliest memories is that of having a piano in our house. My sister's short-lived piano lessons meant that it sat unplayed for many years. But I was fascinated with this unusual piece of furniture in our living room that made noise when I plunked my fingers down on it.

It wasn't until I was nine years old that I finally began taking piano lessons, but I can remember as early as three or four begging my parents to learn how to play it.

So it is no surprise that this book both spoke to me and fascinated me. As someone who actually spent time during a trip to Vienna touring a piano workshop, it's safe to say that I am the perfect audience for this book. In fact, I couldn't even finish this book before I had to stop in the middle because I immediately felt compelled to go and play my own piano.

Not only does The Music of Life tell the story of how the first pianoforte (later shortened to piano) was created, but it also has a lot of great backmatter that includes links that will take you to sound clips of the original Cristofori pianos, which sound much different than they do today.

I highly recommend this book for the budding pianist or musician in your life... or just someone who likes to know how things work.

The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori and the Invention of the Piano by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
Published: April 18, 2017
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 48
Genre/Format: Picture Book Biography
Audience: Middle Garde
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

Beethoven's Heroic Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza, illustrated by JoAnn E. Kitchel

When 19th century classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven discovered that he was going deaf, at first he despaired, for surely his life and livelihood were over. But as he sat at his desk and attempted to write his brothers a letter, a melody filled his ears and wouldn't let go. It was then Beethoven realized that, "My ears might be failing, but music has not abandoned me. If I can imagine music, then I can write it!"

When he began writing the Eroica Symphony (Italian for "Heroic") Beethoven was initially inspired by the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte whose destiny it was to rid France of their tyrannical king. But when Bonaparte betrayed his people and declared himself emperor of France, Beethoven all but destroyed the symphony he initially called The Bonaparte Symphony.

Thankfully, his friend Ferdinand saved the music and helped Beethoven to see that the symphony was never really about Bonaparte at all and that it was about trying to find the hero in us all.

I enjoyed reading this small snippet into the life of one of my favorite composers. The more I learn about Beethoven, the more I realize he was kind of the bad boy, rock n' roll musician of his day. And that was made even more evident in Beethoven's Heroic Symphony by JoAnn E. Kitchell's illustrations of Beethoven with a mane of wild, spiky black hair. He looks more punk rock than classical composer and I kind of love that.

Also check out Anna Harwell Celenza's books about other classical masterpieces:
Bach's Goldberg Variations
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite
The Farewell Symphony
Vivaldi's Four Seasons
Pictures at an Exhibition
Saint-Saëns's Danse Macabre


Beethoven's Heroic Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza, illustrated by JoAnn E. Kitchel
Expected publication: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Pages: 32
Genre/Format: Nonfiction Picture Book
Audience: Middle Grade
Disclosure: Finished copy provided by publisher

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

This is the story of Millo Castro Zaladarriaga, a young Cuban girl who wanted desperately to play the drums, but she lived in a time when only boys were allowed to play them. That didn't stop Millo from dreaming, and eventually she became the first girl to crash through that barrier, one day having the honor of playing with some American jazz greats, as well as for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
 
Drum Dream Girl is a gorgeous poem that celebrates the power of a passion, which is paired beautifully with Rafael Lopez's vibrant, dreamlike illustrations. The magical realism of the illustrations evokes an emotional, empathic connection to the Cuban culture beyond the political narrative so many Americans are used to seeing and reading about. Drum Dream Girl is one of many Margarita Engle books that help to educate and remind us that Cuba is a country of people with hopes, dreams, and fears like we all are. This book, paired with Engle's upcoming memoir, Enchanted Air, has given me the itch to someday travel to this once verboten country.


Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Published: March 13, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 48
Genre/Format: Picture Book Biography
Audience: Primary/Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

Throwback Thursday Review - Note by Note: A Celebration of the Piano Lesson by Tricia Tunstall

I recently came across this review I had written before I had a blog. I honestly forgot that I had read and written about this book. But someone recently liked the review on Goodreads and so I clicked on the link and suddenly it all came back to me. And I started to cry.

2 pictures, 30 years apart

You see, just this past October, I purchased a brand new shiny black baby grand piano. I've always wanted one since I was a little girl. I played piano for 13 years. Until I was a sophomore in college when I mistakenly thought I wanted music to be my major. But a semester and a half of too much competitiveness in the music program and not enough joy, in addition to a professor who broke my spirit, and I pretty much stopped playing the piano regularly after that. 

