Making Music for the Joyoof It

I've had this book for 10 years, and am just now reviewing it, partly because I feel that nothing I write will do it true justice. I do, however, want to add to the great comments here and to promote what Stephanie Judy has done. This book deserves about 5 million stars, if you ask me. Before I talk about my own musical experience, I want to say something to those who had bad early experiences with music (usually at the hands of bad music TEACHERS). Many of us who were not natural athletes can remember the humiliation of being picked last for the team and then being assigned to the outfield because we weren't good enough for the real action on the diamond. What I didn't realize until reading this book is that there are many folks that experienced similar humiliation when it came to music--maybe being told to sing softer or worse yet, being told to just lip-sync. Now I know what to say to people who tell me, "I'd love to learn to sing or play and wish I'd taken lessons as a child." I ask them to share their experience with me, and then encourage them to get their hands on "Making Music for the Joy of It." If you are one of those folks who always wanted to "do something" with music--and one of your regrets in life is that you let an early experience such as that discourage you from ever trying again until now, don't live with that regret a minute longer. Hit the "purchase" button right now. (Gee, doesn't this sound like an infomercial??) Read the first few chapters and see if you're not encouraged to go for it again. I second the reviewer who said this is a must for teachers of adult students. In fact, they should buy copies for those students as a gift and a reference. My own musical life has been a relatively easy one. I was a pretty good singer as a child and have played the piano for nearly 35 years. While I do have to practice and work at it to stay really good, it still feels very natural to me. I don't think of a house as being a home without a musical instrument in it. But in 1992, I was in a period of my life where I had spent several years doing music for "other people" more than myself--productions at church, playing for weddings, and most of the time it was stuff that other people picked out, not me--enjoying it less, and, not coincidentally, suffering from some aches and pains in the process. I was at a crossroads--not wanting to continue with music unless I could get some satisfaction out of it again. Call it God or serendipity, but at the low point of that time, I ran across this book, bought it, and my whole attitude about music became what it was when I was a child--pure fun and joy again. The suggestions on practicing, technique, improvisation, and especially the section on ensemble playing and dealing with the inevitable ego and morale issues therein really hit me. That whole concept of "release" and separating making music from "performance" was almost revolutionary--one I still use now when I'm playing songs of

Having begun to study the classical piano in my 40s, I am now, 10 years later, playing for audiences and suffering stagefright. After reading many books on performance anxiety, I came upon Stephanie Judy's very practical "encyclopedia"; this book even has an index! Sparing the reader a great deal of "new age" mysticism, Ms. Judy, in a warm and clear tone, tackles every aspect of making music, from the point of view of both student and teacher. Although no amount of reading can make anxiety disappear without actual practice, this book discusses the problem at length as a normal aspect of studying and playing that can be resolved in a variety of innovative ways. Particularly valuable is the chapter on learning that treats the often delicate relationship between student and teacher. And then there is the whole subject of practicing -- when you want to; when you don't; and when your best efforts miss the end-result point. Stay with each page and don't miss the margin quotes, pearls of wisdom offered by musicians and teachers who are both famous and unknown, but who are all devoted to this most creative and satisfying endeavor.

I first picked up Ms. Judy's book two years ago and it has been a revelation. It inspired me to resume the piano studies I abandonded in frustration twenty-five years ago, as well as to begin to learn the acoustic guitar. Ms. Judy's book is filled with helpful, practical advice, and she gives the clearest outline of what specific aspects of music to study that I have ever seen (e.g., ear training, sight reading, music theory, etc.). It is also obvious that this book is a labor of love for Ms. Judy. Her warmth and humor shine through on every page. I recommend this book to anyone who always wanted to play an instrument but did not have the confidence to follow through.

At age 59 I finally quit saying "It's too late to learn to play music!", I bought a tenor sax and started taking lessons. My teacher loaned me Ms. Judy's book and it provided hours of very enjoyable, inspiring reading. Anyone who is contemplating starting music lessons after denying themselves this pleasure for any length of time can greatly benefit from Stephanie Judy's well-written, inciteful book. I felt that she was talking to ME and encouraging me to continue with something I have been missing all of my life. The book is humourous and wise. It is more fun to read than many "best-seller" novels and is full of pertinent quotes from other musicians both amateur and professional. Try it - you'll like it.

If you think that it's too late in life to learn a musical instrument, then you NEED this book! This book is truly inspirational...and brings home the message that never too late to start playing that musical instrument you've always thought you'd love to learn. Using clear writing and wonderful quotes thoughout the book, this book helps dispel all the reasons for not picking up that instrument (assuming, of course, that it was meant to be lifted :) and helps guide you through all the growing stages. I picked up this book a few years ago, and it kept me motivated during my music lessons (started at age thirty-something). As a result, this book inspired me join a local community band (don't laugh - we may not have been great, but we played for the joy of it!).