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CREATIVITY & CREATIVE WRITING

Free Play: The Power of Improvisation in Life and the Arts by Stephen Nachmanovitch (1990, Tarcher Putnam)
Improvisation as a way of living and creating, onstage and off. Liberating and inspiring.

Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone (1979, Routledge)
A wise, irreverent, and essential look at how "normalcy" inhibits our creativity – and how to break free.

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg (1986, Shambhala)
The classic guide, used by writers of every ilk.

The Artist's Way by Julie Cameron (1992, Tarcher/Perigree)
This book has saved my butt more than once, helping me take the long view and take better care of myself and my creative needs.

Trust the Process by Shaun McNiff (1998, Shambhala)
I love McNiff's exploration of repetition and its role in creative work. He's a painter, but his insights are applicable in any medium.

Fast Fiction: Creating Fiction in Five Minutes by Roberta Allen (1997, Story Press)
Allen's approach to writing "short short" stories is also particularly useful in songwriting.

Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan (1999, Writer's Digest)
A clear and practical guide to making your writing more descriptive and vivid.

If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland (1938, Graywolf)
This gem of a book will help you face down some of those demons that keep you from doing what you really want to do.

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver (1994, Harcourt Brace)
A brilliant contemporary poet's thoughts on the musicality and meaning of language in poetry – which I've found inspiring and useful in songwriting, as well.

SONGWRITING

Writing Music for Hit Songs by Jai Josefs (1996, Schirmer)
An excellent exploration of music theory – melody, harmony, and rhythm – as it relates to songwriting and arranging.

Songwriting and the Creative Process by Steve Gillette (1995, SingOut)
An eclectic and inspiring collection with contributions by some of contemporary folk's best songwriters – refreshingly "non-commercial" in its approach.

Tunesmith by Jimmy Webb (1998, Hyperion)
A highly informative discussion of the songwriting process and song structure, and an entertaining memoir.

The Craft of Lyric Writing by Sheila Davis (1985, Writer's Digest)
Successful Lyric Writing workbook (1988, Writer's Digest)
The Songwriters Idea Book by Sheila Davis (1992, Writer's Digest)
Insightful and approachable, Davis's books have helped many fledgling writers find their bearings and understand the nuts and bolts of the craft of songwriting.

How to Make a Good Song a Hit Song (1990, Hal Leonard)
Fun little book focusing on rewriting and revising, with some good ideas on how to keep from getting discouraged in the often frustrating world of professional songwriting.

Songwriting and the Guitar – various authors (2000, String Letter)
More a book about how different musicians approach the guitar and how it influences their songwriting process, and also some good info about songwriting in general.

Rhyming Techniques and Strategies by Pat Pattison (1991, Berklee)
An excellent technical and aesthetic treatment of rhyme in songwriting.

Melody in Songwriting by Jack Perricone (2000, Berklee)
A highly analytical exploration of melody in popular songwriting. Some may be put off by the seemingly counter-intuitive approach, but there's a lot of good information here.

88 Songwriting Wrongs & How to Right Them by Pat & Pete Luboff (1992, Writer's Digest)
An excellent "checklist" for improving your songwriting, from initial inspiration straight on through to demos and marketing.

6 Steps to Songwriting Success by Jason Blume (1999, Billboard)
This book is admittedly formulaic, yet there's still much to be gained from Blume's rigorous insistence on brevity, and from his story of how he broke into the business.

SONG/LYRIC COLLECTIONS

The Rodgers and Hart Songbook (1951, Simon and Schuster)

The Complete Lyrics of Ira Gershwin, ed. by Robert Kimball (1998, Da Capo)

Lyrics on Several Occasions by Ira Gershwin (1959, Limelight)
Not just lyrics, but many wonderful anecdotes by Ira recounting how the songs came to be written.

Cole: The Lyrics of Cole Porter, ed. by Robert Kimball (1971, Holt Rinehart & Winston)

The Rodgers and Hammerstein Songbook (1968, Simon and Schuster)

Our Huckleberry Friend: The Life, Times, & Lyrics of Johnny Mercer
by Bob Back & Ginger Mercer (1982, Citadel).

Songs in the Rough by Stephen Bishop (1996, St. Martin's)
The stories – and the first drafts – of many famous songs, from "Heartbreak Hotel" to "Higher Love."

Lyrics 1962-1985 by Bob Dylan (1985, Knopf)

Joni Mitchell: The Complete Poems and Lyrics (1997, Crown)

Between Thought and Expression: Selected Lyrics of Lou Reed (1991, Hyperion)

Patti Smith Complete: Lyrics, Notes and Reflections (1999, Anchor)

The Passionate Eye: The Collected Writing of Suzanne Vega (1999, Avon)

MUSIC BIOGRAPHY/INTERVIEWS

NOTE: Many of the books listed under "Song/Lyric Collections" are also biographical.

Music is My Mistress by Duke Ellington (1973, Doubleday or Da Capo)

Irving Berlin: A Life in Song by Philip Furia (1998, Schirmer)

Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist by Philip Furia (1996, Oxford)

Fascinating Rhythm: The Collaboration of George & Ira Gershwin by Deena Rosenberg (1991, Plume)

The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: A History of America's Great Lyricists by Philip Furia (1990, Oxford)

They're Playing Our Song: Conversations with America's Classic Songwriters by Max Wilk (1991, Da Capo)
Profiles of and interviews with tunesmiths including Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Frank Loesser, Stephen Sondheim, and many more.

