(Amadeus). President of The Juilliard School and then of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts during the years 1945-1968, Schuman (1910-1992) was an "artistic catalyst" who was instrumental in shaping how America perceived and supported music, dance and drama in the second half of the twentieth century. His influence as an arts administrator, educator and composer caused him to be considered at one time as "probably the most powerful figure in the world of art music." Complex, driven, and filled with a confident optimism that characterized America at the time, Schuman thought of himself as "a part of many different worlds." Those worlds included his life as a composer of more than one hundred works in orchestral, choral, chamber, and operatic settings. His music has been characterized as "full of American directness in its vibrant rhythms and brilliant orchestrations." This first-ever complete biography of Schuman brings the many threads of his life together within the context of the personalities and events that shaped how we experience the arts in America in the twenty-first century.

In January 2015 Dick and Angel Strawbridge embarked on the journey of a lifetime when they swapped their cosy two-bedroom flat in East London for a derelict chateau with 12 acres of land in the Loire valley. Where Sunday Times bestseller A Year At The Chateau told the entertaining and heartwarming beginning of the family's French adventure, as they found their forever home and began to restore and renovate the dilapidated castle, Living The Chateau Dream is about the years of hard graft that followed. Dick and Angel leapt into action transforming Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson into both a thriving family home and a sustainable business, and began making their dream of rural life in a fairytale castle a reality. From throwing open the shutters to new suites to exploring the walled garden, launching their wedding business and hosting guests for food lover weekends, no stone was left unturned. From the day-to-day tasks like installing a lift to the beginnings of lifelong traditions and memories such as investigating the seasonal delights of the surroundings and having a family sleepover on the moat, this much-anticipated follow-up includes many firsts for the Strawbridge family. As Dick and Angel recount stories of the renovations that took place over the next four years at the chateau, we start to understand the true extent of the work and skill that it has taken to make this incredible house into a much-loved home. With stories of remarkable discoveries and unexpected challenges, amazing transformations and once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, this book is sure to delight, entertain and inspire fans in equal measure.

Memories of You is a compilation of author Veta Gardner's recollections of her marriage with The Coaster's lead singer Carl Gardner. She tells of his early days struggling to be discovered as an artist, his successes, and their life together on the road with The Coasters. They had 17 wonderful years before tragedies began to complicate their lives. Last year Veta lost Carl to devastating illnesses and, in Memories of You, she shares that emotional journey.

A breathtakingly candid memoir by Joanna "JoJo" Levesque, the chart-topping, multi-platinum recording artist behind hits like 'Leave (Get Out),' 'Too Little, Too Late', and the Grammy Award-winning 'Say So'.

Signed to a major recording deal at just twelve years old, JoJo catapulted to the top of the pop-and-R&B-infused charts in the mid 2000's. The relatability of her youth and the appeal of her cool-girl mystique earned her millions of fans around the world. JoJo was an undeniable superstar and pop culture fixture, spanning roles in major studio films, omnipresence on Top 40 radio, frequenting magazine covers, and appearing on national TV. Then, out of the blue, everything came to a halt and JoJo seemingly stepped out of the spotlight, leaving many fans to wonder: What happened to JoJo?

In Over the Influence, JoJo holds nothing back as she brings her against-the-odds story of adversity and triumph to center stage. From being raised by parents who were both battling addiction and depression, to emerging victorious in a never-ending lawsuit with her record label, to putting the fragmented pieces of herself together after a maddening period of rebellion and self-betrayal, she takes the reader through the turbulent years that led her to where she is now: releasing new music under her own imprint, performing in shows and festivals around the world, headlining a Broadway show, and beyond. In this raw, behind-the-scenes look at her life, both personal and professional, JoJo’s unflinching vulnerability allows readers to connect with her on a whole new level through stories of success, heartbreak, redemption, and resilience.

More than a victory lap from an artist with over two decades in an ever-changing entertainment industry, Over the Influence is an unapologetic rallying cry to anyone who’s ever been terrified to fail and still said, 'Count me in.'

