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Making Time for Making Music: How to Bring Music into Your Busy Life
Are you a former music-maker who yearns to return to music, but aren't sure where to begin? Or are you a person who never played music as a child but you are now curious about trying? You're not alone. Many adults who used to play an instrument haven't touched it in years because either they can't find the time to practice, are afraid their skills are too rusty, or are unsure of what kind of group they could join. Others are afraid to sing or start playing an instrument because they received negative feedback from childhood experiences. Performing, practicing, and composing music may seem like unattainable goals with insurmountable obstacles for busy adults with non-musical careers.
Making Time for Making Music can help adults find ways to make music part of their lives. The first book of its kind, it is filled with real-life success stories from more than 350 adults who manage to fit music-making into their jam-packed schedules. They polished rusty skills, found musical groups to join, and are having a great time. Their testimonies prove that you are never too old to learn to make music, and that there are numerous musical paths to explore. Featuring advice from dozens of music educators, health care professionals, and music researchers who point out that making music can even be good for your health as well as an extensive resource list of websites, organizations, and summer programs, this book offers inspiration and tried-and-true strategies for anyone who wishes to return to music-making or begin as an adult.
Making Time for Making Music can help adults find ways to make music part of their lives. The first book of its kind, it is filled with real-life success stories from more than 350 adults who manage to fit music-making into their jam-packed schedules. They polished rusty skills, found musical groups to join, and are having a great time. Their testimonies prove that you are never too old to learn to make music, and that there are numerous musical paths to explore. Featuring advice from dozens of music educators, health care professionals, and music researchers who point out that making music can even be good for your health as well as an extensive resource list of websites, organizations, and summer programs, this book offers inspiration and tried-and-true strategies for anyone who wishes to return to music-making or begin as an adult.
292 pages, Paperback
Published May 22, 2018
About the author
Amy Nathan
37 books11 followersMy books cover a wide range of topics, from women's history to dance to allowances to how to make practicing a musical instrument — or doing homework — less of a hassle.
However, all my books have something in common: They introduce you to amazing people whose stories have inspired me and, I hope, will spur you to keep following your dreams, no matter what kinds of obstacles may pop up from time to time that may seem to block your way. These people found ways around the obstacles they encountered. They all have fascinating stories to tell. I'm glad to have had a chance to get to know them so I can share their stories and ideas with you through my books.
With many of the people I write about, I was lucky enough to be able to interview them. I love interviewing people, speaking with them to find out more about what they like to do, how they've handled the different challenges they've faced in their lives, and what advice they have for kids today. I also love reading about people who lived long ago, something I did for COUNT ON US, which tells the story of women who pitched in to defend the nation from the Revolutionary War on. As a kid growing up in Baltimore, my favorite books were biographies and historical fiction. I remember walking down to my neighborhood branch library every week during the summers after fifth, sixth and seventh grades, to check out yet another biography. I also enjoyed seeing plays as a kid, and acting in them too sometimes, which is another great way to see the world from another person’s point of view.
I've learned so much from the people I've written about in my books. I hope their stories — and the advice they have for young people — will help you with challenges you might face. Such people as:
** Astonishing dancers from top ballet and modern dance companies, several of whom didn’t have the stereotypical classical ballet body type, but who still managed to find their way to in the world of dance (you can find out about them in MEET THE DANCERS);
** Outstanding musicians of the New York Philharmonic who, amazingly enough, didn't always like to practice when they were kids and have advice for kids today who may feel that way, too (MEET THE MUSICIANS);
** Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and other classical and jazz soloists, many of whom took a while as kids to get into the groove of regular practicing until they discovered for themselves the joy and the fun of music-making (THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S SURVIVAL GUIDE);
** Gutsy female pilots who flew fighter planes for the Army in World War II when that was definitely not something most people thought a woman should do (YANKEE DOODLE GALS & COUNT ON US);
** A courageous young woman who stood up for her rights at a lonely bus stop in North Carolina back in the summer of 1952, doing her part in the face of grave danger to help bring about the end of the Jim Crow era (TAKE A SEAT-MAKE A STAND);
** Some mighty clever kids who found ways to make homework less of a chore and uncovered the secret to getting a raise in their allowance THE KIDS' ALLOWANCE BOOK & SURVIVING HOMEWORK).
However, all my books have something in common: They introduce you to amazing people whose stories have inspired me and, I hope, will spur you to keep following your dreams, no matter what kinds of obstacles may pop up from time to time that may seem to block your way. These people found ways around the obstacles they encountered. They all have fascinating stories to tell. I'm glad to have had a chance to get to know them so I can share their stories and ideas with you through my books.
With many of the people I write about, I was lucky enough to be able to interview them. I love interviewing people, speaking with them to find out more about what they like to do, how they've handled the different challenges they've faced in their lives, and what advice they have for kids today. I also love reading about people who lived long ago, something I did for COUNT ON US, which tells the story of women who pitched in to defend the nation from the Revolutionary War on. As a kid growing up in Baltimore, my favorite books were biographies and historical fiction. I remember walking down to my neighborhood branch library every week during the summers after fifth, sixth and seventh grades, to check out yet another biography. I also enjoyed seeing plays as a kid, and acting in them too sometimes, which is another great way to see the world from another person’s point of view.
I've learned so much from the people I've written about in my books. I hope their stories — and the advice they have for young people — will help you with challenges you might face. Such people as:
** Astonishing dancers from top ballet and modern dance companies, several of whom didn’t have the stereotypical classical ballet body type, but who still managed to find their way to in the world of dance (you can find out about them in MEET THE DANCERS);
** Outstanding musicians of the New York Philharmonic who, amazingly enough, didn't always like to practice when they were kids and have advice for kids today who may feel that way, too (MEET THE MUSICIANS);
** Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and other classical and jazz soloists, many of whom took a while as kids to get into the groove of regular practicing until they discovered for themselves the joy and the fun of music-making (THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S SURVIVAL GUIDE);
** Gutsy female pilots who flew fighter planes for the Army in World War II when that was definitely not something most people thought a woman should do (YANKEE DOODLE GALS & COUNT ON US);
** A courageous young woman who stood up for her rights at a lonely bus stop in North Carolina back in the summer of 1952, doing her part in the face of grave danger to help bring about the end of the Jim Crow era (TAKE A SEAT-MAKE A STAND);
** Some mighty clever kids who found ways to make homework less of a chore and uncovered the secret to getting a raise in their allowance THE KIDS' ALLOWANCE BOOK & SURVIVING HOMEWORK).
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May 12, 2019
Making Time for Making Music’s basic premise is that you don’t need to be a professional to make music a priority in your life or your otherwise busy schedule. To make this point, author and amateur musician Amy Nathan enlisted a large panel of other amateur music makers and documented their stories about why and how they make time to play an instrument, perfect their singing voice or perform with a local band, chorus or community orchestra. What resulted is a great resource for music makers of all skill levels and ages to use in order to find ways to continue honing their musical expertise or even to seek out others with whom to share their love of creating music. This book is filled with great advice, inspiring stories and many helpful leads for anyone who wants to bring the utter and complete joy of making music into their life.
Displaying 1 of 1 review