Music

Summoning The Phoenix

Every musician knows that learning to play an instrument has its challenges and its rewards. There’s the embarrassing first day of rehearsal, but also the joy of making friends in the orchestra. There’s dealing with a slippery concert dress or simply getting swept up in the music. The twelve children in this book are just like any other musicians practicing their instruments and preparing for a concert. But what sets these music lovers apart is that they all play traditional Chinese musical instruments in a Chinese orchestra.

There’s A Hole In My Bucket

A retelling of a German folksong about a bear unable to water his flowers because every attempt to repair the hole in his bucket only leads to further problems.

The Chinese Violin

When Lin Lin and her father immigrate to Canada from China, they bring with them one of their most treasured possessions – a traditional Chinese violin. From the beauty of their new country to the uneasiness of not fitting in, this violin sees them through all their experiences, good and bad.

Herman And Rosie

Once upon a time in a very busy city, on a very busy street, in two very small apartments, lived Herman and Rosie. Herman liked playing the oboe, the smell of hot dogs in the winter, and watching films about the ocean. Rosie liked pancakes, listening to old jazz records, and watching films about the ocean. They both loved the groovy rhythm of the city, but sometimes the bustling crowds and constant motion left them lonely. One day, they lost their job and they lost the urge to play music. Finally they came to listen to each other’s music.

Sekret

Yulia’s father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she’s captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she’s thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power. Yulia quickly realizes she can trust no one–not her KGB superiors or the other operatives vying for her attention–and must rely on her own wits and skills to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.

How Music Came To The World: An Ancient Mexican Myth

How music came to the world is the subject of this folktale dating to pre-Columbian times. Retells a Mexican legend in which the sky god and the wind god bring music from Sun’s house to the Earth.

How The Beatles Changed The World

The Beatles’ first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, has been called “a night that changed the course of American culture.” More than seventy million television viewers – the largest-ever audience for an entertainment show – watched the Beatles’ performance that February 9, 1964. It was only the beginning.

Had the Beatles been simply the most successful musical group of all time, their place in history would be secure. But they were much, much more. The Beatles changed popular culture forever. They changed the way people listened to music and experienced its role in their lives. And they were even more. For as their work matured, they became nothing less than the embodiment of the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.