Linda Lewis Everett provides a captivating account in this novel about a young African girl, captured, enslaved and transported from her home country in Africa to the unfamiliar land of America. This is the story of Abena, who was forced to be called Beulah, in a foreign and cruel new world. Experience Beulah's life story of slavery, with all of the struggles and challenges that came with losing her freedom and how the only mainstay was the calming effect she experienced when she heard and felt the drums of her beloved homeland. I STILL HEAR THE DRUMS!
“This book is the song of my middle-school heart.”—Michelle Schusterman, author of the I Heart Band! series Sam knows she wants to be a drummer. But she doesn’t know how to afford a drum kit, or why budget cuts end her school’s music program, or why her parents argue so much, or even how to explain her dream to other people. But drums sound all the time in Sam’s head, and she’d do just about anything to play them out loud—even lie to her family if she has to. Will the cost of chasing her dream be too high? An exciting new voice in contemporary middle grade, Mike Grosso creates a determined heroine readers will identify with and cheer for.
The drum kit has provided the pulse of popular music from before the dawn of jazz up to the present day pop charts. Kick It, a provocative social history of the instrument, looks closely at key innovators in the development of the drum kit: inventors and manufacturers like the Ludwig and Zildjian dynasties, jazz icons like Gene Krupa and Max Roach, rock stars from Ringo Starr to Keith Moon, and popular artists who haven't always got their dues as drummers, such as Karen Carpenter and J Dilla. Tackling the history of race relations, global migration, and the changing tension between high and low culture, author Matt Brennan makes the case for the drum kit's role as one of the most transformative musical inventions of the modern era. Kick It shows how the drum kit and drummers helped change modern music--and society as a whole--from the bottom up.
George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control is the original classic, often called the bible of drumming. In 1993, Modern Drummer magazine named it one of the top 25 drumming books of all-time. In the words of the author, this is the ideal book for improving "control, speed, flexibility, touch, rhythm, lightness, delicacy, power, endurance, preciseness of execution, and muscular coordination," with extra attention given to the development of the weak hand. This indispensable book for drummers of all types includes hundreds of basic to advanced rhythms and moves through categories of single-beat combinations, triplets, short roll combinations, flam beats, flam triplets and dotted notes, and short roll progressions.
Writers like Donald and Mike work at the grassroots level to promote and support our sport. Their love of running shines through every page of what they write. They have a unique perspective on The Running Life and make us smile and gain insight at the same time. Whether you are an experienced runner, a novice, or even a non-runner this compilation of articles will inspire. --Amby Burfoot, Editor at Large, Runners World Magazine and 1968 Boston Marathon winner As a resident of Pacific Grove, Im just like all the other runners on the Central Coast. We eagerly await the Thursday edition of the Monterey Herald so we can see what Donald and Mike are thinking and saying about The Running Life. Its great that this book will allow a wider audience the opportunity of reading these great columns.--Blake Russell, 2008 Womens Olympic Marathon Im out in Buraglio and Dove territory every year for the Big Sur Marathon. Its great to swap stories with Donald and Mike, run, and enjoy the magnificent Central Coast. They are both very knowledgeable and their articles cover every aspect of our sport. A fun read for sure.--Bart Yasso, Chief Runner, Runners World Magazine Ive always been an instinctive runner. I love to run and feel the flow. Donald and Mike capture all I love about running in their articles. They know the spirit as well as the technical side of running. I recommend this series of articles for anyone. You will really capture and understand why we love The Running Life. --Nelly Wright, Pacific Grove, California, 1984 Womens Olympic Marathon
“A wonderful, jazzy, exciting read.” –Nikki Giovanni, author of Acolytes Broke and burned-out from grad school, Shay Dixon does the unthinkable after receiving a “vision” from her de facto spiritual adviser, blues singer Nina Simone. She phones Nona, the mother she had all but written off, asking if she can come home for a while. When Shay was growing up, Nona was either drunk, hungover, or out with her latest low-life guy. So Shay barely recognizes the new Nona, now sober and with a positive outlook on life, a love of gardening, and a toddler named Sunny. Though reconciliation seems a hard proposition for Shay, something unmistakable is taking root inside her, waiting to blossom like the morning glories opening up in Nona’s garden sanctuary. Soon Shay finds herself facing exciting possibilities and even her first real romantic relationship. But when an unexpected crisis hits, even the wise words and soulful melodies of Nina Simone may not be enough for solace. Shay begins to realize that, like orange mint and honey, sometimes life tastes better when bitter is followed by sweet. “Carleen Brice has woven her talent for storytelling into a funny, sad, and perceptive novel that speaks to all of us who navigate less-than-perfect relationships with our parents or children.” –Elyse Singleton, author of This Side of the Sky “Brice deftly shows the importance and joy of understanding our past and not only forgiving those who hurt us, but loving them in spite of that hurt. Readers of Terry McMillan and Bebe Moore Campbell will find a new writer to watch.” –Judy Merrill Larsen, author of All the Numbers
Shpil: The Art of Playing Klezmer is both a history of this popular form of traditional Jewish music and an instructional book for professional and amateur musicians. Since the revival of klezmer music in the United States in the mid-1970s, Yiddish songs and klezmer dance melodies have served as the soundtrack for a resurgence of interest in Ashkenazic Jewish culture across the globe. Klezmer has taken root not only in America’s major urban centers—New York City, Chicago, San Francisco—but also in emerging Jewish music hotspots like St. Petersburg, Buenos Aires, Krakow, and Tokyo. Its high energy, emotionally driven sound, and evocative Yiddish lyrics have found audiences everywhere. Shpil offers an expansive history of klezmer, from its medieval origins to the present era, and its contributors encompass a cast of world-renowned musicians who have recorded, performed, and studied klezmer for years. Individual chapters concentrate on the most common instruments found in a klezmer ensemble—violin, clarinet, accordion, bass, percussion, and voice—and conclude with a selection of three songs that illustrate and exemplify the history and techniques of that instrument. Shpil includes a glossary and a discography of both classic and new klezmer and Yiddish recordings, all designed to guide readers in an appreciation of this remarkable musical genre and the art of playing and singing klezmer tunes. Shpil: The Art of Playing Klezmer is ideal for amateur enthusiasts, musical scholars, beginning artists, and professional musicians, both solo and ensemble—indeed, anyone who wants to experience the joy of listening to and playing this thousand-year-old folk music.
This is a story of simpler but harder times. This story takes place during the Great Depression in a small Midwestern town in Indiana where Harry and his friends are young boys looking for adventure. These boys set off on a project to dam the river, which takes them on an adventure beyond their imagination. Through this story we learn about friendship, teamwork, love, and family. It is witty, funny, and tender, and carries us back to what it means to be a child. This is a coming-of-age story that is reminiscent of Stand by Me and October Sky. It is the story of lifelong friendships that develop as we grow and learn together.
(Book). This fifth installment in the Modern Drummer Legends series features over 50 pages of extensive and in-depth interviews plus over 40 pages of drum transcriptions with Kenn's own analysis and details from his sessions with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Glenn Frey, John Bon Jovi and others. Never before seen pictures from Kenny's private collection are also included, and as a special bonus, you'll have access to an exclusive online audio recording of Kenny's senior percussion recital, performing a Violin Concerto on Marimba! 152 full-color pages!
