Before Music: Where Instruments Come From
by Annette Bay Pimentel; illus. by Madison Safer
Primary, Intermediate Amulet/Abrams 88 pp. g
5/22 978-1-4197-4555-3 $24.99
e-book ed. 978-1-6470-0696-9 $18.65
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.
From the May/June 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.
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