Meet the Musicians: From Prodigy (or Not) to Pro.(Book review)(Children's review)

* Meet the Musicians: from Prodigy (or Not) to Pro, by Amy Nathan. Henry Holt and Company, LLC (175 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010), 2006. 168pp. $17.95.

This is an excellent book to introduce young musicians to those who have traveled the path before them. "Meet the Musicians" brings to the forefront 15 members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in short and personal biographical vignettes. It includes brief stories about their lives as students and their journies to becoming professional musicians and more.

The format of the book is laid out simply with colorful points of interest that are easily understood by the reader. The name of each performer and their instrument are at the top of each page for ready reference. Printed in red, are related topics set apart from the main text that include "the Inside Scoop" ("Good Points/Bad Points" paragraph for each instrument), "Practice Tips" and "Concert Watch" (what to look for in the orchestra when you attend a concert). These are eye catching and each sufficiently different to avoid losing the reader with too much repetition. Practice tips also include thoughts about dealing with those times when students don't want to practice and how they themselves work through those moments towards a successful result. "Concert Watch" offers a plethora of little 'factoids' about various things such as orchestra terminology (principal associate concertmaster) and specific instrumental directions (pizzicato). It also answers questions, such as why the oboe leads the tuning and why they share music stands, and includes tiny, but important, details such as the fact that a rubber endpin slightly dampens the sound of a cello.

Each performer shares in plain English their personal reflections on their early training and musical maturation. ...