Stolen Moments: Conversations with Contemporary Musicians by Tom Schnabel (1988, Acrobat)
Interviews with a wide spectrum of artists including King Sunny Ade, Mose Allison, David Byrne, Miriam Makeba, Branford Marsalis, Ravi Shankar, Tom Waits, and more.

Solo: Women Singer-Songwriters in Their Own Words, ed. by Marc Woodworth (1998, Delta)
Autobiographical essays by artists spanning contemporary popular music, including Ani DiFranco, Sarah McLachlan, Joan Osborne, Lucinda Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Jonatha Brooke, and more.

Songwriters on Songwriting (Expanded Edition) by Paul Zollo (1997, Da Capo)
A comprehensive collection of insightful, knowledgeable interviews with songwriters of every style and period, particularly popular music since the early 60s. A truly inspiring book.

Inside the Music: Conversations with Contemporary Musicians about Spirituality, Creativity, and Consciousness by Dimitri Ehrlich (1997, Shambhala)
A fascinating book exploring the spiritual dimension of music through interviews with artists including Al Green, Iggy Pop, Jeff Buckley, Meredith Monk, Leonard Cohen, Vernon Reid, and more.

Bound for Glory by Woody Guthrie, foreword by Pete Seeger (1943, 1971, E.P. Dutton)
The extraordinarily vivid autobiography of an extraordinary man. Great.

Pastures of Plenty, A Self Portrait: The Unpublished Writings of an American Hero – Woody Guthrie, ed. by Dave Marsh and Harold Leventhal (1990, Harper Perennial)
The sheer magnitude of Guthrie's creativity energy really comes to life in this book.

My Music, My Life by Ravi Shankar, introduction by Yehudi Menuhin (1968, Vikas)
A fascinating and inspiring book – half memoir and half sitar instruction manual. Hard to find, but worth it.

RECORDING/ENGINEERING/PRODUCING

Modern Recording Techniques, 4th Ed., by Huber & Runstein (1995, Sams)
A standard textbook for many audio engineering programs. (I also like the old 1974 edition by Runstein, for all the info on retro gear.)

Behind the Glass by Howard Massey (2000, Backbeat)
Interviews with top producers, including George Martin, Arif Mardin, Alan Parsons, Geoff Emerick, Eddie Kramer, and many more. Despite the emphasis on "star" producers, there's some surprisingly useful information here for recording musicians.

The Sound on Sound Book of Creative Recording I: Effects & Processors by Paul White (1999, Sanctuary)
Lots of simple, practical information on how to get good results from signal processors.

Tape Op: The Book About Creative Music Recording, ed. by Larry Crane (2000, Feral House)
An entertaining and inspiring collection of interviews with recording musicians and innovative producers. Also some nifty technical articles. All from the great 'zine, Tape Op.

The Mixing Engineer's Handbook by Bobby Owsinski (1999, Mix)
More hands-on info on getting good results at the console, this time during the mixing phase. The interviews actually have some practical tips you can use, which is rare in books like this.

How to Run a Recording Session, 2nd Ed., by Jayce De Santis (1997, Mix)
A good overview of how to stay organized on a recording project.

The Master Handbook of Acoustics, 3rd. Ed., by F. Alton Everest (1994, Tab)
Sometimes you just need to know this stuff.

MUSIC BUSINESS

How to Pitch and Promote Your Songs by Fred Koller (1990, Omnibus)
Note: A new edition of this book has recently been published.

All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald S. Passman (1997, Simon and Schuster)
A thorough, soberingly realistic look at how the music business really operates by an experienced entertainment lawyer, with detailed explanations of common contractual language, royalties and revenue, management issues, merchandising, and more.

Confessions of a Record Producer by Moses Avalon (1998, Miller Freeman)
Similar to the previous book but more of an exposé of some of the dirty bookkeeping, scams, and contractual pitfalls to watch out for, based on the author's own swim-with-the-sharks experiences as a producer and engineer.

The Musician's Guide to Making & Selling Your Own CDs and Cassettes by Jana Stanfield (1997, Writer's Digest)
A very inspiring look at how to market your music through alternative channels.

How to Be Your Own Booking Agent by Jeri Goldstein (1998, New Music Times)
A comprehensive guide for musicians to the entire booking process.

The Musician's Business & Legal Guide, 2nd Ed., compiled by Mark Halloran (1996, Prentice Hall)
Very thorough, very useful.

The Songwriter's & Musician's Guide to Nashville by Sherry Bond (2000, Allworth)
For anyone considering visiting Nashville, this book has oodles of information about the community, the culture, and the industry, with lots of practical advice.

The Essential Songwriter's Contract Handbook by N.S.A.I. (1994, NSAI)
The title says it all.

The Self-Promoting Musician by Peter Spellman (2000, Berklee)
Lots of good information in this one.

The Billboard Guide to Music Publicity by Jim Pettigrew, Jr. (1997, Billboard)
This one, too.

This Business of Music Marketing & Promotion by Tad Lathrop & Jim Pettigrew (1999, Billboard)
Ditto – particularly if you're working on record promotion.