Hand to Hold


Book Description

This heartwarming picture book reassures children that a parent’s love never lets go—based on the poignant lyrics of JJ Heller’s beloved lullaby “Hand to Hold.” “May the living light inside you be the compass as you go / May you always know you have my hand to hold.” With delightful illustrations and an engaging rhyme scheme, this book offers the promise of security and love every child’s heart longs to know. From skipping stones and counting stars to climbing trees and telling stories, every moment is wrapped snugly in the certain warmth of a parent’s presence and God’s blessing. With poignancy and joy, this bedtime read captures the unconditional love parents want their children to know but so often fail to express amid the chaos of daily life.




I Wish You Could Hear the Song I'm Listening To As I Write This...


Book Description

I wish you could hear the song i'm listening to as i write this... explores the classic tale of adolescent rebellion but it is more complex. How do young people deal with the apparent universal desire for attention and fame? The social media today have made the fulfillment of this desire accessible to more people. But this work explores this issue very personally and deeply. When the young narrator asks her grandmother why is everyone in their family so eager to perform as a musician, the grandmother challenges her by stating “ Who in this world doesn' t want to be famous? Who would shy away from attention, notoriety? Who would want to hide their talent?” The narrator- a talented singer who prefers to sing only for her own enjoyment - decides she would. Her confrontation with what is expected of her and her own struggle to understand why and how she is different is the hub of this novella.




America's Songs


Book Description

America's Songs tells the stories behind the most beloved popular songs of the last century. We all have songs that have a special meaning in our lives; hearing them evokes a special time or place. Little wonder that these special songs have become enduring classics. Nothing brings the roarin '20s to life like Tea for Two or I'm just Wild About Harry; the Great Depression is evoked in all of its pain and misery in songs like Brother Can You Spare a Dime?; God Bless America revives the powerful hope that American democracy promised to the world during the dark days of World War II; Young at Heart evokes the postwar optimism of the '50s. And then there are the countless songs of love, new romance, and heartbreak: As Time Goes By, Always, Am I Blue...the list is endless. Along with telling the stories behind these songs, America's Songs suggests, simply and succinctly, what makes a song great. The book illuminates the way each great song melds words and music - sentiment and melody - into a seamless whole. America's Songs also traces the fascinating but mysterious process of collaboration, the give-and-take between two craftsmen, a composer and a lyricist, as they combined their talents to create a song. For anyone interested in the history of the songs that America loves, America's Songs will make for fascinating reading.




Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Story behind the Song


Book Description

You will get an inside look at the personal stories behind your favorite songs as songwriters get up close and personal with exclusive stories about how and why they wrote them. Songs tell a story, and now popular singers and songwriters are sharing more of the story! These artists reveal the inspiration, influence, and background, and when and why they wrote their most famous songs, in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Story Behind the Song. Includes great photos of the songwriters. The print edition contains the lyrics to all 101 songs, and the eBook includes lyrics to 85 of the songs.




Guitar World The Life & Genius of Kurt Cobain


Book Description

Kurt Cobain--rock visionary, godfather of grunge, voice of the disaffected--was also a powerful and influential guitarist. From the editors of Guitar World, the #1 guitar magazine, The Life and Genius of Kurt Cobain examines his impact on American music--and why a man who had everything came to the terrible conclusion that he had nothing. Collected here are the stories and interviews exclusively published by Guitar World, chronicling Cobain's dramatic ascent on the Seattle music scene, the making of Nirvana's albums, Cobain's personal demons, and his far-reaching legacy.




Thousand-Mile Song


Book Description

In Thousand Mile Song, musician and philosopher David Rothenberg uses the enigma of whale sounds to explore whether we can truly understand nonhuman minds. Interviewing scholars around the world as they attempt to decipher underwater music, Rothenberg tells the story of scientists and artists confronting an unknown as vast as the ocean. Along the way, he plays his clarinet live with whales in their native habitats, from Russia to Hawaii, making interspecies music that appears on the included CD. Richly detailed and deeply entertaining, Thousand Mile Song is an imaginative look at the most intriguing creatures of the ocean.




Popular Mechanics


Book Description

Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs and influences readers to help them master the modern world. Whether it’s practical DIY home-improvement tips, gadgets and digital technology, information on the newest cars or the latest breakthroughs in science -- PM is the ultimate guide to our high-tech lifestyle.




The Greatest Song


Book Description

Jake Stark. Hit songwriter for Nashville music publisher, MegaMusic. Until he’s not. When MegaMusic decides to not renew his contract over a lack of hit songs, Jake is at a loss. His creative energy is down, and the bills are piling up. Enter Sir Daniel Smith-Daniels, the young, enigmatic owner of the hottest music publisher in Nashville, The Row. During a compelling initial meeting, Sir Daniel introduces Jake to his unique approach to work and life, The Method. Soon, with the help of The Row’s talented roster of collaborators, Jake is creating some of the best music he’s written in years. And what’s more, by following The Method’s five distinctive practices, Jake may finally be able to write the song he’s always known has been within him, but just out of reach, The Greatest Song. From acclaimed songwriter, Kevin Griffin, The Greatest Song is a creative-nonfiction book for every profession. Through the inspiring fictional narrative of Jake Stark, Griffin shares ideas that can be used by anyone, anywhere, to transform their career and their life.




Inside the Music of Brian Wilson


Book Description

Inside the Music of Brian Wilson is, as author Phillip Lambert writes in the prologue "completely, and intensely, focused on the music of Brian Wilson, on the musical essence of his songs and the aesthetic value of his artistic achievements. It acknowledges the familiar biographical contexts of his songs, but it tells completely new stories about the birth and evolution of his musical ideas, identifying important musical trends in his work, heretofore undisclosed inter-song connections within his music, or between his music and that of others, and the nature and extent of his artistry. It aims not just to identify great songs, but to explain exactly what makes them so." Lambert, a renowned musicologist, brings to this work to life with both his professional expertise and an infectious personal appreciation of the power of pop music. His clear, engaging tone and accessible writing style allows even a musically inexperienced reader to follow him as he traces Wilson's musical evolution, with a particular focus on the years leading up to the writing and recording of Pet Sounds and SMiLE, albums which many consider to be the masterpieces of his oeuvre. Inside the Music of Brian Wilson is the definitive book on Wilson's music and is essential reading for fans of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and great pop music. Includes THREE amazing Appendixes: Appendix 1: Brian Wilson Song Chronology* Appendix 2: Four Freshmen Albums, 1955-1961 Appendix 3: Favorite Songs and Influences Through 1961 *The most complete song chronology ever published.




How to Write a Hit Song


Book Description

(Book). Covering all the essentials of craft and marketing for launching and sustaining a long, successful writing career, this cutting-edge revision contains an exclusive interview with Oscar-winning songwriter Melissa Etheridge "I Need to Wake Up" and shows you, step by step, how to write a hit song.