Music

‘One of the most joyous and clear-eyed approaches to playing a character that I have ever read… I am so grateful Giles took notes on his process and turned them into this book. I was already in awe of his performance; now I’m in awe of his humanity and attention to detail and willingness to share the hard work and magic that goes into it.’ Lin-Manuel Miranda, from his Foreword

‘Stand. Breathe. Look. Try to empty my mind. Somehow, for some reason, I have been brought to this place to tell this story, now. So tell it. That’s all.’

When Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton opened in London’s West End in December 2017, it was as huge a hit as it had been in its original production off – and on Broadway. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, the show would go on to win a record-equalling seven Olivier Awards – including Best Actor in a Musical for Giles Terera, for his portrayal of Aaron Burr.

For Terera, though, his journey as Burr had begun more than a year earlier, with his first audition in New York, and continuing through extensive research and preparation, intense rehearsals, previews and finally opening night itself. Throughout this time he kept a journal, recording his experiences of the production and his process of creating his award-winning performance. This book, Hamilton and Me, is that journal

It offers an honest, intimate and thrilling look at everything involved in opening a once-in-a-generation production – the triumphs, breakthroughs and doubts, the camaraderie of the rehearsal room and the moments of quiet backstage contemplation – as well as a fascinating, in-depth exploration of now-iconic songs and moments from the musical, as seen from the inside. It is also deeply personal, as Terera reflects on experiences from his own life that he drew on to help shape his acclaimed portrayal

Illustrated with dozens of colour photographs, many of which are shared here for the first time, and featuring an exclusive Foreword by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this book is an essential read for all fans of Hamilton – offering fresh, first-hand insights into the music and characters they love and know so well – as well as for aspiring and current performers, students, and anyone who wants to discover what it really felt like to be in the room where it happened.

The author’s credentials as a Hamilton expert are second to none… the real strength of this book lies not only in its affection for the show and the company but also a great deal of detail about the topsy-turvy adventure of bringing it to the stage. British Theatre Guide

Read more

Read more

In the space of just five years, Twice have taken the K-Pop world by storm.

With hundreds of millions of views on YouTube, a sell-out world tour and record-breaking album sales under their belts, Twice have well and truly earned their place in the K-Pop hall of fame. And they’re only just getting started.

Twice: The Story of K-Pop’s Greatest Girl Group tells the amazing story behind one of the most-loved groups of our time. Covering their triumphs and setbacks, the making of everyone’s favourite tracks – including ‘Like Ooh-Aah’, ‘Cheer Up’ and ‘Likey’ – and their unique sense of style, this in-depth, unofficial guide is the perfect gift for any Twice fan.

With dedicated profiles of each band member, Twice looks at how these talented and unique superstars have grown, and what’s to come in their bright future.

Read more

‘Probably the best Bush book to date.’ – Record Collector

Kate Bush: the subject of murmured legend and one of the most idiosyncratic musicians of the modern era. Comprising fifty chapters or ‘visions’, Running Up That Hill is a multi-faceted biography of this famously elusive figure, viewing her life and work from fresh and illuminating angles.

Featuring details from the author’s one-to-one conversations with Kate, as well as vignettes of her key songs, albums, videos and concerts, this artful, candid and often brutally funny portrait introduces the reader to the refreshingly real Kate Bush.

Along the way, the narrative also includes vivid reconstructions of transformative moments in her career and insights from the friends and collaborators closest to Kate, including her photographer brother John Carder Bush and fellow artists David Gilmour, John Lydon and Youth.

Running Up That Hill is a vibrant and comprehensive re-examination of Kate Bush and her many creative landmarks.

Read more

A fully memorized fretboard is one of the most underrated skills in the guitar world. It’s not expected from a beginner, nor is it taught in the normal course of guitar learning.

But the smartest and best guitarists in the world know why fretboard knowledge can be the secret to being good at guitar.

Why memorize the fretboard?

Apart from sounding extremely cool when you say “Oh, you played a C instead of a C#”, it amplifies every area of your guitar playing:

Area #1: Guitar scales won’t be just patterns on the neck:

Guitar scales are simply a couple notes repeated all over the fretboard. If you understand this simple concept and have the fretboard memorized, you won’t need to memorize those endless patterns all over the fretboard. Simply get set and solo!

Area #2: You’ll unlock 1000+ guitar chords:

Chords are combinations of specific notes too. You can hold these notes anywhere on the fretboard to get chords in different contexts. And if you know the chord formulas (which we teach in our other books) you just unlocked the gates to the world of harmony – without having to memorize them all!

But it starts with – you guessed it – fretboard knowledge.

Area #3: Song writing becomes child’s play:

Break free from common chord shapes and sounds to venture into the wild west of music writing. Add your own chords to popular songs, change the key or simply be more creative.

Granted this is an advanced skill, but the shortest path to get there – fretboard memorization!

Area #4: And the biggest benefit of them all – improvisation!

Improvising is natural to a person who knows the fretboard! New note combinations, unorthodox melodies, playing fluently with a backing track or even writing new melodies. Nothing works if you can’t pick out the notes on the fretboard in an instant.

So, fretboard knowledge allows you to solo better, improvise better, play better harmonies and write songs. That’s a major chunk of guitar right there!

Why more people don’t memorize the fretboard.

It’s hard! It seems impossible! It’ll come with time!

And we agree with all of that. Memorizing 24 frets across 6 strings is not the easiest thing in the world. And most guitarists only ever master it after 1000s of hours on the guitar.

But we want to give you a cheat code!

Inside this book, we’ve simplified this process that takes a “lifetime” into 5 easy steps. Using these, absolute beginners have memorized the fretboard in less than 24 hours. Some even in as little as 5 hours!

Wondering how we do it? Simple!

We combined pattern recognition with memory techniques and games to create a system that will show you patterns hidden in plain sight and give you short memory phrases like “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie”. This will take the layout of the fretboard right to the brain – WITHOUT any sort of blunt memorization.

With over 700 5–star reviews, this book has helped over 39,000 guitarists shorten their learning time and gain the skill of the guitar gods – in under 24 hours!

And it costs less than a pack of strings!

So, scroll up and click ‘buy now’ to gain the unfair advantage of the pros in under 24 hours!

Read more

A Sunday Times Bestseller

THE FIRST EVER OFFICIAL BOOK―
Published in celebration of BTS’s 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information.

After taking their first step into the world on June 13, 2013, BTS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut in June 2023. They have risen to the peak as an iconic global artist and during this meaningful time, they look back on their footsteps in the first official book. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before.

BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop culture in various media. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance.

In addition, portrait photos that show BTS as individuals and artists open the book, and throughout there are concept photos, tracklists of all previous albums, and over 330 QR codes. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones.

BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive―truly everything about BTS in one volume.

Read more