The Practice Revolution: Getting Great Results from the Six Days Between Music Lessons by Philip Johnston. Wow!!! My new favorite book!!! This book is PACKED with all kinds of FABULOUS ideas for changing up practicing, etc.! Very engaging!!!
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. Incredibly motivating book! This emphasizes the idea that ANYONE can be great at whatever talent they pursue, if they'll just put the time in and practice deeply. One of my favorites!
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. Malcolm emphasizes the need for many (10,000) hours of practice/study (in whatever field we want to become proficient in).
Practiceopedia by Philip Johnston. It's like The Practice Revolution, but with illustrations.
Playing the Piano for Pleasure by Charles Cooke. Fabulous book and enjoyable to read! Cooke, who wrote for The New Yorker in the 1940s, makes piano his hobby, practicing an hour a day.
Journey of a Thousand Miles by Lang Lang. This is a FASCINATING book by a very energetic Chinese pianist! Very engaging. A page-turner!
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom. A fun book about the fictional guitar prodigy, Frankie Presto, narrated by "Music." I listened to the audiobook on Overdrive, which was more like watching (listening) to a live play!
My Nine Lives: A Memoir of Many Careers in Music by Leon Fleisher. Great book about a world-renowned pianist who lost--for 17+ years--the use of the 4th and 5th fingers on his right hand to focal dystonia, and eventually regained his ability to play with both hands.
The Leader In Me by Stephen Covey. Fabulous book in which Covey shares how elementary schools have implemented the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Scales Bootcamp by Philip Johnston. Holy cow! After 35 years of playing the piano and 10+ years of teaching piano, I've never even thought of so many creative ways to play scales!
Beethoven's Hair: An Extraordinary Historical Odyssey and a Scientific Mystery Solved by Russell Martin. Fun book that traces a lock of hair cut off by a 15-year-old fan of Beethoven after the master's death. As part of the journey of the unique lock of hair, this book includes a fascinating description of the treatment and protection of the Jews in Denmark during WWII.
A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano by Katie Hafner. While learning about Glenn Gould's unique life, I also learned more about the production of pianos, and especially about Steinway pianos, as well as the fine details of piano tuning than I've ever learned from any other source. Very readable.
Not Until You've Done Your Practice: The Classic Survival Guide for Kids who are Learning a Musical Instrument by Philip Johnston. A precursor to The Practice Revolution, this is super easy to read and has fun illustrations and examples that help kids understand the "why" of all the things teachers try to get their students to do! His last statement is: "...because practicing should be fun!"
Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki
How to Get Your Child to Practice...Without Resorting to Violence!!! by Cynthia Richards
Helping Parents Practice: Ideas for Making it Easier by Edmund Sprunger
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Galley
Millenials Rising: The Next Great Generation by Neil Howe & William Strauss
Intelligent Music Teaching: Essays on the Core Principles of Effective Instruction by Robert A. Duke
Ability Development from Age Zero by Shinichi Suzuki
Positive Discipline by Dr. Jane Nelson and Lynn Lott
Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay
Influencer by Joseph Grenny, et. al.
Making Music and Having a Blast! by Bonnie Blanchard with Cynthia Blanchard