The one and only Zadie Smith, prize-winning, bestselling author of Swing Time and White Teeth, is back with a second unmissable collection of essays.

No subject is too fringe or too mainstream for Zadie Smith's insatiable curiosity. From social media to the environment, from Jay-Z to Karl Ove Knausgaard, she has endless enthusiasmand the boundless wit, insight and wisdom to match. In Feel Free, pop culture, high culture, social change and political debate all get the Zadie Smith treatment, dissected with razor-sharp intellect, set brilliantly against the context of the utterly contemporary, and considered with a deep humanity and compassion.

This electrifying new collection showcases its author as a true literary powerhouse, demonstrating once again her credentials as an essential voice of her generation.

Using musical examples from Bach to the Beatles, Levitin reveals the role of music in human evolution, shows how our musical preferences begin to form even before we are born and explains why music can offer such an emotional experience. Music is an obsession at the heart of human nature, even more fundamental to our species than language. In This Is Your Brain On Music Levitin offers nothing less than a new way to understand it, and its role in human life

The concept behind Ruth and Martin's Album Club is simple: make people listen to a classic album they've never heard, then ask them to review it. Compiled here are the blog's greatest hits, as well as some new and exclusive material, each entry boasting a comprehensive introduction by all-round music geek Martin Fitzgerald: Ian Rankin on Madonna's Madonna. J. K. Rowling on the Violent Femmes' Violent Femmes. Chris Addison on Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. Bonnie Greer on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Brian Koppelman on The Smiths' Meat Is Murder. Anita Rani on The Strokes' Is This It. Richard Osman on Roxy Music's For Your Pleasure. And many, many more.

Are your kids struggling with music theory? Do you wish you could help them learn how to read music? Help Your Kids With Music is what every frustrated parent needs. This invaluable guide covers all the core subjects needed to pass up to grade 5 music exams around the world, including melody, rhythm, chords and harmony, intervals, scales, and keys, styles and genres, and the instruments of the orchestra. Its unique visual approach, which uses simple, colourful illustrations and diagrams alongside a wide range of musical examples, allows parents and children to work together to understand even the trickiest concepts of music theory. Feature boxes on composers and musicians across a variety of styles and genres help children and parents learn and discover more about music, while guides to writing your own melody and harmonizing a song melody encourage budding composers to have a go at writing their own music. This book is also packed with musical examples, which you can listen to on the accompanying free audio app. Perfect for exam preparation, homework help, or learning to read music as part of learning an instrument, Help Your Kids With Music is a clear, accessible guide that will help parents and children understand even complex music theory and put it into practice with confidence.

ABRSM's official Music Theory Practice Papers are essential resources for candidates preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. They provide authentic practice materials and are a reliable guide to what to expect in the exam. These Grade 5 Practice Papers have been adapted from the 2017 Music Theory exam papers to include the new question types that will be in use from 2018. This collection contains four Grade 5 papers to work through. A set of corresponding Model Answers is available separately.

ABRSM's official Music Theory Practice Papers Grade 5 are essential resources for candidates preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. The new papers are selected from the 2018 Music Theory exam papers and reflect the new question types that have been in use for the first time this year. A set of corresponding Model Answers is available separately.

Master chord theory ... in minutes! The Chord Wheel is a revolutionary device that puts the most essential and practical applications of chord theory into your hands. This tool will help you: Improvise and Solo - Talk about chops! Comprehend key structure like never before; Transpose Keys - Instantly transpose any progression into each and every key; Compose Your Own Music - Watch your songwriting blossom! No music reading is necessary. "This is the kind of device that players of any instrument can use to enhance their musical understanding. Chord and key relationships are inseparable, and learning these relationships is a must in becoming a successful musician." - Alan Remington, Orange Coast College Music Dept.

ABRSM's official Music Theory Practice Papers are essential resources for candidates preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. They provide authentic practice materials and are a reliable guide to what to expect in the exam. These Grade 1 Practice Papers have been adapted from the 2017 Music Theory exam papers to include the new question types that will be in use from 2018. This collection contains four Grade 1 papers to work through. A set of corresponding Model Answers is available separately.

From Mozart to Mendelssohn, this comprehensive guide to classical music history and classical music biography is the perfect latest addition to the bestselling Big Ideas series. Easy to understand and clear to follow, this history of classical music explores and explains music theory and the impact of seminal pieces, while also providing fascinating stories about the lives of crucial composers and performers. Including an insightful foreword by Katie Derham, The Classical Music Book analyses over 90 works by famous composers. From Thomas Tallis in the early period to baroque masters like Bach and Handel, to the classical genius of Beethoven and Wagner and beyond to the modern day, The Classical Music Book explores the key ideas underpinning the world's greatest classical compositions and musical traditions, and defines their importance to the musical canon, placing them into their wider social, cultural, and historical context. The unique approach to the subject makes this book the perfect classical music guide for everyone. Regardless of whether you are relatively new to the subject and want to learn or if you are a classical music aficionado, there is plenty to discover in The Classical Music Book.

