Author(s): Mary Richards, David Schweitzer

Music | Culture | History & Politics

Embark on a musical journey around the world to meet the diverse cast of composers, musicians, and performers who are famous for making the music we love. From Johann Sebastian Bach to Billie Eilish, Hildegard of Bingen to DJ Kool Herc, Wolfgang Mozart to Miriam Makeba, musicians come from many different times and places and introduce music from a wide variety of genres.

Why do we make music? How does music affect our brains and emotions? These are just some of the fascinating questions addressed in A History of Music for Children, which looks at music's transnational and boundary-breaking qualities. All over the world and throughout time, music has been recorded and passed down through different oral traditions and forms of notation. It has always been a powerful catalyst for change and connecting people. And what might the future of music hold? Exploring the technology used to listen to and create music, the authors imagine new possibilities such as computer-generated compositions and robot musicians.

Woven into this absorbing narrative is a stellar cast of musicians, including Mozart and his sister Maria Anna, Clara Schumann, Maria Callas, Bob Dylan, Ravi and Anoushka Shankar, David Bowie, Nina Simone, Charlie Parker, Kraftwerk, John Cage, Beyonce , and Mali griot Toumani Diabat , among others. This book even includes a playlist of songs that you can listen to as you read.

Review: 'So inspired and patiently crafted, with such a beautiful palette. When I read it, it was as if I was transported to my childhood - miraculous. These days, at the push of a button one can reference all these amazing artistes, which will open the door to worlds of music that seep deep into the soul, and our personal shambhala. This book really is a beautiful gift and a work of art' - Chaz Jankel
'An amazing history of music, really brought to life by the illustrations and diverse examples!' - Alexis Taylor, Hot Chip
'Hurrah! An eminently readable, resolutely unsoppy guide to the exciting, often cryptic world of music. Rose Blake's characteristically witty and saucy illustrations throughout will delight her fans of all ages' - Nick Lowe

Contents: Introduction
1. What is Music?
2. Exploring Music
3. Creating Music
4. Feeling Music
5. Seeing Music
6. Performing and Listening to Music
7. What's Next for Music?
Timeline of Inventions, Glossary, Ideas for Listening

Author Biography: Mary Richards is a publisher, author and illustrator. She adapted and edited David Hockney's bestselling A History of Pictures for Children, and is the author of Splat!: The Most Exciting Artists of All Time, both published by Thames & Hudson. David Schweitzer is a composer and songwriter. He has written music for children's TV shows including Charlie & Lola, The Cat in the Hat, Angry Birds and Miffy. He has also scored documentaries and drama, including the 2020 film, Emma. Together with Mary, he runs a children's orchestra in London. Rose Blake is an award-winning artist and illustrator who has illustrated numerous books for children, including A History of Pictures for Children.