Jeremy Denk, a professional musician, writes a memoir about how he became a concert pianist. Denk tells us about his alcoholic mother and his workaholic father. Although Denk is a piano prodigy, he admits he has faults. Plenty of faults.
Denk routinely makes the same mistakes over and over again. Denk, both insecure and arrogant, admits he didn’t study or rehearse or prepare for key recitals. Most of the time when Denk does this, his performances crash and burn. You would think he would learn from this…but a chapter later, the same thing happens.
Jeremy Denk loves music, but he struggles with instruction. Denk’s teachers try to advise him, help him, show him how to improve his playing…but it’s an uphill journey with this guy.
I’ve known many gifted but wayward students like Jeremy Denk. They’re talented, clever, even brilliant. But, some of them become resistant to change believing they know more than their teachers.
Allowing the reader to see deep personal flaws borders on bravery. Denk didn’t have to share his failures in romance, various performances, and personal relationships but he does in Every Good Boy Does Fine. Those of you that have more musical knowledge–and maybe even play the piano–will get plenty of insights into the classical music Denk plays as he expounds on them.
If you’re interested in how someone from a dysfunctional background manages to overcome his situation to rise to stardom, Every Good Boy Does Fine shows how. Do you like classical music? GRADE: A
The spaces on a music staff are the notes E, G, B, D, and F! As a mnemonic device we say Every Good Boy Does Fine, or if you’re British, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour! The lines on a staff are F, A, C, and E, or FACE! So much for my formal musical ability! As for classical, I know it best from Warner Brothers cartoons!
Bob, Happy Father’s Day to you! I sent Art Scott a DVD of Warner Brothers cartoons based on Classical Music pieces. If I find another copy, I’ll sent it to you.
I have a lot of respect for Classical music but seldom listen to it. If I do it is usually a symphony. I don’t care for chamber music or opera.
Steve, I love the big sound of symphonies and concertos, too. But some chamber music appeals to me. I enjoy Mozart’s operas.
I can foresee having some sympathy with the described attitudes as both motivator or inhibitor of life as one goes on…less thinking one knows more than the instructor (except in the unfortunate cases where one does) than thinking one might have more interesting thoughts and understanding of the subject at hand, as demonstrated by the more burnt-out or dull-witted uninstructors…
And I have played classical music, particularly baroque and earlier brass choir music, rather poorly as a musician, and love to listen to “classical” music from many traditions and eras…was a 20th Century “classical” dj in my SWEET FREEDOM radio series, among other music and spoken word recordings, interviews and such.
Todd, I was a big fan of Jim Svejda’s THE RECORD SHELF radio program that played on our local NPR station for years. I was surprised that a guy like Svejda who knew so much about classical music (he even wrote a couple of books about it) did not like Bach! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Svejda
Todd, I think part of Denk’s problems with his piano teachers was that he was more talented than they were in most cases.
I like to listen to classical music, but I think I’d just get irritated with a book about a person who consistently self-sabotages.
Deb, Jeremy Denk has a lot to overcome in his quest to be a professional pianist. His mother is an alcoholic, his father is a workaholic. Denk, with all his talent, has to deal with his own insecurities and doubts. Denk could have left out plenty of his mis-steps and failures, but he includes them to show the path to success is really a mine-field full of Bad Decisions that need to be overcome.
Well, yes but that is his story, what makes it interesting. He probably would not have gotten a publisher if it was just about his career. Did he get any psychiatric help in dealing with this?
Patti, Denk could have used some psychiatric help especially as a kid dealing with his mother’s drinking and his father’s absence. Music became his therapy.
What Deb said. If you don’t study and don’t practice and your crash and burn at your concert, yet do the same thing over and over, it’s 100% on you.
I do like classical music and we used to go to concerts (for example, the New York Philharmonic, at Lincoln Center and on the lawn in Central Park, several times) but haven’t in years. Jackie hates opera and I know little about it (we did study Alban Berg’s WOZZECK in college, but after a month studying it in German, when we got to see it. it was in an English translation!) and haven’t seen many. The highlight was probably AIDA in Rome outdoors in the Baths of Caracalla. What a setting!
Jeff, you and Jackie have experienced some wonderful musical events over the years! Denk realizes at certain parts of his life that he is self-sabotaging his piano career. