I've learned that not all poetry lends itself to music-- some thoughts need to be sung only against the silence. There are softer and less tangible part(s) of our selves that are so essential to peace, to open heartedness, to unfolding the vision and the spiritual realm of our lives, to exposing our souls.- Jewel, From the Preface. Writing poems and keeping journals since childhood, Jewel has been searching for truth and meaning, turning to her words...

With style, wit, and expertise, Leonard Bernstein shares his love and appreciation for music in all its varied forms in The Infinite Variety of Music, illuminating the deep pleasure and sometimes subtle beauty it offers. He begins with an "imaginary conversation" with George Washington entitled "The Muzak Muse" in which he argues the values of actively listening to music by learning how to read notes, as opposed to simply hearing music in a concert...

Two of opera's greatest names offer encouragement and useful advice to aspiring singers in this classic guide. Tenor Enrico Caruso and coloratura soprano Luisa Tetrazzini employ nontechnical terms to provide an informal vocalist's anatomy, with instructions for the proper training, care, and disposition of the tongue, lungs, diaphragm, mouth, and the voice itself. Tetrazzini deals with the foundations of singing in breath control; tone emission and...

Rob Sheffield, the Rolling Stone columnist and bestselling author of Love Is a Mix Tape, offers an entertaining, unconventional look at the most popular band in history, the Beatles, exploring what they mean today and why they still matter so intensely to a generation that has never known a world without them.

Meet the Beatles is not another biography of the Beatles, or a song-by-song analysis of the best of John and

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Forty-seven vocal works from the 12th to the 17th centuries, including songs by Henry IV and Henry VIII as well as Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Thomas Ravenscroft, Thomas Morley, John Dowland, and Thomas Weelkes. Introduction by Joel Newman. Some Suggested Reading. Indexes.

Though puirt-a-beul are popular with both Gaelic-speaking and non-Gaelic speaking audiences, this book offers the first comprehensive study of the genre. Heather Sparling considers how puirt-a-beul compare to other forms of global mouth music and examines its origins, its musical and lyrical characteristics, and its functions. Sparling brings together years of research, including an array of historical references to puirt-a-beul, interviews with...

"The 1954 version of A Star Is Born, the ultimate Hollywood story, was the crowning film achievement of legendary entertainer Judy Garland's career. But the troubled production was also one of the most talked about in movie history. The story, which depicts the dark side of fame, paralleled Garland's own life in many ways, ultimately leading to an Academy Award-nominated performance. Still, the studio behind the film was uncertain audiences would...