Music Theme Books

I'm looking for books where music plays an important role for the characters and would love to find some good band stories that will appeal to boys.

I tried The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour. The start of the book was promising and it is set in San Francisco, where I used to live. The characters, a girl band and the male best friend of one bandmember (who importantly has access to a van), have just graduated high school and are heading out on a summer road trip. The plot quickly lost steam and the central characters were mostly annoying. The music snob in me was put off by one of the supporting characters sudden enthusiasm for the band Heart. No accounting for taste, I suppose.

Next, I read (and finished) Rock on: a story of guitars, gigs, girls, and a brother (not necessarily in that order) by Denise Vega. Ori Taylor is a high school sophomore who has newly emerged from his older brother's long shadow and is gaining traction with his band, who are entered into a battle of the bands. The primary relationship in the book is the one between Ori and his older brother Del, who has returned home after one failed semester at college. Del is now bitter and withdrawn, rather than supportive and enthusiastic. It's fairly clear to the reader what is going on, but neither brother seems to be able to sort it out until near the end. The plot was a bit thin, but the book was entertaining, and I did like the characters, who are all about 16-18 years old. It's completely middle-school appropriate even though it features older teens. Band geek boys may enjoy it, but there are plenty of girl characters and the focus on the brothers' relationship and some mild romantic themes will draw in some girls as well.

I have not yet read Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg (author of the charming book The Lonely Hearts Club). The description says, "Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts high school in New York City, preparing for the senior recital and feeling the pressure to perform well and take the next step in their careers and their lives--whether they want to or not." It looks somewhat Glee-like with a performing arts setting, but the real drama looks like it may center on the friendships and romantic relationships of the four characters, appealing more to girls than boys.

Sing About Science & Math

I can remember the words and melodies to hundreds (thousands?) of songs, so it's not surprising that scientists are looking at how music can be used as a tool in the classroom to help students learn and retain important information. The Scout Report recently wrote about the Sing About Science website:

"A team of scientists interested in studying the 'usefulness of music in science and math education,' created this musical archive with funds provided by the National Science Foundation.

"First-time visitors should start by clicking on the "Featured Videos" area. Here they will find a few sample songs from topics that include biology, math, and engineering. Moving on, visitors can use the "Find/Add Songs" section to look for songs by keyword, song title, or performer. Visitors may want to start by listening to songs such as "Biochemistry, Biochemistry" (sung to the tune of "O Christmas tree") or "Protein biosynthesis" (sung to the tune of "My Bonny lies over the ocean"). Educators shouldn't miss the "Educating with Music" area, as it contains examples of how best to use these informative and melodious numbers in the classroom."

Most of what is here is music in an MP3 format, although there are some videos, many of which are hosted on YouTube. The database pulls up results that tell you if lyrics are available, and if you can hear an entire song or only a sample of it.

Neil Young & Whiplash

Just watched most of an episode of American Masters about Neil Young. (A couple of layers of irony here, since Young is Canadian and the episode was a BBC production.) I can't say I've been a consistent fan of Young's music - but who has been - but I love just how dedicated he is to literally following his muse. I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone who's achieved anything close to his level of success and has been as unpredictable.

The CSNY stuff is certainly a soundtrack to parts of my life, although it was never anything I particularly chose, it was just sort of there. I do remember listening to "Tonight's the Night" a lot, with that ragged chorus, the piano, the chugging guitar line. One story they told in the show was that he toured with that album before it was released, playing a lot of unfamiliar music. Near the end of the night he'd ask the crowd if they wanted to hear something they knew - roar! Then he'd play "Tonight's the Night" again. Quintessential Neil.

I think a lot of people thought he'd lost his way in the 80s, but he was raving about what a fertile period it was. He went from Rust Never Sleeps to Trans (!) to Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks. I'd forgotten that there was a whole lawsuit from Geffen over that one. They asked for a rock 'n' roll album and they got Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks. Ha. Then he came back with "This Note's For You" thumbing his nose at all the musicians who've signed sponsorship deals.

There aren't really many true artists in popular music, but Neil's certainly one of the very few. When I think of an artist I think of someone who follows where their instincts take them, regardless of what anyone else wants them to do or how it'll make them look. That's a type of real bravery.