ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
THE ARTS
Pimentel, Annette Bay

Before Music: Where Instruments Come From

88 pp. | Abrams/Amulet | May, 2022 | Trade ISBN 978-1-4197-4555-3 $24.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-6470-0696-9 $18.65
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Madison Safer. One person collects clay from the earth and shapes it into an ocarina; another finds metal ore deep in the ground and fashions it into a bell. In this richly illustrated and engaging exploration of the origins of musical instruments, each section focuses on a specific material, such as rocks, clay, gourds, silk, strings, or even human voices. Pimentel discusses how the material produces sound (i.e., the science of sound), lists instruments made from the material, and describes how they're played and used in different cultures and ceremonies. Safer's inviting watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations reflect the text's emphasis on the connection between music and the human spirit. Occasional sidebars profile people who have changed the musical world through activism, creativity, and scientific discovery. The back matter includes selected sources, an explanatory note on organology and music classification systems, and ideas for making instruments at home.
Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

RELATED 

THE ARTS

The People's Painter
by Levinson, Cynthia
THE ARTS

Before They Were Artists
by Haidle, Elizabeth
THE ARTS

Breaking Waves
by Burleigh, Robert
THE ARTS

Fearless World Traveler
by Lawlor, Laurie
THE ARTS

The History of Western Art in Comics
by Augustin, Marion
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?