Musician's Paradise

February 02, 2013

Remember the 70s? Remember the 80s? How about the 780s?

I am talking about the "musician's paradise" that can be found at your local library--resources that are free to both the music lover and the musician, struggling or otherwise.

For the music lovers:

Want to know how Mick Jagger got to be the bad boy who's still on top at 70 years old? Check out his book The Wild Life And Mad Genius of Jagger.
 
Want to know the story behind Jay-Z's rise to stardom? Read Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office.
 
Elvis, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Madonna, Johnny Cash, Lionel Richie, Mozart, Broadway, The Grand Ole Opry, Classical, Jazz, Blues, Hip Hop, Soul, Pop, Bluegrass and of course – Rock & Roll. We've got it all!

There is no shortage of books written on any given genre or musical persona at the Library. At the North Independence Branch, there are 50 shelves devoted to music, related topics, and musicians. And that's just the print resources. We'll cover the rest in a minute.
 
Want to know the lyrics to Y.M.C.A. so you can sing along as you bust a move? Check the 782 section of our nonfiction collection for The 1970's: Complete Lyrics for Over 175 Songs. There is a book like this for every decade, from the 50s to the 2000s.
 
Ladies, are you planning an upcoming wedding and want everything (including the music) to be perfect? Check out The Bride's Guide To Wedding Music in the 781s. You can pick out the songs you want and show the sheet music for every song to your musicians of choice, from string quartets to pop wedding singers and bands.

Feeling ambitious and have a weekend (or several) to kill? Check out Rock On: The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Rock N' Roll in the 78's. Clocking in at 722 pages, Volume 1 - The Solid Gold Years should be a good start.
 
Not only can you read about the music, but our audio and visual sections can complete the picture. We have a wide range of CDs that are available for checkout. you can also take home videos of live performances that give you the experience and spare you the expense of a concert ticket or overpriced concessions.
 
For the actual musicians themselves:

The Library has sheet music and lyrics for every genre, going back to the 1920s. They have both traditional sheet music as well as the recent guitar tablature type (known as "tab") that I have personally found most helpful since I can't read sheet music.
 
Besides the concert videos mentioned above, there are plenty of "how to"  videos to teach you any style on any instrument you care to learn. A picture diagram (or film) is worth a thousand words when learning something new and "hands on."
 
The first guitar instruction book I learned from is Mel Bay’s Modern Guitar Method - Grade 1. The updated version also includes a CD and DVD. I’m sure my guitar teacher would be quite jealous.

There are also books detailing what to look for when purchasing an instrument, as well as collector's value guides with information on instruments you may already own.
 
Did I mention the cost of all these marvelous resources? That's the best part - it's all free to access with a library card. You can find me quite frequently in "Musician's Paradise"-conveniently located in the 780s of your local library.

Rock on, my friend, rock on.
 
Bob P.
North Independence Branch