Ethnic & International Books

Lili Marlene: The Soldiers' Song of World War II

Liel Leibovitz, Matthew Miller

Amazon Price: $17.13 List Price: $25.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W.W. Norton & Co. Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $17.13

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Subjects -> History -> Military -> World War II -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The dramatic story of an iconic love song, its three creators, and their lives under the Nazis.

"Lili Marlene," the unlikely anthem of World War II, cut across front lines and ideological divides, uniting soldiers across the globe. This love song, telling the story of a young woman waiting for her lover to return from the battlefield, began as a poem written by a German soldier during World War I. The soldier-poet's words found their way to Berlin's decadent cabaret scene in the 1930s, where they were set to music by one of Hitler's favored composers. The song's singer, however, soon found herself torn between her desire for fame and a personal hatred of the Nazi regime. In a gripping and suspenseful narrative, the three artists' remarkable stories of arrests and close calls intertwine with the recollections of soldiers on all sides who fought their way through deserts and towns, seeking solace and finding hope in "Lili Marlene."

The Definitive Christmas Collection 3rd Edition

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Comprehensive collection of holiday music 4 out of 5 stars.
20 of 21 people found this review helpful.

This book contains 126 songs (sheet music) for the December holiday season (predominantly Christmas). Although it lacks a few of the ones I was looking for, it contains not only the most popular songs, but some I'm not familiar with. The arrangement of the music in this book appears to be the originally written version instead of a chopped up, simplified, or edited version that is presented in some sheet music books. Presented for piano, vocal, and guitar.

Editorial Review:

Revised with even more Christmas classics, this must-have 3rd edition contains 127 top songs, such as: Away in a Manger * Blue Christmas * The Chipmunk Song * Christmas Time Is Here * Do They Know It's Christmas * Do You Hear What I Hear * Feliz Navidad * The First Noel * The Greatest Gift of All * Happy Holiday * He * A Holly Jolly Christmas * Jingle-Bell Rock * Little Saint Nick * Merry Christmas, Darling * Mister Santa * My Favorite Things * O Holy Night * Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer * Santa, Bring My Baby Back (To Me) * Silent Night * Silver and Gold * We Need a Little Christmas * You're All I Want for Christmas * and more!

Set Your Voice Free: How To Get The Singing Or Speaking Voice You Want

Roger Love, Donna Frazier

Amazon Price: $10.87 List Price: $15.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Little, Brown and Company Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $4.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Out of date information. Be careful with this one 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book second hand. It is full of the sort of out of date information that I sort of expected from the welter of self publication that surrounds it.

There has been an extraordinary amount of voice research published in the last 25 years, and that which does not support the central premisis of this book doesn't surface in the text.

The vocal folds simply do not zip up to provide pitch transitions. I have asked the authors for a reference to stroboscopic evidence of the zipping of the folds and I never got an answer. This is because the vocal folds don't zip up. They elongate to produce higher pitches.

And what is more, the larynx rises with pitch change. It's a natural response to the the pitch - just try it yourself. Put your hand around your throat and say mmmmmm moving the pitch up and down and feel the movement that has happened in your larynx since birth.

Read about it these and other voice issues on the NATS website where there are lots of informed articles on voice. You may decide you want something a bit less personality centred and rather more accurate.

Editorial Review:

For anyone who wants to turn his dreams of singing into reality, for anyone who is self-conscious about speaking or singing in public, for anyone who hates the sound of her own voice on the answering machines - SET YOUR VOICE FREE offers the solution. With innovative techniques and enjoyable exercises that have worked wonders with his professional clients, the internationally acclaimed vocal coach, Roger Love, demonstrates how to carry a tune, expand vocal range, and speak with ease, confidence, and effectiveness.The accompanying CD takes the reader step-by-step through essential breathing exercises and vocal routines.

Music: An Appreciation

Roger Kamien

List Price: $106.05 By: Mcgraw-Hill College Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $241.74

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

great shape just as promised fast shipping 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 16 people found this review helpful.

would buy from again everything just as promised and recieved book fast

A Good Overview of Music in Context 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book does a good job of putting music in an overall historical context. For example, it notes how Baroque productions, whether sculpture or music, meant to "fill space." That accounts for elaborate melodies in music, and movement in painting and sculpture.

Music used to be written as much for the mind as the ear. In some vocal pieces, lyrics correspond to melody. For example, if the word "ascending" is used in the song, the notes of the melody also go up. Vice-versa for descending. If the song mentions one person, a single voice is used--three voices come in when three people are in the storyline.

The musical selections are varied and enjoyable to listen to.

