The Brass Player's Cookbook: Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance [Paperback]

Kenneth Amis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

A stimulating collection of unique concepts on becoming a successful performer by 57 of today's most outstanding brass professionals. Contains to-the-point, thought-provoking ideas proven successful by master teacher-performers. Problem-solving tips, philosophical concepts and technique-building skills, all in one easy-to-read collection. An ideal source of exciting strategies for all levels of development.

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: Meredith Music (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157463075X
• ISBN-13: 978-1574630756
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #968,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a Keeper, April 20, 2010

By 

bibliobob "bibliobob" (Northern CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Brass Player's Cookbook: Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance (Paperback)

There's little here most brass players haven't heard many times before. And having it come from a name performer doesn't make it any more valuable, especially when it's as poorly organized as this compilation.

The book is a fund raiser for NAMM, a lobbyist and trade organization for manufacturers and retailers of musical instruments. Royalties for the book are donated to NAMM which, among other things, promotes music education in schools.

Someone came up with the thought of formatting it as a cookbook. Each contributor was asked to write a brief article on whatever they want - an extreme case of editorial abdication which resulted in the predictable redundancy and inconsistency. When the articles came in, you would hope someone would notice the cookbook idea wasn't working and either drop that format or hire a copyeditor to make it work. Unfortunately, they soldiered on and published them as written, in alphabetical order by author.

The most egregious example is Mr. VerMeulen's. Not content with the obfuscation possibilities offered by the cookbook metaphor alone, he adds a race car metaphor. One must slog through octane, continuously-variable transmissions, and the consequences of running a six-cylinder engine on five cylinders. Two suggestions: 1. When the actual point you are trying to make ends up in parentheses, something's wrong with the format. 2. When the metaphor (octane) is more difficult to understand than your point (take a deep breath), drop the metaphor. If you have the patience to find his three main points, it's actually one of the better contributions, but hardly a model of effective communication.

This book is worth a browse at the library, but I don't think most brass players would ever want to refer to it again.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Resource, August 30, 2009

By 

David Ancelet - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Brass Player's Cookbook: Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance (Paperback)

The essays compiled in this book are nothing short of fantastic. I am stunned at how few of my fellow brass players that I know who own this book. The advice given represents some of the greatest brass players out there today. It is a must own for active brass musicians.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cookbook great!, April 6, 2008

By 

Sarah Paradis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Brass Player's Cookbook: Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance (Paperback)

This book is an excellent piece of literature for any serious brass player. The advice from the pros is invaluable! Also ideal for a collegiate brass student.