But last year a lot of things started coming back from my past, reminding me of the joy I once felt when I played the piano brought me to a moment of clarity when I realized that I want to start playing again, but this time only for myself. I don't care if I master a difficult piece of classical music to the perfection of a concert pianist. Just to be able to glide my fingers across the keyboard again, somewhat competently, is satisfaction enough for me. And so I present to you, my review I wrote in 2008 that still holds true today of Note By Note: A Celebration of the Piano Lesson by Patricia Tunstall.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This book brought back so many wonderful memories of my 13 years of piano lessons. There were so many passages that moved me to tears because I remember having an intimate relationship with the pieces Tunstall described herself and her students playing.

As I was reading this book, all that overcame me was how much I missed playing the piano and also how I would've loved to have a teacher like Tunstall. I had a wonderful relationship with my piano teacher and I would never want to give up my time with her, but as I was reading about Tunstall's teaching methods, part of me feels like I might've been able learn how to play by ear if she had been my teacher and maybe I would've been able to understand the workings and theory of music a little better. My understanding of music theory is extremely dismal and it was never something I could master - even when I was a music student in college (which lasted a whole semester and a half).

The reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because this book is definitely not for everyone. If you never had a desire to play the piano or any sort of instrument when you were younger, this book probably won't change your mind. It is written more for classical music and piano-lovers.

I also wouldn't recommend this book to people who don't have any sort of understanding of how music works. The terminology Tunstall uses in this book can only be followed and understood by people who have some sort of musical background.

Having said that, I really feel like this book might be the catalyst that gets me to sit down at the piano again. The following passages from the book were so memorable to me, that they made me ache for those ebony and ivory keys again.

On pp. 77 & 78:

My hands were not yet big enough for Rachmaninoff, but for Madame Dmitrieff, Rachmaninoff was a matter of heart. "Play deep!" she admonished as I worked my way through the splayed chords of the C-sharp Minor Prelude. "Imagine the piano keys are a foot deep... go deep down, all the way down!" And when I came to the middle section, with its fierce chromatic melody and turbulent arpeggios: "More feeling! More feeling! More feeling! You are playing gloom, okay, but you must play despair, you must play anguish!"... I tried my twelve-year-old best to play anguish and despair. Mostly I was trying to get the notes right, but I can remember that as I played, the phrase "the Russian soul" came into my mind, and I thought I understood it.

When I was in high school, I too, attempted to master Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-Sharp Minor. It was one of the most dark and anguishing pieces I've ever played - but an emotional, passionate person such as myself needed that sort of release when I sat down at the piano. I eventually did master this piece and went on to perform it at competition to a second place finish. I have never been naturally gifted at the piano. My hands are small (my wedding ring is a size 4. Most people can't even fit it on their pinky!) and I don't have especially long fingers. So attempting a Rachmaninoff piece with huge chords, some bigger than an octave, was quite the undertaking, which I was extremely proud of myself when I actually did master this piece. Reading this passage about the author's own experience playing this piece, and having a Russian teacher no less, really brought back all those memories of when I learned to master this piece. Today if I sit down to the piano I can play the first section quite well, but once I get to the agitato section, I completely lose all my ease and facility at the piano.

Another passage that really spoke to me was when she talks about classical vs. pop music with students who study the piano on pp. 81-82:

Undeniably, pop music can be seductive. But I have never seen its appeal turn a child against classical music. I think of Haley, the teenager who succumbed to the spell of the Schubert Impromptu. Haley had come to me initially at the age of fourteen, having left a teacher who had rigorously schooled her in piano classics for a number of years. "I hear you let kids play fun stuff sometimes," she said to me at our first lesson. I let her play some fun stuff: Broadway show-stoppers, hip-hop riffs, contemporary pop. She played all this music with gusto; she was clearly having fun. And after about a year she come to a lesson with her old collection of piano classics sandwiched between "All That Jazz" and "Accidentally in Love." We started the Chopin Waltz in A Minor, the one with the bleak and lovely melody in the left hand, and after a few more weeks I did not see "All that Jazz" again. Broadway may be alluring; Chopin is, in the end, irresistible.

