How can certain songs carry us through a tough workout, comfort us after a breakup, or unite 50,000 diverse fans? In this fascinating field guide, neuroscientist and opera singer Indre Viskontas investigates what music is and how it can change us for the better—from deep in our neurons to across our entire society. Whether hip-hop fans, classically trained pianists, or vinyl collectors, readers will think about their favorite songs in a whole new way by the end of this book. This is a vibrant and smart gift for any audiophile.

Music is for everyone — no prior experience required! Make Music! invites kids and families to celebrate the joy of sound with a variety of inventive activities, including playing dandelion trumpets, conducting percussion conversations, and composing their own pieces. Musician and educator Norma Jean Haynes brings the pioneering work of Ann Sayre Wiseman and John Langstaff to a new generation of kids aged 5 and up, focusing on the playfulness, spontaneity, and creativity of music. Kids explore rhythm with clapping, body drumming, and intonations. They learn to create found sound with kitchen pots and pans, the Sunday paper, or even the Velcro on their sneakers. And step-by-step instructions show how to make 35 different instruments, from chimes and bucket drums to a comb kazoo and a milk carton guitar.

“Musicians often pay a high price for sharing their art with us. Underneath the glow of success can often lie loneliness and exhaustion, not to mention the basic struggles of paying the rent or buying food. Sally Anne Gross and George Musgrave raise important questions – and we need to listen to what the musicians have to tell us about their working conditions and their mental health.” Emma Warren (Music Journalist and Author). “Singing is crying for grown-ups. To create great songs or play them with meaning music's creators reach far into emotion and fragility seeking the communion we demand of it. However, music’s toll on musicians can leave deep scars. In this important book, Sally Anne Gross and George Musgrave investigate the relationship between the wellbeing music brings to society and the wellbeing of those who create. It’s a much needed reality check, deglamorising the romantic image of the tortured artist.” Crispin Hunt (Multi-Platinum Songwriter/Record Producer, Chair of the Ivors Academy). It is often assumed that creative people are prone to psychological instability, and that this explains apparent associations between cultural production and mental health problems. In their detailed study of recording and performing artists in the British music industry, Sally Anne Gross and George Musgrave turn this view on its head. By listening to how musicians understand and experience their working lives, this book proposes that whilst making music is therapeutic, making a career from music can be traumatic. The authors show how careers based on an all-consuming passion have become more insecure and devalued. Artistic merit and intimate, often painful, self-disclosures are the subject of unremitting scrutiny and data metrics. Personal relationships and social support networks are increasingly bound up with calculative transactions. Drawing on original empirical research and a wide-ranging survey of scholarship from across the social sciences, their findings will be provocative for future research on mental health, wellbeing and working conditions in the music industries and across the creative economy. Going beyond self-help strategies, they challenge the industry to make transformative structural change. Until then, the book provides an invaluable guide for anyone currently making their career in music, as well as those tasked with training and educating the next generation.

Music is made using different objects.

Unleash your creative potential and start producing hip hop music today. This beginner’s guide breaks down the basics of music production and gives you the tools to start creating. Beat making isn’t a linear process, and there’s no exact science or method. Slime Green Beats provides a complete overview of the equipment, strategy, and mentality that you need to produce mind-blowing music, all without stifling your creativity. Whether you’re looking to produce your own music or start a career in music production, this handbook is a must-have. Learn beat making rules for different genres and musical styles, including hip hop, trap, R&B, and rap. You’ll learn: Setup - How to set up your home beat making studio - Tips for sound selection and melody creation - What drum layers make up a hip-hop beat - The stylistic difference between 808s and basslines Finishing - An introduction to mixing instrumentals - How to create vibrant, clean beats without over-compressing - Music theory rules for arranging - How to find and implement reliable feedback Sharing - Online marketing strategies for self-promotion - Email marketing tips to build industry connections - How to license, lease, and sell your beats - What to expect when selling exclusive beats, including track outs …And more! How to Make Beats explains music theory and technical software in easy-to-understand terms. The language of music production often feels elite, but Slime Green Beats breaks down barriers for new creators. Learn the lingo with an extensive terminology section in the back of the handbook and links to suggested resources. About the authors Slime Green Beats is led by 3E Wave and Stunna, two highly acclaimed music producers with an extensive fanbase on YouTube. With nearly a decade of beat making experience between them, their technical tips and recommendations are proven to work in the real world.

(Berklee Press). Making Music Make Money will educate songwriters, as well as aspiring music business entrepreneurs in the basics of becoming an effective independent music publisher. Topics include a discussion of the various roles a publisher plays in the music business: collection, administration, protection, exploitation and evaluation. A major emphasis is placed on the exploitation process, and the importance of creating a sound business model for a new publishing venture. Eric Beall is a Creative Director for Zomba Music Publishing, as well as a former songwriter and record producer. In his role at Zomba, Eric has signed and developed top writers including Steve Diamond, KNS Productions, and Riprock & Alex G. and has coordinated and directed Zomba writers in the development of material for Jive Records pop superstars like Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Britney Spears and Aaron Carter. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music.

From Grammy-winning musical icon and legendary bassist Victor L. Wooten comes an inspiring parable of music, life, and the difference between playing all the right notes…and feeling them. The Music Lesson is the story of a struggling young musician who wanted music to be his life, and who wanted his life to be great. Then, from nowhere it seemed, a teacher arrived. Part musical genius, part philosopher, part eccentric wise man, the teacher would guide the young musician on a spiritual journey, and teach him that the gifts we get from music mirror those from life, and every movement, phrase, and chord has its own meaning...All you have to do is find the song inside. “The best book on music (and its connection to the mystic laws of life) that I've ever read. I learned so much on every level.”—Multiple Grammy Award–winning saxophonist Michael Brecker