ABRSM's official Music Theory Practice Papers Grade 2 are essential resources for candidates preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. The new papers are selected from the 2018 Music Theory exam papers and reflect the new question types that have been in use for the first time this year. A set of corresponding Model Answers is available separately.

ABRSM's official Music Theory Practice Papers Grade 1 essential resources for candidates preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. The new papers are selected from the 2018 Music Theory exam papers and reflect the new question types that have been in use for the first time this year. A set of corresponding Model Answers is available separately.

Neville Cardus described how one majestic stroke-maker 'made music' and 'spread beauty' with his bat. Between two world wars, he became the laureate of cricket by doing the same with words. In The Great Romantic, award-winning author Duncan Hamilton demonstrates how Cardus changed sports journalism for ever. While popularising cricket - while appealing, in Cardus' words to people who 'didn't know a leg-break from the pavilion cat at Lord's'- he became a star in his own right with exquisite phrase-making, disdain for statistics and a penchant for literary and musical allusions. Among those who venerated Cardus were PG Wodehouse, John Arlott, Harold Pinter, JB Priestley and Don Bradman. However, behind the rhapsody in blue skies, green grass and colourful characters, this richly evocative biography finds that Cardus' mother was a prostitute, he never knew his father and he received negligible education. Infatuations with younger women ran parallel to a decidedly unromantic marriage. And, astonishingly, the supreme stylist's aversion to factual accuracy led to his reporting on matches he never attended. Yet Cardus also belied his impoverished origins to prosper in a second class-conscious profession, becoming a music critic of international renown. The Great Romantic uncovers the dark enigma within a golden age.

Born into poverty in Mississippi at the close of the nineteenth century, Charley Patton and Jimmie Rodgers established themselves among the most influential musicians of their era. In Tune tells the story of the parallel careers of these two pioneering recording artists-one white, one black-who moved beyond their humble origins to change the face of American music. At a time when segregation formed impassable lines of demarcation in most areas of southern life, music transcended racial boundaries. Jimmie Rodgers and Charley Patton drew inspiration from musical traditions on both sides of the racial divide, and their songs about hard lives, raising hell, and the hope of better days ahead spoke to white and black audiences alike. Their music reflected the era in which they lived but evoked a range of timeless human emotions. As the invention of the phonograph disseminated traditional forms of music to a wider audience, Jimmie Rodgers gained fame as the "Father of Country Music," while Patton's work eventually earned him the title "King of the Delta Blues." Patton and Rodgers both died young, leaving behind a relatively small number of recordings. Though neither remains well known to mainstream audiences, the impact of their contributions echoes in the songs of today. The first book to compare the careers of these two musicians, In Tune is a vital addition to the history of American music

ABRSM's official Model Answers are a useful resource for students and teachers preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. This Grade 5 collection contains answers for the four practice papers published in ABRSM's Music Theory Practice Papers 2018 (Grade 5), and should be used alongside them. This set of model answers features a list of correct answers, where appropriate, or a selection of likely options where the answer can be expressed in a variety of ways.

* Essential practice material for all ABRSM Theory exam candidates * Contains four separate papers * Model answers also available

ABRSM's official Music Theory Practice Papers Grade 3 are essential resources for candidates preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. The new papers are selected from the 2018 Music Theory exam papers and reflect the new question types that have been in use for the first time this year. A set of corresponding Model Answers is available separately.

For over forty years Bruce Springsteen has stood astride the rock 'n' roll stage like a musical colossus, his 18 studio albums - from the 1973 debut Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. to 2014's High Hopes - the testament of a life dedicated to music-making and committed songwriting. This book examines every stage of his musical career, discussing influences, lyrics, popularity, politics and all other aspects of Springsteen's music.

*Essential practice material for all ABRSM Theory exam candidates *Contains four separate papers

ABRSM's official Music Theory Practice Papers are essential resources for candidates preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. They provide authentic practice materials and are a reliable guide to what to expect in the exam. These Grade 3 Practice Papers have been adapted from the 2017 Music Theory exam papers to include the new question types that will be in use from 2018. This collection contains four Grade 3 papers to work through. A set of corresponding Model Answers is available separately.

ABRSM's official Music Theory Practice Papers are essential resources for candidates preparing for ABRSM Music Theory exams. They provide authentic practice materials and are a reliable guide to what to expect in the exam. These Grade 2 Practice Papers have been adapted from the 2017 Music Theory exam papers to include the new question types that will be in use from 2018. This collection contains four Grade 2 papers to work through. A set of corresponding Model Answers is available separately.

The BBC Proms is the world's biggest and longest-running classical music festival and one of the jewels in the crown for the BBC. It is one of the strongest brand names in the music world and attracts a glittering array of artists and orchestras from the UK and around the world in over 150 concerts, talks, workshops and family events around London every summer. Whether you're a first-time visitor or an experienced Prommer, watching at home or listening on radio or online, the BBC Proms Guide will help you to plan your summer of music and discover in depth what lies behind the Proms - from the composers to the performers to how the events are broadcast. The Proms Guide contains brand-new articles on featured composers and insights on performers, new music and accompanying events.