Chopin is indeed irresistible. He was and continues to this day to be the classical composer I am most smitten with. Probably because he composed exclusively for the piano and that's where his heart and soul was devoted - much like myself when I was younger. I'll never forget the first time I heard Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu when I was ten years old. There will never be a piece that stirs my emotions more than that one. I never learned how to play that piece and I think a goal I have before I die is to be able to master that piece.

On p. 86 when describing a student working on a Shostakovitch piano concerto:

The music does not come easily to her, and she struggles with many passages, but she doesn't tire of it. For her it is not a piece to master so much as a place to dwell.

While mastery was always my goal in practicing a piece of music, this passage really does ring true for my own experience of playing the piano. I was dwelling there. I had a designated piece to play for whatever mood I was in at the time. If I was angry or frustrated, I broke out the Rachmaninoff prelude; if I was in a nostalgic, dream-like mood, Chopin was my composer of choice. Excited and content: Mozart or Beethoven.

And finally, on pp. 128-130, Tunstall describes an experience teaching a rather determined, yet musically awkward student Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique. Her description of this teaching experience brought back my own memories of learning this sonata. It is, to this day, my favorite Beethoven sonata because all three movements, indeed, move me.

This book speaks to so many different people, but ultimately you have to be a lover of classical music to enjoy it. I don't think Tunstall is going to be converting anyone with this book. You have to come into it already loving it.


Note by Note: A Celebration of the Piano Lesson by Tricia Tunstall
Published: April 15, 2008
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 214
Genre: Nonfiction
Audience: Adults/Classical music lovers
Disclosure: Library Copy in 2008 (Now Purchased copy in 2015)

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.  

Gus and Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar by Keith and Theodora Richards

Keith Richards is best known for being the guitarist in one of the most famous rock bands in the word, The Rolling Stones. As a child growing up in London, Keith would visit his Grandad Gus and they would go for long walks, exploring their city. One day, while out on one of their walks, Gus and Keith visited a music store and the young boy was transfixed by all of the instruments, in particular the guitars.

Back at home, Gus told Keith that when he was tall enough to reach the guitar on top of the piano, he could "have a go." Gus taught Keith how to hold the guitar, strum simple chords, and said that the day he learned how to play Malagueña, he could play anything. Of course, it wasn't long before Keith was impressing his granddad with his talent and passion.

Gus and Me is a special book. Not only does it celebrate the bond between grandchild and grandparent, but it shows that when there is a person in your life to nurture a passion, great things are possible. I did not expect that a book by Keith Richards would make me cry, but wouldn't you know it, the moment Gus heard Keith playing Malagueña for the first time, it got me all teary-eyed

Don't miss Keith narrating the story on the accompanying CD, which also includes riffs from Malagueña interspersed throughout the narrative to help set the tone and emotion of the story.

Keith's daughter Theodora, named after her great grandfather Gus (Theodore Augustus Dupree), consulted her father and dug through family photos to create the pen and ink illustrations in Gus and Me, which I believe would be a perfect book to give a young budding musician, especially one where musical passions have been passed down and nurtured in his or her family.


Gus and Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar by Keith Richards, illustrated by Theodora Richards
Published: September 9, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: Primary/Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra by Chris Raschka

Sun Ra (born Herman Blount) claimed he was from Saturn. Since he was from another planet, the things of earth intrigued him, especially music. But he was also confounded by earthly traditions, such as that of earthlings insisting on "sorting themselves into two varieties: the white variety and the black variety."

Sun Ra was a talented musician who marched to the beat of his own eccentric drum. He was one of the first people to ever play an electric piano, and he released all of his music independently rather than with a record label. Before Sun Ra died on May 30, 1993, he said "You may think that it is gravity that holds us all together but it is not -- it is music."

Chris Raschka's words and illustrations all add to the intrigue of this eccentric musician known as Sun Ra and make you want to learn more about what made this guy tick. My one disappointment is that this book did not come with an accompanying CD to listen to Sun Ra's music. For that reason, I recommend checking this book out from the library while also checking out any and all of Sun Ra's recordings that your library might have. If you've never heard his music before, Raschka will undoubtedly pique your curiosity.