Editorial Review:

When it comes to writing a text for non-music majors, Kamien knows the score. With the care you would expect from the concert pianist he is, Kamien introduces the musical elements and repertoire thoroughly and clearly, without assumptions of prior knowledge but also without condescension. As a teacher at Queens (NY) College, Kamien developed the concept of the Listening Outline, which he incorporated into the first edition of Music: An Appreciation and which he has refined and enhanced in every subsequent edition. This is a text with which students of all levels and backgrounds can feel comfortable.

Flamenco Guitar Method Volume 1: Book/CD/DVD Pack

Gerhard Graf-Martinez

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Progressively Wonderful 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I started with this DVD two months after I started playing the guitar. I found the DVD very helpful, and kind to myself as an ultra beginner (although I do read music).

PROS:
*Martinez plays a song in its original speed; then, with tabs and music available to the viewer, he plays it much slower.

*The DVD starts with easy techniques, working its way to more difficult ones. The techniques are shown in regular speed, then a much slower speed.

*The camera gives close-up angles of right-hand techniques.

*Tabs are available.

*After a technique, a song follows using only that technique.

*A highlighted bar moves across the music showing where Martinez is playing. This also serves somewhat as a metronome.

*Great songs

*Wide range of techniques introduced and explained.

CONS:
*The translator for Martinez sounds a bit awkward; nonetheless, every word translated is very comprehensible.

*Sometimes the tabulature (i.e. the actual numbers themselves) is hard to read.

*Rarely is there a close-up on the fingering hand of Martinez.


Overall: I cannot recommend this DVD enough for beginners--it has been immeasurably helpful for me, and has turned me into an intermediate player.

Editorial Review:

Gerhard Graf-Martinez is a passionate flamenco guitarist and teacher. The wealth of his knowledge is captured in this two-volume work, which also reflects valuable experience gained from his activities as a tutor at national and international seminars and workshops. The CD included with volume 1 contains all the pieces and musical examples for Volumes 1 and 2. Besides being a pure pleasure to listen to "Flamenco puro," it also conveys the authentic sound and the pulsating "compas" of this music. This is the only way to learn to play the music properly yourself. The DVD will take you to the passionate world of Flamenco, and you will quickly immerse yourself in this Spanish musical phenomenon.

How to Play Djembe (Book/CD set)

Alan L. Dworsky & Betsy Sansby, Alan Dworsky, Betsy Sansby

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Dancing Hands Music Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $9.78

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Book is great, CD is pretty good 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As a beginner I find the book to be very good, it breaks everything down and gives you steps to learn the patterns. I would give the book a 5 star rating.
The CD is pretty good. The first song, Kuku, is easy to play along with as are some of the others. But on some of the songs, the patterns are played too fast, and I could not keep up, I even had trouble hearing all the drum beats. It would have been very helpful to me if the patterns were played more slowly at first.
The final 5 tracks, Jaguar at Half Moon Lake (parts 1-5), are nice, there is music, singing and drumming. But, I would have preferred something in the style of what was taught in the book, maybe even the same songs that were taught with a full drum circle.

Editorial Review:

This book is a complete, step-by-step, user friendly course on how to play djembe. Right from the start, in addition to learning how to make all the basic strokes, you'll be learning interlocking parts for some of the most popular West African rhythms; Kuku, Djole, Kassa, Madan, Suku, Sunguru Bani and Thiba. After working through only a few lessons, you'll be able to put the parts together and start playing these irresistible rhythms with your friends. The rhythms are written in simple charts, so no music reading is required. The CD that comes with the book gives you a chance to hear how each part sounds separately and how the parts for each rhythm fit together. It was recorded by John Camara, a master drummer from Bamako, Mali. Each rhythm lasts at least five minutes, so you'll have plenty of time to play along. And when John solos during the final three minutes of each track, you'll feel the thrill of playing your part along with an ensemble and lead drummer.

Christmas Carols: Complete Verses (Dover Thrift Editions)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Perfect for caroling 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I bought 30 copies of this book several years ago and they are now a regular part of our Christmas holiday. They have carolled around many neighborhoods. Great for groups caroling or just singing around the piano. It has lyrics only (alas), but for the price, this little 64-page book can be indispensable if you're putting a group sing together.

Solid Christmas source 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Christmas carols are among the oldest of holiday traditions, stretching back centuries with songs about celebrations, Christ's birth, and cold snowy nights. Dover Thrift's "Christmas Carols: Complete Verses" is a solid resource for anyone who can't remember that second verse of "Angels We Have Heard On High."

Shane Weller collects many traditional Christmas carols, both secular ("Jingle Bells") and religious ("Joy To the World"). He includes old favorites like "The Twelve Days of Christmas," which is almost impossible to remember every verse of, the bouncy "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," and the solemn balladic "Silent Night."