In "Staying Happy, Healthy and Hot," author Dick Summer introduces us to his brand new "Louie Louie Generation." Louie Louie Ladies and Lads don't look like the people in the beer commercials with their fancy abs and perky breasts any more. But like their theme song, they have an avalanche of "attitude." It's a happy attitude. And as you know, being happy helps keep you healthy. And when you're healthy you tend to be hot.

"Staying Happy, Healthy And Hot" is a collection of true stories about Dick Summer's life as a husband, a father, a grandfather, and just an every day guy. There are stories about his days as a national broadcasting personality, his career as a hypnotherapist and his passion for flying his airplane. But mostly it tells about his long, hot romance with his wife Barbara, or as he calls her, "My Lady Wonder Wench."

With humor and candor, this memoir shows how one man refuses to allow all the candles on his birthday cake to set off any sprinkler system that could put out the fire in his love affair with life, and with his wife.

In the winter of 1964, three weeks after defecting from Poland and the night after playing a flashy holiday performance with the Rockettes at Radio City, Leshek Zavistovski was arrested and faced deportation to a gulag. His troubles started, however, long before he was a fugitive cellist behind bars. As a four-year-old child he was abandoned in a remote Polish village, kidnapped, and swept into the advancing Red Army. Thus his perils began. "Children and Fish Don't Talk" is more than Leshek's dramatic story. He recounts in thrilling detail his father's defiance against the Nazis in the Warsaw Uprising, the ghastly deeds of Cossacks and the Soviet KGB, the hilarious antics of a foreigner at the height of McCarthyism, the vibrant world of the Metropolitan Opera in the 1960s, his elderly mother's foxy attempt to crush the Iron Curtain with homemade posters and glue, and numerous encounters with Polish sausage. It is a breathtaking tale of survival, taking readers from the poverty of post-war Poland to the lavish dinner tables of America's rich and famous, an adventure as harrowing as it is funny. And that's because it's true. Cellist and sculptor Leshek Zavistovski was born in Warsaw, Poland on the eve of World War II and became the youngest member of the Warsaw National Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Monique Zavistovski is a filmmaker raised on the edge of the Sleepy Hollow woods. Her work has won awards worldwide, including at Sundance and the Emmys. Fulbright scholar and violinist Toni Rapport Zavistovski recorded for Warsaw Radio with W adys aw Szpilman, the subject of Roman Polanski's Oscar-winning film "The Pianist," and was Assistant Principal Violin of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Index, Glossary, Bibliography.

Go beyond the music with the most comprehensive exploration of the life and career of international megastar Taylor Swift

The Taylor Book is the ultimate guide to a generation-defining pop sensation, packed with stunning images and all the context you need to fully immerse yourself in the Swiftiverse.

From her humble beginnings as a teen country artist to her record-obliterating Eras tour, Taylor Swift is a supernova that shows no sign of burning out. The Taylor Book explores the life of an icon, including:
Expert analysis of every album and Taylor’s Version, including The Tortured Poets Department
in-depth exploration of Taylor’s most beloved songs and music videos
Breakdowns of Taylor’s notorious Easter Eggs, helping fans explain the secret messaging she slips into every album
Exploration of the songwriting process and genre experimentation
Iconic fashion moments from each era
Exquisite images spanning Taylor’s entire career
A look at Taylor’s work beyond the music, from her acting credits and fandom to her relationships and politics
And much more!

