{"product_id":"every-good-boy-does-fine-a-love-story-in-music-lessons-9780812985887","title":"Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story, in Music Lessons","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER - A beautifully written, witty memoir that is also an immersive exploration of classical music--its power, its meanings, and what it can teach us about ourselves--from the MacArthur \"Genius\" Grant-winning pianist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL - \u003c\/b\u003e\"Jeremy Denk has written a love letter to the music, and especially to the music teachers, in his life.\"--Conrad Tao, pianist and composer\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eEvery Good Boy Does Fine, \u003c\/i\u003e renowned pianist Jeremy Denk traces an implausible journey. His life is already a little tough as a precocious, temperamental six-year-old piano prodigy in New Jersey, and then a family meltdown forces a move to New Mexico. There, Denk must please a new taskmaster, an embittered but devoted professor, while navigating junior high school. At sixteen he escapes to college in Ohio, only to encounter a bewildering new cast of music teachers, both kind and cruel. After many humiliations and a few triumphs, he ultimately finds his way as a world-touring pianist, a MacArthur \"Genius,\" and a frequent performer at Carnegie Hall. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Many classical music memoirs focus on famous musicians and professional accomplishments, but this book focuses on the everyday: neighborhood teacher, high school orchestra, local conductor. There are few writers capable of so deeply illuminating the trials of artistic practice--hours of daily repetition, mystifying advice, pressure from parents and teachers. But under all this struggle is a love letter to the act of teaching. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In lively, endlessly imaginative prose, Denk dives deeply into the pieces and composers that have shaped him--Bach, Mozart, and Brahms, among others--and offers lessons on melody, harmony, and rhythm. How do melodies work? Why is harmony such a mystery to most people? Why are teachers so obsessed with the metronome? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eEvery Good Boy Does Fine, \u003c\/i\u003e Denk shares the most meaningful lessons of his life, and tries to repay a debt to his teachers. He also reminds us that we must never stop asking questions about music and its purposes: consolation, an armor against disillusionment, pure pleasure, a diversion, a refuge, and a vehicle for empathy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Random House Trade\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/21\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780812985887\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 384\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.64lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.19w x 0.78d","brand":"Jeremy Denk","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42607871393973,"sku":"9780812985887","price":18.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_45b1d915-f973-4c35-816a-19f2c678f92c.jpg?v=1674573478","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/every-good-boy-does-fine-a-love-story-in-music-lessons-9780812985887","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}