Believe Your Ears Life of a Lyric Composer [Paperback]

Kirke Mechems recent memoir proves captivating throughout. . .??[He] delves into the narrative behind his varied and rich compositional output as well as his personal successes and challenges, intimately weaving biography, philosophy, and humor as he reflects on the why of his life.?Akin to his compositional style, Mechems prose is nuanced, lyrical, and is often as humorous and witty as it is serious and cautionary. His elegant voice inspires future generations of musicians to be more reflective and to follow their own path, just as he avoided the trends and fads of the post-war period.Believe Your Ears?is a book for everyone, from the music enthusiast to the conductor interpreting one of Mechems choral works to the composer-conductor for whom Mechem provides frequent?compositional advice. Such advice and anecdotes illuminate the essence of what this composer values most in music and in life: simply put, an inventive and expressive lyrical melody that supports a captivating story.... ?Mechem does not shy away from sharing his pain and failures as well as his joy and accomplishments. As a cornerstone in American classical music, Kirke Mechem not only greatly contributes to the choral canon but, through this honest, engaging, and remarkably entertaining memoir, he also imparts wisdom and much needed perspective to readers of younger generations.Kirke Mechem, American composer of song, symphony, choral works, and opera, emerges as a compelling memoirist in his new book - Believe Your Ears: Life of a Lyric Composer.An entertaining and informative memoir; it doesnt speak to the reader like an academic tome. . . . He keeps the story light with interesting anecdotes and side stories. . . . Very valuable is the final chapter Coda, where he goes into great detail about tonality and atonality in the 20th century and explains both systems for the average reader. His is a life well-lived, we learnone which crossed paths with many of the great minds and talents of the laslc'