I checked out one CD of Sun Ra's from the library and now I think I might be a little obsessed. It's not as "out there" as I expected to be, but what I love about it is that it's actually music I can listen to and work at the same time. I have never been able to work and listen to music. It's too distracting. Even Mozart, which is is supposed to make you smarter, prevents me from being able to concentrate. To work, I need silence. But strangely, I listened to the whole CD and before I knew it, it was over. I think he might be my new go-to artist to listen to while I work.


The Cosmobiography of Sun Ra by Chris Raschka
Published: May 13, 2014
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 40
Genre: Picture Book Biography
Audience: Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.  

Hearing music with your heart

Ever since my interview with Natalie Lloyd where she talked about hearing a song for the first time with your heart before your ears, I have become much more attuned to this idea. Music has always had such a deep impact on my life. There's nothing like that moment of hearing a song for the first time that you absolutely love.

I just had that experience as I was listening to Ingrid Michaelson's new album Lights Out when the song "Over You" came on. I was bouncing back and forth between windows on my computer when about midway through this song, I just had to stop and listen because I was so moved. It wasn't even about the words. It was the melody, vocal harmonies, and the arrangement. Music really is feeling personified through sound. So, my question to you is, what songs did you hear for the first time with your heart before your ears? I've talked about heartprint books before. Now I want to know your heartprint songs.

Throw Back Thursday: Vienna October 2003

Ten years ago this month my husband and I were living in Germany and took our first major trip: a weekend in Vienna. As a classical music lover all my life and a pianist for 13 years, visiting Vienna was like taking a little kid to Disney World.

But the best part of visiting Vienna for me was when I was able to visit the factory and showroom for where they make and sell Bösendorfers: the most prestigious (and expensive) piano brand in the world. Some may argue that Steinways are the best pianos in the world, but I would beg to differ. I have played Steinways, and thanks to our trip to Vienna, I have also played Bösendorfers, and I'm here to tell you that even my clumsy fingers were quick and nimble on a Bösey. Steinways feel heavy and clunky compared to a Bösendorfer.

Here I am playing the $180,000 model that has 97 instead of 88 keys. This will be my first purchase when I win the lottery:

The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Dusan Petricic

Earlier this week as I was walking back to my car through the student center at Eastern Michigan University, my ears immediately perked up as the faint echoes of a Chopin etude wafted down the hall. I was like a police dog picking up a scent trail. I had to go find the source of the music. And while the person playing the etude was only practicing and hit many wrong notes, to me it didn't matter. I was called to the music. To find the source of it. And to stop and listen for a while.

Music moves me like nothing else on this earth does. There is a physiological and emotional response I experience when I encounter a beautiful melody, whether for the first time, or in this case, when I'm not expecting it. So it shocks and saddens me when I hear stories like the one in which this book is inspired: famous violinist, Joshua Bell, performed an experiment, proposed to him by Washington Post writer Gene Weingarten: What would happen if Bell, armed with his multi-million-dollar Stradivarius violin, dressed in jeans and a baseball cap, played for 45 minutes during rush hour in a busy D.C. metro station? How many people would stop and listen? Would anyone recognize his talent as more than just a mere street musician?

This experiment occurred on January 12, 2007. During the 45 minute performance, Bell played a piece known as one of the most difficult ever written for the violin, "Chaconne" from Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor, as well as the emotionally stirring "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert, and out of the 1,000 people who made their way through the metro station that morning, only seven people stopped to listen for more than a minute, Bell finding less than $40 in his violin case (when you discount the lady who dropped $20 in his case because she recognized him).

What was most notable about this little social experiment was how often children, being dragged through the station by their frazzled parents, wanted to stop and listen, and could often be seen, turning their heads toward the source of the music, digging in their heels to prevent the beautiful sounds from wafting away.

Kathy Stinson heard of this story and knew it was worth exploring in a picture book. So the setup for The Man with the Violin is in its very first lines:

Dylan was someone who noticed things.
 His mom was someone who didn't.

Dylan is a fictionalized boy, but he is based on truth given the number of children who wanted to stop and listen to the music that day in January 2007.

The writing and the illustrations in this book are all quite wonderful, but for me it's the story itself that is so remarkable. To think that one of the best musicians in the world was just passed by and disregarded by virtually every commuter in the L'Enfant Plaza metro station that day, and already being familiar with what spine-tingling music Bell was playing, I just can't fathom how he went practically unnoticed.

