Book Recommendations

[Nancy Edwards]

I enjoy reading books by amateur musicians that started playing their instrument as an adult and write about their experiences. I have read “Piano Lessons” by Noah Adams, “Never Too Late”, “For the Love Of It”, the book by the harper in Seattle about his experiences busking (off hand I can’t remember the title or author). Does anyone have any suggestions for other books like these?

[Biagio]

They are not amateurs but here are a couple of good reads all the same:

David Michael – “Busker”
Laurie Riley – “My Life in Music”

[dancingpiper]

Thanks, all, for some great book recommendations!! I borrowed “Piano Lessons” from the library and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have “Busker” on order and hope it will be shipped soon. Another fascinating book, though not about amateurs, necessarily, is Oliver Sack’s “Musicophilia”. It’s an intriguing look at the interactions of music and the brain.

[hearpe]

Not about learning music, but thoroughly enjoyed “Ellie and the Harp Maker” novel, if you have the time for some quirky funny enjoyable light reading.

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[Philippa mcauliffe]

Play It Again by Alan Rusbridger – many harpists have also learnt and play the piano! This is the autobiography of an English journalist who develops an ambition to play Chopin’s First Ballade whilst he was editor-in-chief of the Guardian. Although he played as a child this required a totally new level of ability and determination akin to starting learning again. With detours into some very famous pianists’ views on the work and his working life.

[catherine-rogers]

You might enjoy a biography of jazz pianist Marian McPartland titled “Shall We Play That One Together?” I thoroughly enjoyed her learning process from classical to jazz. I also loved “Notes From a Battered Grand” by Don Asher.

[Nancy Edwards]

“The Late Starters Orchestra” by Ari Goldman.

[Alison]

Cited by Phillipa above…
Play It Again by Alan Rusbridger (2011)

Light reading – learning a difficult piece…

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

A Soprano On Her Head was a much-vaunted title.

[dancingpiper]

The Harp Maker was a DELIGHTFUL book!! I got it from the library, then bought my own copy, which I leant to my harp instructor, so I can read it again. How I long to see and hear those harps!!

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by dancingpiper.

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