Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed The Girls' Guide to Rocking: How to Start a Band, Book Gigs, and Get Rolling to Rock Stardom on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com
First of all, THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO ROCKING isn't just for girls. Its target audience might be girls who are interested in starting a band, but there's so much great information in this book that it's a useful tool for anyone who wants to make music. In fact, if you have to buy a gift for a guy who rocks, I'd almost suggest that you get this book and use a piece of electrical tape to cover up the word GIRLS' on the cover. Explain away the duct tape by saying the book is punk or distressed or something. The only other way he can tell this book was written for girls is that the rock star quotes are from women, but no one should complain about getting rock career advice from the likes of Patti Smith and Amy Lee.
THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO ROCKING is packed from cover to cover with everything a budding rock star needs to know. It starts with instruments, including which ones are most commonly associated with rock bands, brands available, finding a teacher, and much more. There's a chapter on putting a band together, keeping it together, rehearsals, and even how to come up with a catchy name. Technical information about writing songs and recording music is provided for more advanced readers who are looking to take the next steps in fulfilling their rock dreams.
The book even includes an appendix about how to use the recording software GarageBand. There is also a whole chapter on finding and booking gigs, which includes cheap, creative ideas for making posters and band merchandise.
This comprehensive guide has something to offer a wide variety of musicians, regardless of their goals. Beginners who just want to buy a second-hand guitar and pick out a few chords will get tips for where and how to find decent used equipment. If you want to get some friends together to start a garage band, you will find tips for helping make that a fun process for everyone involved. For those who have their hearts set on full-scale rock stardom, this book can be used as a how-to guide for everything from writing music to signing a contract with a record company.
The book has a funny, down-to-earth tone that makes it easy and enjoyable to read. In addition, its focus on female musicians is empowering to girls who want to break into an industry dominated by men.
I highly recommend THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO ROCKING for both musicians and the people who love them. Girls who are looking for information about making their own music should definitely check out this book. Parents or grandparents have finally found a cool gift for the music-minded girl in their lives. And one of the best things about the book is that even non-musicians can enjoy it. Not being a musician myself, I learned a tremendous amount about instruments, bands, songwriting, and recording.
After reading this book, I was even able to have a rational conversation with my 16-year-old guitar player son about drum kits and the music he was recording. Any book that can help me do that rocks!
First of all, THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO ROCKING isn't just for girls. Its target audience might be girls who are interested in starting a band, but there's so much great information in this book that it's a useful tool for anyone who wants to make music. In fact, if you have to buy a gift for a guy who rocks, I'd almost suggest that you get this book and use a piece of electrical tape to cover up the word GIRLS' on the cover. Explain away the duct tape by saying the book is punk or distressed or something. The only other way he can tell this book was written for girls is that the rock star quotes are from women, but no one should complain about getting rock career advice from the likes of Patti Smith and Amy Lee.
THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO ROCKING is packed from cover to cover with everything a budding rock star needs to know. It starts with instruments, including which ones are most commonly associated with rock bands, brands available, finding a teacher, and much more. There's a chapter on putting a band together, keeping it together, rehearsals, and even how to come up with a catchy name. Technical information about writing songs and recording music is provided for more advanced readers who are looking to take the next steps in fulfilling their rock dreams.
The book even includes an appendix about how to use the recording software GarageBand. There is also a whole chapter on finding and booking gigs, which includes cheap, creative ideas for making posters and band merchandise.
This comprehensive guide has something to offer a wide variety of musicians, regardless of their goals. Beginners who just want to buy a second-hand guitar and pick out a few chords will get tips for where and how to find decent used equipment. If you want to get some friends together to start a garage band, you will find tips for helping make that a fun process for everyone involved. For those who have their hearts set on full-scale rock stardom, this book can be used as a how-to guide for everything from writing music to signing a contract with a record company.
The book has a funny, down-to-earth tone that makes it easy and enjoyable to read. In addition, its focus on female musicians is empowering to girls who want to break into an industry dominated by men.
I highly recommend THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO ROCKING for both musicians and the people who love them. Girls who are looking for information about making their own music should definitely check out this book. Parents or grandparents have finally found a cool gift for the music-minded girl in their lives. And one of the best things about the book is that even non-musicians can enjoy it. Not being a musician myself, I learned a tremendous amount about instruments, bands, songwriting, and recording.
After reading this book, I was even able to have a rational conversation with my 16-year-old guitar player son about drum kits and the music he was recording. Any book that can help me do that rocks!
