Judd Greenstein

Composer. Ecstatic Music / @NewAmRecords / @NOWEnsemble / @AntennaCloud. New music for old instruments. Music, politics, fatherhood, and the NBA. he/him

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Book Recommendations:

JG

Recommended by Judd Greenstein

@supove I love this book, which takes on different meaning as they grow: The Sound of Silence https://t.co/nE4kN0EDai (from X)

The Sound of Silence book cover

by Katrina Goldsaito, Julia Kuo·You?

A Parents' Choice Gold Medal Winner ★ "An inviting tale that will stretch inquisitive and observant young minds." --Kirkus, starred review A beautiful, lyrical book about a boy seeking silence in a bustling city, for fans of The Quiet Book and Wabi Sabi "Do you have a favorite sound?" little Yoshio asks. The musician answers, "The most beautiful sound is the sound of ma, of silence." But Yoshio lives in Tokyo, Japan: a giant, noisy, busy city. He hears shoes squishing through puddles, trains whooshing, cars beeping, and families laughing. Tokyo is like a symphony hall! Where is silence? Join Yoshio on his journey through the hustle and bustle of the city to find the most beautiful sound of all. ★ "This book will be especially welcome in settings that teach yoga or mindfulness, but its message and striking art will be appreciated anywhere the din of daily life can overwhelm." --School Library Journal, starred review

JG

Recommended by Judd Greenstein

@garrt @violanorth I love that book. the seasonal imagery is off the charts. (from X)

Who are "the folk" in folk music? This book traces the musical culture of these elusive figures in Britain and the US during a crucial period of industrialization from 1870 to 1930, and beyond to the contemporary alt-right. Drawing on a broad, interdisciplinary range of scholarship, The Folk examines the political dimensions of a recurrent longing for folk culture and how it was called upon for radical and reactionary ends at the apex of empire. It follows an insistent set of disputes surrounding the practice of collecting, ideas of racial belonging, nationality, the poetics of nostalgia, and the pre-history of European fascism. Deeply researched and beautifully written, Ross Cole provides us with a biography of a people who exist only as a symptom of the modern imagination, and the archaeology of a landscape directing flows of global populism to this day.

JG

Recommended by Judd Greenstein

So glad to see that this book is being recognized. I wrote the music for the audiobook, so I probably know this story better than everyone but 5 people - and it’s a captivating read. https://t.co/sdVpM3NKG8 (from X)

Epoca: The River of Sand (Epoca, 2) book cover

by Ivy Claire, Kobe Bryant·You?

The next book in the #1 New York Times best-selling Epoca series from Kobe Bryant and Ivy Claire. As Pretia, the Princess of Epoca, prepares to return to Ecrof, the elite magical sports academy, she is focused on the most important part of her upcoming year: the Junior Epic Games. She knows that her destiny is to rule Epoca, but right now, all she wants is to be selected for the Junior Epic team so that she can compete against the best young athletes in Epoca and bring honor to her people. But as rumors begin to swirl about unrest surrounding the Games, Pretia realizes that winning might not be as simple as being the best athlete she can be. She might have to decide which is more important: being an athlete or being a leader. Pretia‘s best friend, Rovi, is ecstatic when he hears that the Junior Epic Games will be held in Phoenis, where he lived before attending Ecrof. True, his time in Phoenis wasn‘t ideal―he‘d lived on the streets as a Star Stealer, part of a gang of kids who stole what they needed to survive―but he‘d found a home there. He‘s excited to return as a Dreamer, an athlete at the top of his game. But all is not well with the Star Stealers. Rovi‘s old friends are being blamed for the unrest surrounding the Games, even though he‘s sure they have nothing to do with it. Now that he‘s back in Phoenis, Rovi is faced with a difficult question: Is he a Dreamer or a Star Stealer? Can he be both? As tensions mount, Pretia and Rovi, along with their friend Vera, find themselves in a race to save the Star Stealers. And they begin to understand that if anyone is going to make a new future for Epoca, it just might be them.

JG

Recommended by Judd Greenstein

@melodymckiver I’m not up to date on the debate, but it’s a powerful book in many ways. Knowing it’s unreliable casts a shadow over the experience, though. (from X)

Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich book cover

by Dmitri Shostakovich, Solomon Volkov, Antonina W. Bouis·You?

In reminiscences spanning his entire life, the musical titan of Soviet Russia recalls musicians, artists, and writers, conversations with Stalin, and seesawing ideologies and reveals himself as a tormented artist working under the most difficult conditions

JG

Recommended by Judd Greenstein

Didn't realize that Eric Zencey died last year. RIP. What a remarkable writer, someone I return to again and again, especially Virgin Forest, which is one of my favorite books of all time: https://t.co/A2Pv34bXM9 (from X)

Discusses how the way we think about nature is related to the way we think about history