Hal Leonard's The Reel World
In this second edition of The Reel World: Scoring for Pictures ($27.99) from Hal Leonard (halleonard.com), noted film and television composer Jeff Rona gives you the inside scoop peppered with interviews from industry insiders such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Mark Isham. In three sections — “The Creative Process,” “Technology” and “Career” — Rona describes what it takes and how you can do it. The book covers musical aesthetics, the latest technology and useful techniques, as well as how to develop positive business relationships. A companion Website (reelworld-online.com) features updates, links and other resources.
Course Technology PTR's GarageBand '09 Power!
Longtime Mac software instructor and professional musician Todd Howard fully explicates the expanded capabilities of Apple's GarageBand '09 — part of the iLife '09 bundle (Mac, $79) and free with a Mac purchase — in GarageBand '09 Power! ($29.99). Its 12 stand-alone chapters are filled with screenshots, tutorials and real-world examples. Howard shows how to install GarageBand, get sound out of it, set up its preferences and work with its interface and free content. He then goes on to show you how to use GarageBand to learn to play an instrument, compose and record music, create a podcast start-to-finish and produce iPhone ring tones. Get full details from Course Technology PTR (courseptr.com).
Focal Press' Indie Rock 101
Whether you've just formed your band or have been grinding it out for a while, Indie Rock 101 ($29.95), part of Focal Press' (focalpress.com) new Mastering Music Series, will take you to the next level. Author Richard Turgeon has been there, producing and managing his indie-rock band through six records and countless gigs. The book breaks the process into its three essential parts — running your band, recording and promoting — and illustrates its advice with industry insider question-and-answer sessions with Derek Sivers (CDBaby founder), Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon) and others. A handy appendix includes a glossary of audio terminology, a gear list for the author's records and links to audio production magazines.