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Oct 06, 2015 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

The Musician Says is a collection of quotes, some very brief and some a few sentences in length, from musicians ranging from Beethoven to Jay Z, Sonny Rollins to Taylor Swift—a diverse collection of artists spanning generations and genres. Benedetta LoBalbo has collected the quotes in this pocket-sized book in an attempt to illuminate the musician’s experience. It seems a tall task at first blush, for this slim 154-page volume with one quote per page, to reveal essential truths in one or two lines each. Yes, it’s a cute purple book to be able to pick up, open to any random page, and read a quote about music from a famous artist. But as one makes his or her way through The Musician Says, something seems to happen. Read cover to cover, the book reveals itself. Quotes are not thrown in randomly. Instead they are juxtaposed on opposite pages with clear intent, offering supporting or competing views of a similar experience. While not separated by topics in any chapter-like way, themes emerge as musicians take on various aspects of their experience, from creativity to inspiration, playing with band mates to performing in front of a crowd, making money (or not) to how they perceive themselves and their art. And even humor is interjected, with opposite pages featuring Chrissie Hynde lauding Cher and then Cher herself saying, “I’m not a huge Cher fan.” By the end of the book, surprisingly, the musician’s experience is illuminated. In brief nugget form. Use The Musician Says as coffee table reference or cover-to-cover read. Either way, it works. (www.papress.com)

Author rating: 7/10