Music: The Art of Listening

This textbook covers a wide variety and genres of music as well as defining the families of instruments and how they have been used throughout history. A must read for anyone interested in music even if you are not in the class. Highly recommended. Delivery was fast and efficient.

i had a question about the book and the seller answered my question within 2 days and provided all info needed with my concern... i felt very safe purchasing from this buyer and feel he was honest in everything he said...

I used this book for a 6 week music course. It had a lot of good, basic information within it, but I did have to do some of my own research for the course. This was definitely a good guide to lead me along through my class; I wasn't disappointed. If I had attended a semester long course, I probably wouldn't have been as pleased with it.

very very good transaction. seller sent the product immediately and the product was as described with the cd's being in perfect condition.

Having taught music appreciation and music literature at the college level for nearly thirty years I have seen many books such as this one. This is one of the best. Where many authors are condescending, Ferris speaks straight to you; where many authors give irrelevant history and biography, Ferris focuses on the musical experience, using history and biography only as a tool for better understanding. Many books have the not-so-hidden agenda to make it clear that classical music is better than pop music in every way; but Ferris creates a more exploratory environment. Her sections on the music of non-Western cultures (Chinese, Japanese, Middle Eastern, African... and even Native American) are quite well focused, and these open up the mind to alternative -- and equal -- modes of listening and appreciating music as a human activity. The one weak area for me was the CD collection (always a problem as there are too many good choices). Earlier editions had a bit better selection. Some were supposed to be shifted to the extended collection, and the extended collection that is listed in the book is really wonderful. Unfortunately, that collection never materialized. The extended collection I received (twice) left off all the selections I was counting on for my class. But if the publisher ever gets that collection together, this really will be the best music appreciation book on the market. Be forewarned: you do have to be able to read at a college level, and there is an expectation that you have some real music background, even if you can't read music. Over the years I have found that freshman college students have more and more trouble reading books at this level, but other books are no better. The Ferris book is smaller and more compact than most, has more relevant information than most, and creates the best experience of all.