Traces the origins and history of jazz, its major artists, and its stylistic varieties, and offers suggestions for assembling a recording collection

A beautifully composed journey through music history! Music history is a required course for all music students. Unfortunately, the typical music history book is dry and academic, focusing on rote memorization of important composers and works. This leads many to think that the topic is boring, but bestselling author Michael Miller proves that isn’t so. This guide makes music history interesting and fun, for both music students and older music lovers. • Covers more than Western “classical” music—also includes non-Western music and uniquely American forms such as jazz • More than just names and dates—puts musical developments in context with key historical events

The complex art of conducting may look effortless to the casual onlooker, however, it requires a great deal of knowledge and skill. The success of a performance hinges on the director's ability to keep the group playing together and interpreting the music as the composer intended. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Conducting Music shows student and novice conductors how to lead bands, orchestras, choirs, and other ensembles effectively through sight-reading, rehearsals, and performances.

Instruction and tips for creating arrangements, structuring compositions, and writing for various styles of music.

A history of world music that places musical developments in context to important historical events and examines the evolution of both Western and non-Western music from prehistoric times to the present.

The ultimate look at our ultimate court. The Supreme Court is the highest court in America and the ultimate authority in constitutional interpretation. The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to the Supreme Court presents an easy-to-understand, informative, and even entertaining look at this fascinating institution, whose decisions affect our lives. This book will focus in depth on: € The inner workings of the Supreme Court € Landmark cases that continue to shape our lives (Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona, Brown v. Board of Education) € Discussion of the latest controversial appointee, capital punishment, racial-preference cases, abortion rights, and more

In this book you get: a practical explanation of how a multitrack recorder is used to separate vocals and instrumentation ; techniques for fixing a less than stellar performance without completely re-recording the track ; handy forms and documents used to maintain a log of the recording process ; and inspiring ideas for incorporating drum machines, loops, and such effects as reverb and echo to enhance your recording.