If I had been one of the D.C. commuters walking through the metro station on that January day back in 2007, I have absolutely no doubt I would have stopped to listen to the beautiful sounds of such a musical genius. No matter how much of a hurry I was in. But as I finished reading this book, I immediately released all of my emotions and began to cry because, even though I have no doubt I would have stopped to appreciate the brilliant music on that particular day or any day for that matter, I have to wonder what other life moments I am missing out on because I am too oblivious to notice. I know I am certainly guilty of commentating my way through life via the use of my smartphone that I very rarely just stop, put the phone down and allow myself to be present in the moment. It's stories like these that remind us all to stop and be present. Thank you Joshua Bell, Gene Wingarten, Kathy Stinson, and Dusan Petricic for helping to remind me.

Read the original Washington Post article that inspired The Man with the Violin:
Pearls Before Breakfast by Gene Weingarten

Watch an interview with the author and illustrator:


Listen to an NPR interview with Bell talking about that day in the subway station:
All Things Considered

Listen to the music Bell played that day in the subway station:




The Man with the Violin by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Dusan Petricic
Published: August 8, 2013
Publisher: Annick Press
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: All Ages
Disclosure: Library Copy

Feeling my way through life and music

About the only thing that impacts me more emotionally than books is music. When you hear a song you love for the first time it can be a transformative experience.

I played piano for 13 years, and while I did not have a natural talent for playing (small hands and short fingers) I had a passion for it. The emotion those 88 keys could evoke in me when I sat down and played a Chopin Nocturne or a Beethoven Sonata was better than any therapy.

And while I don't play piano with any sort of regularity anymore, music still rewards me with transformative experiences. And you know when you're having them because the little hairs start raising on your arms from the goosebumps.

One such experience happened to me over Christmas break. My husband and I have a friend, Tiffany, whom we've both known since before we knew each other. Her older sister Wendy introduced us actually. We all (the sisters and I, that is) had the same music teacher growing up. After high school, Tiffany studied musical theater at the Boston Conservatory and now has her eyes set on Broadway.

While she was home over Christmas break, she performed some of her own songs at a local coffeehouse and while her entire set was flawless, one particular song she performed gave me those goosebumps I was talking about. So much so that midway through the song, I found myself a fountain of tears.


As I sat listening, I was initially taken by the beautiful yet mournful gypsy melody. But then I found the words rather curious. I wondered who she was referring to when she sang, "Those eyes are watching you, those eyes are watching me." And then for some reason, those lyrics put me in mind of The Great Gatsby and the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. I have no idea why. John Green's influence most likely. But then the song changed course and around 1:35 I realized this song had a deeper meaning and I didn't know what it was. I had an idea, but at the same time, I didn't need to know. I was leading with my emotions and I just wanted to feel my way through the song. So I sat there and just let it wash over me. Even then I knew that while it might be a small moment in my life, it is one I would not soon forget.

What small, seemingly insignificant moments have been transformative in your life?

Picture book review: Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue by Anna Barwelll Celenza, illustrated by JoAnn E. Kitchel

One day in early 1924 George Gershwin's brother Ira was reading the New York Daily when he brought to George's attention that the newspaper said he would be performing a new concerto in a few weeks. The problem was, this was news to George! He had no idea that the public expected him to perform a brand new piano concerto, especially considering he hadn't even started writing one, let alone one ready to perform in a few weeks. But thanks to the encouragement of his brother and friends, he took on the challenge of creating a piece that would soon become the epitome of American music and also a love song to New York. And  let's not forget he finished the task in only a few weeks.

I am somewhat of a classical music snob. I played classical piano for 13 years and have always adored composers like Chopin (my favorite), Beethoven, Rachmainoff, Brahms, etc. But when I was a pre-teen and adolescent, my musical sophistication just wasn't developed enough to truly appreciate the genius of George Gershwin: the constant dissonance, the difficulty in picking out a lilting melody, the jazzy, syncopated notes. I just didn't get it. It wasn't until I was in my late twenties and I had heard this piece countless times that I finally began to appreciate its genius, and then started to consider it all-out brilliant. It really is the epitome of what America is all about: a melting pot of many different styles of music: jazz, classical, ragtime, blues...

Because I grew up loving classical music, that is definitely what drew me to this book. I LOVED learning how George Gershwin gave birth to this iconic piece of music. I think what is most evocative about this book is just knowing that had it not been for a presumptuous orchestra leader, Paul Whiteman, who made the announcement to the New York Daily of Gershwin's imminent performance, this piece may never have come to fruition, and how sad that would have been for American music.

