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For Those About to Rock: A Road Map to Being in a Band
 
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For Those About to Rock: A Road Map to Being in a Band [Paperback]

Dave Bidini (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Book Description

10 and up5 and up
Playing in a rock band is the stuff of dreams. What is the reality? Dave Bidini, rhythm guitarist with the Rheostatics and acclaimed author of On a Cold Road, knows firsthand. In this wise, witty, and often irreverent book, he tackles the questions that any kid with a penchant to be on stage has asked. How do you decide what to play? How do you deal with tensions among the musicians? What happens when one person becomes more popular than the others? How do you get to gigs, and what do you wear?

Bidini handles his material with honesty and authority. From the serious considerations to the frivolous issues, Bidini takes young readers through forming a band, practices, performing, and the business of show business. Interspersed with advice and observations are hilarious anecdotes pulled from his own experience and the experiences of musicians he knows.

This is a sure-fire winner for all young musicians, even if their instrument of choice is the air guitar and their only venue is their shower stall.

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–While this book is billed as a road map to the future, it is more like a look back at the author's own career and experiences. Bidini tells tales about his own band and the trials and tribulations he had along the way. He blames himself for disasters and apologizes for hurting people in his past; he describes the worst gigs and tours possible, complete with dance floors full of vomit; and he explains why used-clothing stores are the best places to shop for stage outfits. Readers interested in a memoir of a Canadian rocker will find this an entertaining read. However, those who are looking for information about how to get into the music business will find the book a little too narrow and dated. Amy Nathan's The Young Musician's Survival Guide (Oxford, 2000) is aimed at musicians in general, with more of an emphasis on classical training. It offers better information about what is involved in a career in music. David Ellefson's Making Music Your Business (Backbeat, 1997) has more practical information for rockers, but may also be getting a little dated. Wait for something better than Bidini's book to come along to update it.–Carol Durusau, Newton County Public Library, Covington, GA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Dave Bidini’s first book, published in 1998, was the popular and critically acclaimed On a Cold Road, about what it’s like to tour Canada in a rock ’n’ roll band. He has since written two more books, Tropic of Hockey (2001), and Baseballissimo (March, 2004). When he is not writing or traveling the world, Bidini is rhythm guitarist for the Rheostatics. The band has released ten albums to date, including Music Inspired by the Group of Seven, the soundtrack to the film Whale Music, which yielded the hit song “Claire,” and The Story of Harmelodia, a children’s album. He also starred in the Gemini Award-winning film The Hockey Nomad. Dave Bidini lives with his wife and two children in Toronto.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  • Paperback: 138 pages
  • Publisher: Tundra Books (October 12, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0887766536
  • ISBN-13: 978-0887766534
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.3 x 7.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #949,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read, March 24, 2005
By 
Rene Roy (Fort Erie, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: For Those About to Rock: A Road Map to Being in a Band (Paperback)
I found this book to be an enjoyable recount of Mr. Bidini's personal experiences wallowing through the mindfield of trying to "make it" as a Canadian rock band. It isn't a point by point "How To" guide but is, instead (as other reviews have pointed out)a form of memoirs.
Just before reading this book, I read Bidini's "On A Cold Road". For those of you who have read the "Road" book, you'll find a bit of repetition in some of his anecdotes here. If fact almost "cut" and "paste" in some cases or very close paraphrasing. However, there is plenty of fresh material about working in recording studios, radio play, touring and other experiences to make it interesting and enjoyable.
Mr. Bidini writes with a casual, almost conversational tone spiced with lots of wit. If you liked "On A Cold Road", you'll enjoy this book.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars ROCK ON !!!!!, January 22, 2005
A Kid's Review
This review is from: For Those About to Rock: A Road Map to Being in a Band (Paperback)
this book is soooooo cool and now its official, i wanna be a rock star!!!!!!!!!!YEAH!! It teaches you what type of people should be in your band, writing songs, and all the stuff you need to know!!! Now lots of people who read are gonna change to rock stars!!!
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