Monsters and Angels--Surviving a Career in Music.(Book Review)

Monsters and Angels--Surviving a Career in Music, by Seymour Bernstein. Distributed by Hal Leonard Corporation (7777 W. Bluemound Rd., P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213), 2002. 507 pp., $22.95.

Seymour Bernstein has produced another inspiring, educational and entertaining book. Monsters and Angels is an autobiography, which I found to be so interesting I did not want to stop reading. One feels compelled to keep going.

The book is divided into four parts, with an epilogue and an essay,

Each part of the book is made up of numerous short sections. Part I, "Leave Taking," begins with Bernstein's self-imposed final public performance and then goes into some of his personal background and philosophical beliefs. Part II, "Monsters and Angels," relates some positive and negative experiences with some of his teachers. Part III, "The Army," tells of his being sent to Korea and his experiences of continuing to perform concerts while in the service of his country. Part IV, "The Battle Continues," gives the account of Bernstein's post-army life as a civilian struggling to survive as a multifaceted musician. The "Epilogue: The Double Bar" is a summation of his thoughts on being a musician. The final section of the book, "Essay: The Music Critic," is a chapter dealing with Bernstein's experiences and perceptions of the music critic.

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