The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan's first book of new writing since 2004's Chronicles: Volume One and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. Dylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers a master class on the art and craft of songwriting. He writes over sixty essays focusing on songs by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello, and in between ranging from Hank Williams to Nina Simone. He analyzes...

"An effective and inspiring guide to songwriting by prolific singer-songwriter Dar Williams. How to Write a Song That Matters is an invaluable guide to writing music by a woman who knows how to do it and do it well: iconic singer-songwriter, Dar Williams. For years now, Williams has led songwriting retreats for musicians, from beginners to professionals, in which she elevates the process of songwriting over the assessment of the product. This book...

A comprehensive course for beginning and experienced songwriters includes cogent advice on how to write the always-popular genres--from the country song to ska--as well as how to find a song concept, distill the hook, choose a form, add harmony, and select rhythm. An appendix features tips on how to copyright, computerize, notate, record, and sell your song.

"For more than twenty-five years, All you need to know about the music business has been regarded as the definitive guide to the music industry. Now in its tenth edition, Donald Passman leads novices and experts alike through what has been the most profound change in the music business since the days of wax cylinders and piano rolls: streaming. For the first time in history, music is no longer monetized by selling something--it's monetized by how...

"From the Grammy nominated folk singer and songwriter, an inspiring exploration of creativity and the redemptive power of song. Mary Gauthier was twelve years old when she was given her Aunt Jenny's old guitar and taught herself to play with a Mel Bay basic guitar workbook. Music offered her a window to a world where others felt the way she did. Songs became lifelines to her, and she longed to write her own, one day. Then, for a decade, while struggling...

Whispering Pines is the first comprehensive history of Canada's immense songwriting legacy, from Gordon Lightfoot to Joni Mitchell. Canadian songwriters have always struggled to create work that reflects the environment in which they were raised, while simultaneously connecting with a mass audience. For most of the 20th century, that audience lay outside Canada, making the challenge that much greater. While nearly every songwriter who successfully...

Musical historians Phillippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon delve deep into the history and musical origins of every Beatles album, recounting the circumstances that led to the composition of each song, the recording process and the instruments used.

For the first time ever, and to help celebrate his 90th birthday in 2023, American icon Willie Nelson provides the stories behind the lyrics of 160 of his favorite songs, along with a dynamic assortment of never-before-seen photos and ephemera. From his earliest work in the 1950s to today, Willie looks back at the songs that have defined his career, from his days of earning $50 each to his biggest hits, from his less well-known songs (but incredibly...

Advertising executive Harvey Nash, a famed womanizer, returns to his fiancée, 30 years after walking out on her. Still single, Adele Dobbin lives with two unmarried sisters and the result is a ménage à quatre, plus all the other women in his life.

"The art of noise offers an unprecedented collection of insightful, of-the-moment conversations with twenty-seven of the great songwriters. They discuss everything from their individual approaches to writing, to the inspiration behind their most successful songs, to the techniques and methods they have independently developed to foster their creativity. Contributors include: Sting, Ray Davies, Robin Gibb, Jimmy Page, Joan Armatrading, Noel Gallagher,...