This book comes with an accompanying CD that includes one track. I'll let you make an educated guess as to what track that is. 


Gerhwin's Rhapsody in Blue by Anna Barwelll Celenza, illustrated by JoAnn E. Kitchel
Published: July 1, 2006
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Pages: 32
Genre: Nonfiction picture book
Audience: Middle Grade
Disclosure: Checked out from library

Cleveland Rocks!

So I finally bit the bullet this summer and started writing a novel. I have no idea where this is going to take me, or whether I'll even finish, but I like the idea that I finally have a story living inside my head that is ready to be written down.

In one particular scene that I have envisioned, the main character visits the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since I live less than three hours from Cleveland, I decided that in order for my story to be authentic, a day trip to Cleveland was in order.

So last Saturday that's what I did. My husband and I jumped in the car and drove to Cleveland.

 

As we walked through the museum, part of me wondered what took us so long to visit this place. My husband and I are both big music-lovers, and with it being so close to where we live, there really was no excuse. We need to give ourselves permission to take day trips more often. We did it all the time when we lived in Germany. Why did we stop doing it when we moved back home? The sense of urgency to see and do everything before we leave was no longer compelling us to see and do new things.

What struck me most about visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was how much it brought back some of the pride I had lost at being an American. In today's climate of 24 hour news networks always feeding us a heavy dose political propaganda and where Americans are starting to get the sense that we are the most hated nation on earth, it's easy to become disillusioned with our country and want to be one of those people who puts a Canadian flag on the back of their backpack while visiting another country just so people will treat you more kindly.

But visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame did something to me. It reminded me of the fact that despite all our flaws, and there are many, we are a nation capable of great things. We created the greatest, most influential music on earth.

I loved seeing all of the memorabilia that is part of rock and roll history. I was especially struck by things like the ratty old family couch Jimi Hendrix used to practice his guitar on, all of the song lyrics by so many artists that were written on scraggly sheets of notebook paper (what a great lesson for teachers about the importance of rough drafts!), John Lennon's upright Yamaha piano that had candlewax spilled on it. I also loved seeing all the glamorous show outfits for artists like Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and the Rolling Stones.

The problem with visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? The intense desire to rack up a huge iTunes bill with all the music you realize you love but don't already have on your iPod. Like, how could I go this long without having any Rolling Stones or Jimi Hendrix anywhere on my iTunes account? Or Al Green, Ottis Redding, Run DMC? I must remedy this and soon!

Have you visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? If so, what are your thoughts?

Mozart Finds a Melody by Stephen Costanza

For the first time in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's life, he can't think of a single melody to compose - and he's on a deadline! It's now Monday and he must have a piano concerto composed and ready to perform by Saturday!

After doing all he can think of to find inspiration for a melody (including standing on his head and playing the violin in the bathtub), Mozart is at a loss - until his beautiful pet starling begins chirping in protest, wondering why her master hasn't fed her yet.

To Mozart, the starling's chirping sounds beautiful and melodious, just the theme he needs for his brand new piano concerto! But when Mozart opens the cage to feed his lovely pet, she flies away. Now Mozart must search the city high and low for his muse, discovering melodies and themes along the way in the street noises of Vienna.

Taking inspiration from a true story about Mozart, Stephen Costanza takes liberties with actual events to create this charming picture book about the famous classical composer. Equally as charming are Costanza's muted yet dreamy illustrations, accompanied by a tad bit of whimsy thrown in for good measure.

This book could be used at the beginning of a school year to show students how inspiration is all around us, we just have to be paying attention. Even the genius of Mozart needed a little help from time to time.


Mozart Finds a Melody by Stephen Costanza
Published: September 1, 2004
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Pages: 40
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: Primary/Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library Book 

Strange choice for the official song of the 2012 London Olympics?

So today I discovered that this is the official song of the 2012 London Olympics


Don't get me wrong, it's a cool song. I really like the syncopated piano notes at the beginning and the epic guitar riffs at the end. And I adore Muse; they are my favorite band after all. But when I think "official Olympic song" I think more this:

Not this:

I mean, the song starts off innocently enough, but then it gets pretty hardcore. I'm envisioning mosh pits at the opening ceremonies.

