Note-Worthy Books | Martin Luther College

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2) George Frideric Handel: a life with friends

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Description

During his lifetime, the sounds of Handel's music reached from court to theater, echoed in cathedrals, and filled crowded taverns, but the man himself - known to most as the composer of Messiah - is a bit of a mystery. Though he took meticulous care of his musical manuscripts and even provided for their preservation on his death, very little of an intimate nature survives. One document - Handel's will - offers us a narrow window into his personal...

3) Women music makers: an introduction to women composers

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Lynch, Janet Nichols

4) Remembering Whitney: my story of love, loss, and the night the music stopped

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Houston, Cissy

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The Grammy Award-winning American soul and gospel singer and mother of Whitney Houston reflects on her daughter's life, the events that led up to her death and the aftermath of a senseless tragedy.

5) Bach

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Geck, Martin

6) The Beatles: British pop sensation

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Kallen, Stuart A

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Tells the story of the Beatles, describing how the foursome began, their phenomenal success and influence, the breakup of the group.

7) Jazz day: the making of a famous photograph

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Orgill, Roxane

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"In 1958, 'Esquire' magazine was planning a special issue focused on American jazz. Art Kane, a graphic designer in New York City, pitched a crazy idea: gather as many jazz musicians as were willing and photograph the group. Kane got the assignment -- but he didn't own a professional camera, he didn't know how many musicians would show up, and he wanted to shoot the photograph in front of a Harlem brownstone. Would his idea work? Kane pulled it off,...

8) When Stravinsky met Nijinsky: two artists, their ballet, and one extraordinary riot

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Stringer, Lauren

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The Russian artists Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky were popular in their time: Stravinsky for music, Nijinsky for dance. When their radically new ballet, The Rite of Spring, was first performed in Paris on May 29, 1913, the reaction was so polarized, there were fistfights and riots! Brilliant or disastrous, the performance marked the birth of modern music and dance. Stringer's rhythmic text and gloriously inventive, color-rich paintings capture...

9) I see the rhythm: a story of African American music

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Igus, Toyomi

10) Lisa of Willesden Lane: a true story of music and survival during World War II

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Golabek, Mona

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"The true story of a girl who traveled on the Kindertransport during World War II and her experiences during a time of war"--

11) Music was it: young Leonard Bernstein

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Rubin, Susan Goldman

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Biography of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

12) Elvis is King!

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Winter, Jonah

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Presents the life and legacy of Elvis Presley, from his birth in Mississippi through his music career, his time in the army, his marriage, and his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

13) 1900-20: new horizons

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Hayes, Malcolm

14) 1960s: the age of rock

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Hayes, Malcolm

15) 1970s: turbulent times

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Hayes, Malcolm

16) 20s & 30s: between the wars

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Hayes, Malcolm

17) 40s & 50s: from war to peace

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Hayes, Malcolm

18) 80s & 90s: different paths

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Hayes, Malcolm

19) Guitar genius: how Les Paul engineered the solid body electric guitar and rocked the world

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Tomsic, Kim

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This is the story of how Les Paul created the world's first solid- body electric guitar, countless other inventions that changed modern music, and one truly epic career in rock and roll. How to make a microphone? A broomstick, a cinderblock, a telephone, a radio. How to make an electric guitar? A record player's arm, a speaker, some tape. How to make a legendary inventor? A few tools, a lot of curiosity, and an endless faith in what is possible. Featuring...

20) Hold on to your music: the inspiring true story of the children of Willesden Lane

Author

Golabek, Mona

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"In pre-World War II Vienna, Lisa Jura was a musical prodigy who dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. But when enemy forces threatened the city--particularly the Jewish people that lived there--Lisa's parents were forced to make a difficult decision. They chose to send Lisa to London for safety through the Kindertransport--a rescue effort that relocated Jewish children. As Lisa yearned to be reunited with her family while living in a home for refugee...