However, Weller doesn't just stick to well-known favorites. He also dips into a large store of lesser-known carols such as "Good King Wenceslas" -- sure, people know the first first four or five lines, but what comes after that? Anyway, the lesser-known, richly traditional carols include the lullaby-like "Coventry Carol," the enchanting part-Latin "The Snow Lay on the Ground," and the enchanting "Wassail Song."

The real gems of this collection are, in fact, the much older traditional carols -- they can be just as catchy as the more recent ones ("Here we come a-wassailing/Among the leaves so green,/Here we come a wand'ring,/So fair to be seen"). And not all of the most recent ones as well known, such as Christina Rossetti's "In the Bleak Midwinter," a carol/poem she wrote for a newspaper.

While the book is of the cheap quality -- rather slimy paper and cover -- needed to keep the price affordable, a few flourishes are given to it, like cute little holly decorations over the songs. The songs are arranged alphabetically, which is either good or bad -- good for finding them quickly, bad for singing all in order.

"Christmas Carols: Complete Verses" is a surprisingly good selection of carols, old and new, well-known and obscure. What they all have in common is a rich holiday atmosphere. Definitely worth getting.

Editorial Review:

A caroler's delight: complete lyrics for over 50 of the most popular and beloved Christmas songs: Away in a Manger, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, O Come, All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, Silent Night, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and many more. The perfect companion for the holiday season.

Play the Songs That Inspired Mamma MIA!

Abba

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Warner Brothers - Model: Warner Brothers Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $9.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great sheet music 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful sheet music-just a joy to play. I've been playing piano for about 8 years (about 2 very seriously) and this book was still a good challenge. The arrangement isn't annoyingly jumpy or easy-it is simply hard to play the songs at a fast tempo with the left hand. In comparison with other sheet music, it is a little higher than "RENT" and "Footlose". All the main songs are here, and great value (the book has like 20 songs for a great price).

Editorial Review:

Warner Bros. Publications releases the long-awaited folio of selections from the hit musical Mamma Mia!, the show that has been enthralling audiences since its world premiere in 1999. Based on the music from the ever-popular Swedish pop group ABBA, the show uses great hits such as "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me," "Voulez-Vous," and "Mamma Mia" to tell three wonderful love stories of family and friends on the mythical Greek island. The show's creators are actual members from the group: Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Complete with eight pages of color photos, this folio is a must-have for every ABBA fan. Titles include: Dancing Queen, Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie!, Mamma Mia, Honey, Honey, The Name of the Game, Super Trouper, Thank You for the Music, S.O.S., The Winner Takes It All and many more.

The Best Praise & Worship Songs Ever (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook)

Hal Leonard Corporation

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great (even for guitar) 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I originally bought this as a gift for my wife who plays piano. I can play easy piano, but I am also learning guitar. I found that it has simple enough keys that I can either play them straight or transpose them to play and sing.

It has a good selection of Praise and Worship songs over the last 25-30 years. If you like this, you might also consider the Best Hymns and Best Contemporary Christian books in this easy piano series. I think the Hymns book is about the same, or easier than this book. I haven't bought the Cont. Christian Songs book (yet) because it looks a little harder.

The print is large, easy to read. Excellent for young and old alike. I ordered this sight unseen and was very pleased with the purchase.

Great music book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This music book has a lot of songs, the music is well written and easy to read.

Editorial Review:

80 all-time favorites: Awesome God • Breathe • Days of Elijah • Here I Am to Worship • I Could Sing of Your Love Forever • Open the Eyes of My Heart • Shout to the Lord • We Bow Down • dozens more.

Music as Medicine

Nawang Khechog

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Like a master calligrapher, Tibetan flutist Nawang Khechog deploys his flute with an economy of line and texture. Music as Medicine is the latest offering from Khechog, who has recorded with synthesist Kitaro and Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai and last year cocomposed the score to the acclaimed documentary Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion. On this album, he sets his flute up in gentle duets with Nakai and violinist Sandra Wong. Nawang and Nakai have been working together for years and their rapport is a study in nuance as they intertwine lines and play with space on "Harmony in Balance" and "Zen Blues." Music as Medicine is destined for your neighborhood yoga and massage studios, but listen a little deeper. Even though Khechog succumbs to pedestrian synthesizer pads on a few tracks like "Meditation," there's more here than soothing sounds and gentle ministrations. In a more innocent manner, Khechog is sculpting a profound psychological landscape similar to those of Stephan Micus and Meredith Monk. Like those artists, he has a sound that cuts directly to the source. --John Diliberto