Instrumental
May 2015 · Canongate Books
4.7star
14 reviewsreport
Ebook
352
Pages
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About this ebook
James Rhodes' passion for music has been his absolute lifeline. It has been the thread that has held him together through a life that has encompassed pain, conflict and turmoil. Listening to Rachmaninov on a loop as a traumatised teenager or discovering an Adagio by Bach while in a hospital ward – such exquisite miracles of musical genius have helped him survive his demons, and, along with a chance encounter with a stranger, inspired him to become the renowned concert pianist he is today.
This is a memoir like no other: unapologetically candid, boldly outspoken and surprisingly funny - James' prose is shot through with an unexpectedly mordant wit, even at the darkest of moments. An impassioned tribute to the therapeutic powers of music, Instrumental also weaves in fascinating facts about how classical music actually works and about the extraordinary lives of some of the great composers. It explains why and how music has the potential to transform all of our lives.
This is a memoir like no other: unapologetically candid, boldly outspoken and surprisingly funny - James' prose is shot through with an unexpectedly mordant wit, even at the darkest of moments. An impassioned tribute to the therapeutic powers of music, Instrumental also weaves in fascinating facts about how classical music actually works and about the extraordinary lives of some of the great composers. It explains why and how music has the potential to transform all of our lives.
Ratings and reviews
4.7
14 reviews
Burden Neal
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May 25, 2015
This book is astoundingly honest and I'm struggling to put it down. I'm new to the world of classical music, but James Rhodes is introducing me to his world and I'm gripped. The playlist is a great idea and I really can't recommend this read enough. So glad I read his interview in the Guardian over the weekend and became aware of him. My life just became a little bit richer.
1 person found this review helpful
Alison Souter
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February 11, 2016
A beautifully written and deeply compelling account. I loved the way each chapter began with a piece of music and its composer. I read it on my phone in less than 48 hours. I often felt moved to tears, and angry at an educational system that could allow this to happen. But I'm very glad to have read this book.
2 people found this review helpful
Gem & Joe
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May 31, 2015
Beautiful and captivating. I adore music and love reading the work of another whose life has been saved by it. Rhodes has an effortless style that grips the reader and leaves you wanting more
5 people found this review helpful
About the author
James Rhodes was born in London in 1975. A keen piano player, he was offered a scholarship when he was eighteen at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, but went to Edinburgh University instead. James stopped playing the piano entirely and dropped out after a year. After twelve months working at Burger King in Paris, he went to University College, London to read psychology. He then worked in the City for five years. After a period of personal crisis, he took up the piano again. He is now a professional and acclaimed concert pianist, writer and TV presenter.
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