I'm still owed a birthday present and I've been asked what I want and I really don't know. I've just thought that I could get some music books or something that might be useful in uni.

I've got all the theory books and Harmony in Practice.

Any others I should think about?

Depends what is actually involved in your course. For mine I ended up with Donald Passman's book on the music industry, A History of Western Music - Grout and Palisca, Adler - Study of Orchestration, and loads more I can't remember. The university may also subscribe to online sources like Naxos online or Grovemusic.

Nat

How about asking for a voucher and choosing one yourself? As you are off to Uni,perhaps ask for cash,wait and look at the recommended list of books and treat yourself to one 2nd hand...or treat yourself to something totally unrelated to music...a handbag? LOL....or ask for cash and use the library!

What about The Form of Music?

yes get it Nat!!!!! looks really good!!! very useful!!!! u know u want it!!!LOL

You might already have these, but I recently bought the three AB 'Performer's Guide' books (Baroque, Classical and Romantic), and they're really excellent. They cost about £15 each - but that includes a CD too.

They each consist of a series of essays on various topics, but aren't at all 'dry' - they're written in a very interesting way, and I discovered quite a few new facts from reading them. I'd highly recommend them!

I'm sure you'll get a nice booklist when you start uni so you might be better waiting until then. As someone has already suggested, 'A History of Western Music' is useful and there are others which are more specific to the periods you will be studying, as well as Harmony books, orchestration (if you choose it), Schenker (if they make you do it).
What else will you be studying in first year?

1st year I'm hopefully doing:

Performance
Composition
20th Century Music
Harmony and Counterpoint
History module
Performance and Interpretation
Early Music
Media and Pop Music Culture

Sounds like you're going to be busy. I'm sure you'll need lots of books then. Do you not have to study 2 non-music subjects in first year?


Congratulations Nat, that was your 10000th post!!!

No you don't - only if you take the BA and I'm doing the BMus

I've ordered

Harmonization Of Melodies At The Keyboard Book 1

Keeping Your Nerve!

Music in Words -

The Music Teacher's Companion - A Practical Guide

A Performer's Guide to Music of the Baroque Period - Book and CD

A Performer's Guide to Music of the Classical Period - Book and CD

A Performer's Guide to Music of the Romantic Period - Book and CD

For use now and in future

Sounds like an interesting course, Nat - when I did my degree I specialised in early music and notation of early music, and performance/performance practice. (In my final year.) Early music is great - I loved it - there's something very pure and clean sounding about it. Hope you enjoy your course - sometimes I wish I could go back to uni and do my degree all over again!!

Go on then! Just go back and do it!!

My thoughts exactly . I can amuse myself for hours with the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book - the great telephone directory of Elizabethan keyboard music.

I might one day do a part time MPhil on early music, after the MA and FRSM though so it's a pretty long term 'one day'. Lancaster's part-time MPhil looks ideal, and they have the staff to back it up too .

Oh to be an eternal full-time student; I think I've indulged enough sticking around to do a PhD though....