Someone asked Buddha, “Are you God?” He answered, “No, I am awake.” The Buddha’s Tango is born to help you awaken the Buddha within. I hope my life stories will inspire you to accept the universe’s invitation to dance freely to unlock happiness. Use the stories as stepping stones to continue your journey to self-discovery, self-love, and ultimately self-transformation. All you need is you in this dance. Stand tall, pause, feel, and follow the rhythm of creation through a dance as it takes you to the end of happiness. Take this book as an experience and not as a read-only. Choose to be happy always and in all ways!
Imagine happy students who can't wait to get to their lesson each week; Students who actually practice and love the piano. Imagine happy parents who are so thrilled to see their kids learning that they are happy to pay you and ready to recommend you to their friends and family. Imagine yourself really loving your work. Nobody knows the highs and lows of piano teaching better than 35-year teaching veteran Doreen M. Hall. She knows how unbelievably rewarding the job can be and she also knows the struggles piano teachers face. Keeping a studio running smoothly and having successful students is no easy task."The Happiest Piano Teacher in Town" takes a fresh look at the profession of piano teaching. (Yes, it is a profession). It is chock-full of concrete actionable steps and suggestions. Doreen will show you how to create a studio policy that really works for you and how to create a step-by-step "Blueprint" so that you will feel confident in your teaching. The book tackles the difficult questions of how to get students to practice regularly, how to communicate with parents and how to balance work and family. It also covers how to avoid common problems and what to do when they arise. Doreen Hall uses humor and stories to show you how she came to really love teaching and how you can too. Whether you are a new teacher or a seasoned veteran, "The Happiest Piano Teacher in Town" is an inspiration for every person who does the amazing job of teaching the piano.
In her follow-up to Making Music and Enriching Lives: A Guide for All Music Teachers, Bonnie Blanchard offers students a set of tools for their musical lives that will help them stay engaged, even during the challenging times in their musical development. Blanchard discusses issues such as finding an instructor, selecting the right instrument, and choosing a college or conservatory. The book includes lessons on music theory and history as well as a guide to finding additional materials in print and online. Blanchard's strategies for making practice productive and preparing for auditions are useful tips students can return to again and again.
A New York Times Notable Book "This brilliant and magisterial book is a very good bet to...become the definitive study of Johannes Brahms."--The Plain Dealer Judicious, compassionate, and full of insight into Brahms's human complexity as well as his music, Johannes Brahms is an indispensable biography. Proclaimed the new messiah of Romanticism by Robert Schumann when he was only twenty, Johannes Brahms dedicated himself to a long and extraordinarily productive career. In this book, Jan Swafford sets out to reveal the little-known Brahms, the boy who grew up in mercantile Hamburg and played piano in beer halls among prostitutes and drunken sailors, the fiercely self-protective man who thwarted future biographers by burning papers, scores and notebooks late in his life. Making unprecedented use of the remaining archival material, Swafford offers richly expanded perspectives on Brahms's youth, on his difficult romantic life--particularly his longstanding relationship with Clara Schumann--and on his professional rivalry with Lizst and Wagner. "[Johannes Brahms] will no doubt stand as the definitive work on Brahms, one of the monumental biographies in the entire musical library."--London Weekly Standard "It is a measure of the accomplishment of Jan Swafford's biography that Brahms's sadness becomes palpable.... [Swafford] manages to construct a full-bodied human being."--The New York Times Book Review
Though I Dont Deserve It, Gods Hand of Protection Watches Over Me: My Story spans sixty-four years in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ, telling how God has watched over him and his family. Arthur Luke begins with his childhood in Georgia, follows the sojourns of his military family, narrates the key events in his adult life, tells about his stroke, and shares the decision he and his wife, seniors at the time, made to adopt a child. He pairs twenty-four powerful scriptures with the key events in his lifes journey. This potent mixture of personal history and biblical witness demonstrates an enduring truth. With faith in God and obedience to him in your life, his favorhis hand of protectionwill guide you and lead you to offer him praise in all seasons, no matter what happens. Though I Dont Deserve It, Gods Hand of Protection Watches Over Me: My Story promises to inspire and encourage readers by showing how God works, in accordance with his promises in the scriptures, to guard and guide all who believe in him. This is the story of Arthur Lukes life, but its message applies to all who believe.
In The Necessity of Music, Celia Applegate explores the many ways that Germans thought about and made music from the eighteenth- to twentieth-centuries. Rather than focus on familiar stories of composers and their work Applegate illuminates the myriad ways in which music is integral to German social life. Musical life reflected the polycentric nature of German social and political life, even while it provided many opportunities to experience what was common among Germans. Musical activities also allowed Germans, whether professional musicians, dedicated amateurs, or simply listeners, to participate in European culture. Applegate’s original and fascinating analysis of Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, and military music enables the reader to understand music through the experiences of listeners, performers, and institutions. The Necessity of Music demonstrates that playing, experiencing, and interpreting music was a powerful factor that shaped German collective life.
Music practice arguments in families are seemingly so ubiquitous that it's become a trope used in sitcoms. But it doesn't have to be this way. Your child can have a wonderful experience with music and you can enjoy watching their progress without it becoming a battlefield. In Practice Pie, I'll teach you how to support your child in their musical journey. I can't promise it will be as easy as pie (but then, is pie really easy?) but I can promise to make it quick and practical, with a little humour thrown in for good measure. You signed your child up for lessons because you wanted them to enjoy and appreciate music. You deserve a taste of that fun, too. Let's get baking so we can take a bite of some delicious music practice pie! What Teachers Are Saying... "Learning to play an instrument takes practice and learning to practice takes practice. Nicola Cantan's 'Practice Pie' is the perfect recipe for showing parents how to create tasty practice sessions at home with their children." Shelly Davis Piano Parent Podcast, pianoparentpodcast.com
Reclaim your attention, productivity, and happiness with this “captivating, informative and beautifully written” book by learning how to keep your focus on one familiar task at a time (Nate Berkus). Modern life is full of to-do lists, all-consuming technology and the constant pressure to be doing and striving for more. What if you could train your brain to focus on one thing at a time? What if the secret to better productivity involved doing less, not more? Drawing on research in psychology, neuroscience, and mindfulness, The Twelve Monotasks provides a clear and accessible plan for life in the twenty-first century. Practice resisting distractions and building focus by doing the things you already do—like reading, sleeping, eating, and listening—with renewed attention. For example, the next time you go for a walk, don’t try to run an errand or squeeze in a phone call, but instead, notice the cool breeze on your face and the plants and birds that may cross your path. Immerse yourself in the activity and let time melt away, even if you’re only actually out for 20 minutes. Notice how much clearer your head feels when you return home. This is the magic of monotasking. With monotasking you will: Become more productive Produce higher quality work Reduce stress And increase happiness. Thatcher Wine’s The Twelve Monotasks will help you do one thing at a time, and do it well, so you can enjoy all of your life!
