How Music Works

by David Byrne

Book Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - David Byrne's incisive and enthusiastic look at the musical art form, from its very inceptions to the influences that shape it, whether acoustical, economic, social, or technological--now updated with a new chapter on digital curation.

"How Music Works is a buoyant hybrid of social history, anthropological survey, autobiography, personal philosophy, and business manual"--The Boston Globe...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804188939
• ISBN13: 9780804188937
• Release Date: May 2017
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.87 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Unexpected delights within these insightful essays

People who enjoy music will probably find the anecdotes and concepts in these essays entertaining, Even if they are not very familiar with David Byrnes' body of work. I enjoyed watching and listening to related videos on the internet after doing a search for songs and artists that were mentioned in the text. The very first essay explains how cathedrals and other spaces influenced the types of music that was created in certain places and times. A simple, obvious summary, I found myself thinking about that essay for weeks. A later essay explores how the brain perceives sound and music, and others tell compelling stories about composing pieces that may be quite familiar. Some sections dragged a little, at least for me. I really liked the padded binding of this book and the way it looked (captioned color illustrations) and felt. It was a unique and pleasant experience.