Many Classical music lovers are familiar with George Frideric Handel's famous oratorio, "Messiah," but are not aware his preferred area of composition was Italian opera seria. Biographical books explore his career as an opera composer and the rise of the new pious genre when Italian opera was no longer popular in London, but rarely do we find detailed accounts or discussions on that tempestuous period in the 1730s when this shift in populaity forced Handel to leave the Haymarket theatre and join with John Rich at Covent Garden where he tried to carry on the Royal Academy opera company in competition with the new Opera of the Nobility venture founded by the Prince of Wales before he was finally forced to abandon opera in favour of oratorio. This book explores this rocky transition period and how it affected Handel's work, namely, his inclusion of French elements to his operas and other novel innovations in order to regain his chagrined public. There are discussions exploring the possibility Handel was his own worse enemy with regards to his business decisions as impresario-composer, alienating the Italians of London and his public, which nearly cost him his career. A fascinating study for Handel admirers.

..". There were so many details raised and questions asked which make the reader really excited and interested in the period and what was happening. ... There are many, many details which just suddenly bring home to you, 'My goodness, (opera production) was different in those days ' ... There are many things that jumped out of this book at me ..." - David Adams, 'Into the Evening', Lyric FM Classical Music Radio Ireland

An influential twentieth-century Spanish composer, Manuel de Falla continues to generate interest as well as controversy. This biography and guide to the available literature on Falla presents the complexities of Falla while underscoring the importance of careful investigation into the often conflicting evidence surrounding his life and his musical compositions. The author has compiled a substantial amount of biographic material, much of it from primary sources housed in the Archivo Manuel de Falla at Granada. The comprehensive bibliographical material provides valuable new musicological discoveries and previously unknown compositions. Musicologists, Falla researchers, and those with an interest in Spanish contemporary music will appreciate the wealth of information researched and presented in this one volume. Included are bibliographic material from around the globe, doctoral dissertations, expositions, and press clippings. The biography offers excerpts from Falla's contemporaries. The discography includes important performances by Falla and others, as well as the most recent recordings. Falla is presented in his varied, complex guises.

Fanny Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1805-1847), like her younger brother Felix, demonstrated prodigious musical talent as a child. In their youth, Fanny and Felix were inseparable friends; they encouraged each other, collaborated in musical endeavors, and received the same education and training from distinguished tutors. But as an adolescent, Fanny was told by her father that her role as a woman was to concern herself with her home and that music could be only secondary, even though she had become a remarkable pianist and composer. She married Wilhelm Hensel, a respected portrait painter who encouraged her musical talents. Fulfilling her domestic role as wife and as mother of their son, Sebastian, she continued to compose - principally lieder - and to organize concerts in her home that became an integral part of the Berlin musical scene. Her talents were warmly received during a journey to Italy, particularly by Gounod, who heard her play from memory the music of Bach, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. At forty years of age Fanny finally went against the orders of her father and of Felix and published her compositions. She had just begun to receive critical praise when she died suddenly at the age of forty-two. Her death was a devastating blow to Felix, who survived her by barely six months. This book, originally published in French in 1992, is the first and only authoritative biography of Fanny Mendelssohn and contains a complete list of her published compositions. Set against the backdrop of a privileged life in Berlin in the early nineteenth century, Francoise Tillard's vivid portrait describes an exceptional artist - she left behind four hundred works - who could have held her own among thegreatest if she had not been prohibited from venturing into the professional world.

James Vincent is a "world class" musician. That he is not a household name is entirely by his choice, yet almost all who have seen him perform or heard his recordings have become his fans. He has written a unique, brutally honest account of his life... his childhood and discovery of the guitar; his going on the road at seventeen to play in seedy dives and military service clubs; later, in famous upscale clubs across the country; then making records and playing huge concert venues. James gives us an inside look at the recording industry... the studios, the performers, producers and promoters. He gives us behind the scenes insights into many famous personalities... names like Santana, Garcia, Harrison and Cetera, and acknowledges some unsung heroes in the music world. His cast of characters includes the very rich and the down and out, the saint and the prostitute, the famous, the infamous and the very bizarre. This is a story about learning the hard way; about dysfunctional families, choices and consequences, lust, infidelity, despair, triumph, tragedy, friendship and betrayal. Most of all, it is a life's journey to discover the meaning of unconditional love and spiritual fulfillment. It is indeed, an odyssey. -R.J.M.