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If you've ever wondered about the powerhouse behind music's impact on our feelings, "Emotion and Meaning in Music" could really resonate with you. Leonard B. Meyer dives deep into the psychology and theory of music, making it a thought-provoking read that could illuminate the often mysterious connections between musical patterns and the emotions they provoke. If you're looking to enrich your understanding of music from its core, this might just change the way you listen to, perform, or even compose music.

Musica Practica  is a historical investigation into the social practice of Western music which advances an alternative approach to that of established musicology. Citing evidence from Barthes, Nietzsche, Bakhtin, Max Weber and Schoenberg, Michael Chanan explores the communal roots of the musical tradition and the effects of notation on creative and performing practice. He appraises the psychological wellsprings of music using the insights of linguistics, semiotics and psychoanalysis. Tracing the growth of musical printing and the creation of a market for the printed score, he examines the transformation of patronage with the demise of the ancien régime , and draws on little-known texts by Marx to analyze the formation of the musical economy in the nineteenth century.Chanan sketches out an unwritten history of musical instruments as technology, from Tutankhamen’s trumpets to the piano, the ancient Greek water organ to the digital synthesizer. The book concludes with reflections on the rise of modernism and the dissolution of the European tradition in a sea of postmodernism and “world music.”Musica Practica  assumes no specialist knowledge of music beyond an ordinary familiarity with common terms and an average acquaintance with the music of different styles and periods. It is a fascinating commentary on the soundtrack of daily life in the metropolis of the late twentieth century.

If theatre captivates you, Eric Bentley's "The Life of the Drama" offers insightful reflections that mirror how life itself plays out on stage. The detailed discussions invite you to revisit them, each read revealing new facets like an unfolding play. Its quality has readers returning, uncovering layers within theatre's compelling language and our very existence.

The Organic Globalizer is a collection of critical essays which takes the position that hip-hop holds political significance through an understanding of its ability to at once raise cultural awareness, expand civil society's focus on social and economic justice through institution building, and engage in political activism and participation. Collectively, the essays assert hip hop's importance as an “organic globalizer:” no matter its pervasiveness or reach around the world, hip-hop ultimately remains a grassroots phenomenon that is born of the community from which it permeates. Hip hop, then, holds promise through three separate but related avenues: (1) through cultural awareness and identification/recognition of voices of marginalized communities through music and art; (2) through social creation and the institutionalization of independent alternative institutions and non-profit organizations in civil society geared toward social and economic justice; and (3) through political activism and participation in which demands are articulated and made on the state.With editorial bridges between chapters and an emphasis on interdisciplinary and diverse perspectives, The Organic Globalizer is the natural scholarly evolution in the conversation about hip-hop and politics.

Gives readers an accessible overview of the many interlocking strands of the movement, focusing on the leading figures in Britain, Germany, France, America, Italy and Russia.

"Professional Correctness" is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of literary criticism and political activism. Stanley Fish provides a thought-provoking analysis of the debate between those who believe that literature should be used to effect social change and those who think it should remain apolitical. This book is particularly relevant in today's society, where social justice and advocacy are increasingly important topics in all fields.

Background Noise would be a great read for anyone interested in sound art and its various forms of expression. This book is an important primer on the history of sound art, from its roots to the modern age. Brandon LaBelle, the author, guides readers through sound art's intricacies, describing how it works spatially and through media reproduction and communication. This book might appeal to artists, musicians, and anyone interested in exploring different mediums of art.