Customer Reviews

Discoursing Sweet Music: Brass Bands and Community Life in Turn-of-the-Century Pennsylvania (Music in American Life)

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Musicologist Ken Kreitner's book on town bands and music in Wayne Co., PA was obviously a labor of love. His connection to the area and to music in general is apparent throughout. While this closeness to the subject might be cause for academic concern in some writers, this is not the case here. The author's methodology is thoroughly transparent and ample evidence is provided for all his claims. But this book is not only for the musicologist. Kreitner's style is that of the local historian who finally finds someone interested in what he has discovered about the town. He speaks to the reader in first and second person frequently and often provides his opinion when historical data are not sufficient. In other words, he tells a fascinating story about small-town Pennsylvania, the people, the industry, and the culture. He then discusses the place of the bands and some of their more colorful individuals in this context. This book is not only a valuable addition to the meager scholarship on the subject, but a thoroughly enjoyable read from cover to cover.