Chapter 22
Ten Recommended Books
for Composers
In This Chapter
Looking into Songwriter’s Marketand other contact guides
Checking out books on applying theory, listening, and scoring
Reading about tonal music
Diving into Virgin Directories and Rough Guides
Picking up two books on the giants and the fringe
W
alk into any bookstore and check out the Music Books section, and
you’ll find yourself before a wall of daunting choices. Stop by any
given online bookstore and search for music, and you’ll be faced with even
more. It seems there are nearly as many books written about music composi-
tion, the music business, and music appreciation as there are albums or
compact discs containing music.Here are just a few of the good ones.Songwriter’s Market .....................................................................................
by Ian Bessler, Writer’s Digest BooksSongwriter’s Marketis one of the most respected of the market guides and
worth picking up every year when a new edition comes out (the 2008 edition
is the latest as of this writing). For more than 30 years, the guide has provided
up-to-date contact information on music-publishing houses, record compa-
nies, managers, booking agents, and record producers. It also explains what
sorts of musicians and composers these organizations want to work with for
the coming year. Besides that, the book lists how much money you can expect