Has anyone else read The Music Lesson...........

[SquierJazz72]

..by Victor Wooten?

And if so, what did you think of it?

[Pacman]

There are a few threads about this book here at Talkbass. I'd look for them.

[SquierJazz72]

I'll do that. Just didn't seem like there was anything recent, or I'd have posted there to begin with.

[Bassist4Eris]

As a novel? Borderline unreadable. Terrible dialogue, completely unbelievable characters. Repetition of certain words, phrases, and figures of speech reveal his limitations as a writer.

As a book of ideas? More compelling. Not terribly original; it's basically some common New Age concepts (derived from Asian philosophies like Zen Buddhism and Taoism). I went through a Wicca phase in my late 20s and early 30s, so most of the concepts in the book were not new to me. But I think he's the first to write about applying them to music.

While this review sounds negative, I found the book worthwhile enough to read twice. It does have some interesting food for thought.

Overall I'd recommend it. Just don't expect Ernest Hemingway.

[SquierJazz72]

I didn't go into it with any expectations. Spur of the moment purchase, mostly curiosity.

Not necessarily great writing, true, but I enjoyed it and it did offer some different perspectives to consider as applied to music.

[Staredge]

Having read Richard Bach some 20 years ago, I was familiar with the concept (and the description of his being a biplane pilot is a nod to Bach). Good book. Interesting ideas.

[Illini10]

I bought it and got about 50 pages in before I had to put it down. I couldn't get past his writing.