Amy Nathan

“What a great book to have in a studio or rehearsal room, just waiting for young musicians
to pick up and explore. Fascinating bits of advice from both professionals and student
musicians fill every page.” American Music Teacher

". . . filled with practical advice about how to find time to practice, how to calm down before playing in public, and how to handle that chatterbox who sits behind you at rehearsal." The New York Times

“. . . young performers will discover that the frustrations and fears they experience are not unique. . . . The guide is geared to those who dream of a professional future in the field as well as to those for whom music will remain a hobby.” School Library Journal

“From choosing an instrument to practicing regularly to learning the rules of ensemble etiquette, this guide is packed with useful suggestions and enthusiasm for music.” Publishers Weekly

“Nathan provides advice for teen musicians on topics such as choosing an instrument, finding time to practice, handling performance jitters, and dealing with others in the band or orchestra. . . . a unique and potentially useful resource.” Booklist

“Amy Nathan has provided a unique resource for the young instrumentalist.” Leonard Slatkin, National Symphony

“ She even talked to pianist/basketball star David Robinson about conflicts between excellence in sports and music.” Dallas Morning News

“It is a book that every single school . . .should have.” St. Augustine Record

Learning to play a musical instrument can be fun, but also a bit of a hassle at times. Young people not only have to try to find time to practice in the midst of their super-busy schedules. They also have to deal with such tricky problems as taming performance jitters, handling pesky peers, mastering challenging pieces, coping with competitions, dealing with demanding conductors, while also struggling to make practice less of a chore. Then, there are those annoying battles with hefty music books that absolutely refuse to stay open to the right page and flutter shut at all the wrong moments.

This lively book, written for young people, can help with nuisances like those. Older teens who know the score offer practical, down-to-earth tips. So do nineteen top professional musicians, including Wynton Marsalis, Paula Robison, James Galway, André Watts, Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Evelyn Glennie, Richard Stoltzman, and members of the Eroica Trio.

By giving young musicians the inside scoop on performing and practicing, this book can smooth their musical path so they can weather the rough spots, and keep the fun and the joy in their music making.

The author has had a lot of first-hand experience helping motivate kids to keep on with music as the mom of two musical sons. Both of her sons started learning to play instruments at a young age. Her older son is now a trumpeter and a composer who is working on a masters degree in musical composition at Indiana University; her younger son is a college junior who plays lead alto saxophone in his college's jazz band .