Available in English for the first time, Cuban Music from A to Z is an encyclopedic guide to one of the world’s richest and most influential musical cultures. It is the most extensive compendium of information about the singers, composers, bands, instruments, and dances of Cuba ever assembled. With more than 1,300 entries and 150 illustrations, this volume is an essential reference guide to the music of the island that brought the world the danzón, the son, the mambo, the conga, and the cha-cha-chá. The life’s work of Cuban historian and musician Helio Orovio, Cuban Music from A to Z presents the people, genres, and history of Cuban music. Arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced, the entries span from Abakuá music and dance to Eddy Zervigón, a Cuban bandleader based in New York City. They reveal an extraordinary fusion of musical elements, evident in the unique blend of African and Spanish traditions of the son musical genre and in the integration of jazz and rumba in the timba style developed by bands like Afrocuba, Chucho Valdés’s Irakeke, José Luis Cortés’s ng La Banda, and the Buena Vista Social Club. Folk and classical music, little-known composers and international superstars, drums and string instruments, symphonies and theaters—it’s all here.

Nearly all religious traditions have reserved a special place for sacred music. Whether it is music accompanying a ritual or purely for devotional purposes, music composed for entire congregations or for the trained soloist, or music set to holy words or purely instrumental, in some form or another, music is present. In fact, in some traditions the relation between the music and the ritual is so intimate that to distinguish between them would be inaccurate. The A to Z of Sacred Music covers the most important aspects of the sacred music of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and other smaller religious groups. It provides useful information on all the significant traditions of this music through the use of a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on major types of music, composers, key religious figures, specialized positions, genres of composition, technical terms, instruments, fundamental documents and sources, significant places, and important musical compositions.

As the title implies, this versatile workbook covers every possible topic for a one-semester introductory theory course. The greatest value, however, is its efficient, effective approach. By using a simplified process, technically challenging topics such as scales, intervals, and chords are more quickly learned through pattern recognition rather than a reliance on procedure. Topics are presented using this concise, no-nonsense approach. Newly learned musical techniques become quickly ingrained and are continually linked to musical expression. The book is accessible for the novice and engaging for the musically experienced. Unlike other texts, it provides an approachable methodology that gradually advances readers toward a working knowledge of harmony. The book is distinguished in how both melody and harmony are explored in view of particular musical effects. Zolper’s approach offers students an exciting guide to streamlined mastery of basic theory while bringing to light a wealth of musical discoveries. The A to Z website presents sound clips of musical examples and featured compositions in addition to supplemental activities for additional practice.

As USA TODAY, the Nation's No. 1 Newspaper, puts it, "anyone who has followed Jay-Z's career knows [that] the superstar born Shawn Corey Carter has long defied anyone who tried to pigeonhole him." He left behind the dangerous life of a drug dealer and became one of the biggest names in music. He then achieved success as a businessman, an activist, and an author, while staying true to the spirit of hip-hop. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z grew up in a household full of music lovers. After hearing people rap for the first time, he also discovered the creative fire within himself. He began to make up rhymes nonstop—and made his way from financial hardship to the throne of a music empire.

Shawn Corey Carter, known to most of the world as JAY-Z, has made a name for himself as one of the most successful artists in hip-hop. Not only has he achieved this success with rapping, but also as an entrepreneur. Having grown up in a housing project in Brooklyn, his story is a tale of struggles and successes. Engaging main text, full-color photographs, and a detailed timeline give readers an inside look into this rap star's exciting life. Annotated quotes from JAY-Z and others provide first-person perspectives on his rise to the top of the worlds of hip-hop and business.

An ideal guide to aesthetics

Designed as a study aid for the students of Manhattan Prep’s elite LSAT prep classes, 10 Real LSATs Grouped by Question Type provides students with an opportunity for targeted practice. Cut from Practice Tests 41-50, this book allows students to hone their skills on specific question types in Logical Reasoning, Logic Games, and Reading Comprehension, including Assumptions, Inferences, Binary Grouping, and more. In-depth explanations for every question are written by Manhattan Prep’s expert LSAT instructors and feature hand-drawn diagrams that allow students to get inside the mind of a 99th percentile scorer. By providing a means for targeted training, 10 Real LSATs Grouped by Question Type is an invaluable study tool, enabling students to get acclimated to the nuances of the exam and achieve a higher level of mastery on every question the LSAT has to offer!

Clear communication of your health message can make all the difference in effective patient care. Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Second Edition is an easy to use handbook designed for the busy health professional. Filled with ideas and strategies that can be used in everyday practice, Health Literacy from A to Z is a first-of-its-kind resource. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images or content found in the physical edition.

If you’re like most people, you have too much stuff and too little storage space. In this easy-to-use guide, Donna Smallin shows you how to create an efficient and clutter-free life using a common-sense approach to item-by-item storage. With 500 quick and effective strategies to creatively solve all of your vexing storage issues, Smallin offers proven techniques that will not only help you find a place for everything, but easily find everything you’re looking for.