What do you all think? Is it an awesome song that will motivate the Olympic athletes? Or is it an unsuccessful attempt try to stand out and be different? I will say this: In a way I kind of like that they didn't just pick some cliche pop song. Despite the fact that I think the lyrics in this song are kind of cliche and hokey, the music is not and for that, I stood up and took notice. Maybe they were trying to ruffle a few feathers by choosing a more hardcore/alternative rock song because that gets more publicity. Then again, it can't be getting that much publicity if I'm just now finding this out and Muse is my favorite band. But I don't live in the UK where Muse is much more popular so maybe this has been brought up over there.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Give a Theme Song To

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's topic is:
Top Ten Books I'd give a theme song to

Since I'm such a huge music snob, this is a topic that took me weeks to work on. Seriously, like a month. I went so far as to go through all the 2000 songs on my iTunes account to find just the right song for each book. Some were easy (like, #1 was a total no-brainer. I knew that was the theme song for that book ever since it came out) but others took me a while to figure out.

(All links to song lyrics do not contain pop-ups)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Uprising by Muse

"They will not force us

They will stop degrading us

They will not control us

We will be victorious"

Can you think of a song more suited to the battlecry of Mockingjay than this one? I didn't think so. In fact, if this song isn't on the movie soundtrack, I'm going to be VERY upset.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Resistance by Muse

"Love is our resistance

They'll keep us apart 

But they won't stop breaking us down

Hold me

Our lips must always be sealed."

Honestly, Muse's entire Resistance album is a dystopian literature lover's dream!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Thank You for Loving Me by Jon Bon Jovi

"Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me"

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Winter by Tori Amos

"I run off
Where the drifts get deeper
Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown
I hear a voice
Your must learn to stand up for yourself
Cause I can't always be around He says

When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear"

Paper Towns by John Green
Creep by Radiohead

"But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell I'm doing here?
I don't belong here

She's running out again
She's running out
run, run run"

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Missing by Evanescence

"Please, please forgive me,
But I won't be home again.
Maybe someday you'll look up,
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:
Isn't something missing?

You won't cry for my absence, I know -
You forgot me long ago.
Am I that unimportant...?
Am I so insignificant...?
Isn't something missing?
Isn't someone missing me? "

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Everybody Hurts by REM

"When your day is long
And the night, the night is yours alone
When you're sure you've had enough
Of this life, well hang on

Don't let yourself go

'Cause everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes"

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer
Sing by My Chemical Romance

"Sing it out
Boy, you got to see what tomorrow brings
Sing it out
Girl, you’ve got to be what tomorrow needs
For every time that they want to count you out
Use your voice every single time you open up your mouth"

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Turn to Stone by Ingrid Michaelson
"I know that I am nothing new
There's so much more than me and you
But brother, how we must atone
before we turn to stone"

Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Gravity by Sara Bareilles

"I live here on my knees

as I try to make you see

that you're everything I think I need here on the ground.

But you're neither friend nor foe

though I can't seem to let you go.

The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down

You're on to me, on to me, and all over...

Something always brings me back to you.

It never takes too long."

I'm going to be entirely honest. I haven't actually read Crank yet, but the theme of the novel makes me think very much of the performance by Kayla and Kupono about addiction on So You Think You Can Dance. I just watched it again, and am amazed that it still moved me to tears:

One More Reason Why You Tube is Made of Awesome

I saw these guys on Rachael Ray on Friday and it is one of the coolest YouTube videos I've ever seen. Who knew you could play in a band with just an iPhone?

Is Something Important Happening Today...

... I can't remember.


So today's the day the whole book-reading world gets to stay up late and finish the last installment of The Hunger Games trilogy.

I could have sworn I pre-ordered a copy from Amazon, but I can't find a record of purchase anywhere in my order history. Methinks a trip to Borders is in order today.

If you've been following along with the 13 district blog tour, then yesterday you discovered that Lenore over at Presenting Lenore had the coolest prize of all the districts so far, giving away an 8 GB iTouch with Mockingjay logo etched on the back. To celebrate this awesome prize, she came up with playlists for all the important characters in the series and invites you to play along.

I said that I thought a perfect song for Katniss would be Regina Spektor's "Apres Moi"

I must go on standing
You can't break that
which isn't yours
I must go on standing
I'm not my own
It's not my choice

Be afraid of the lame
They'll inherit your legs
Be afraid of the old
They'll inherit your souls
Be afraid of the cold
They'll inherit your blood
Apres Moi le deluge
After me comes the flood

But then of course, you can't have a great rebellion story without Muse in your corner. I think the theme song for Mockingjay should be "Uprising"

Paranoia is in bloom,
the PR transmissions will resume
they'll try to push the drugs
to keep us all dumbed down
and hope that
we will never see the truth around

Another promise, another scene
another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed
green belts wrapped around our minds
and endless red tape to keep the truth confined

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Interchanging mind control
come let the revolution take its toll
if you could flick a switch and open your third eye
you'd see that
we should never be afraid to die

Rise up and take the power back
it's time the fat cats had a heart attack
you know that
their time is coming to an end
we have to unify and watch our flag ascend

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

What are some other good songs that fit the characters or theme of the book? (I love that Lenore picked a Tori Amos song for every character. She won lots of coolness points for that one!)

Customer Service: It's more than just making a sale, it's creating an impression

Yesterday afternoon my husband and I drove to Ann Arbor for a used piano sale. The School of Music, Dance, and Theater at the University of Michigan was selling some of their older pianos and even though we're not in the market for a piano at the present time, I was just curious what a used Steinway would go for. I have coveted a black, shiny baby grand ever since I was old enough to say, "I want to take piano lessons."

When we entered the building that was hosting the sale, we were asked to fill out a form that asked for our name, address, phone #, etc. along with what type of piano we're looking for. Once we had the form filled out, a man came out from the back and escorted us into the showroom. He explained that U of M is one of Steinway's largest customers and that they only purchase Steinway or a subsidiary of it for the pianos in their arts programs.

The man gave us some time to wander the rooms, and as I perused the price tags, all I could think about is, "These prices are for USED pianos?!" The price tags were way higher than I thought they'd be, but at least it gave me a baseline for how much Steinways are worth.

What I wasn't expecting was how quickly the salesman dismissed us when we told him we don't have the money or the room at the present time, but we wanted to get an idea of what the cost would be for the future when we do have the money. I barely got that sentence out of my mouth when he so very brashly said, "OK, well thank you," and made a beeline for the door before we could even say, "Thanks for your 'help'."

I think the reason I was so bothered by this encounter is because now I'm going to associate Steinway with uppity snobbishness when it comes to dealing with its customers. You don't have the money now? Well then, we're just going to disregard you. (And the guy was a representative from Steinway, he wasn't just some random person from the music department who was hired to run the sale).

This was so completely different from the experience my husband and I had at Bösendorfer in Vienna back in 2003. Ever since I knew that Tori Amos played one and talks about her piano like it's a person (referring to it as "she"), I was curious to see what it was like to play one of these pianos. Every single one is handmade and it takes a year to complete the process. These are very expensive instruments, but the cost is justified due to not only the quality of the workmanship, but also the magic of the sound.

So while we were in Vienna, we arranged to visit not only the factory to see how they're made, but also the showroom where people go to pick out the model they want to purchase. When we arrived at the showroom, we were greeted by a very formal Austrian man in a business suit. I still remember his name: Christian Höferl. The reason I remember him is because he gladly showed us around the showroom even though he probably had better things to do with his time as he knew there were no plans in our near future to buy a Bösendorfer.

But he spent probably 15 minutes talking with us, letting me walk around and play different models while my husband took pictures.





I will never forget how generous he was with his time despite knowing he wouldn't make a sale that day. But I'll tell you what, after these drastically different experiences, if I ever have the funds to blow $50,000 on a piano, my first choice would be a Bösendorfer over a Steinway ANY day!

So let me leave you with this: if you work in high-end customer service, don't blow someone off just becasue they don't have the money now. If you're nice and generous with your time, they will remember that and will be more likely to come back if and when they do have the money. To this day I have maintained a venerable impression of the Bösendorfer brand, not only because they are the most magical pianos I have ever played, but because they dealt with me like I was a future customer rather than some random twentysomething out of college with no money and no prospects of ever affording their product. If the man at Bösendorfer had treated me like the Steinway guy, I would have left that building saying, "Nice pianos, but terrible customer service. I don't think I want a Bösendorfer."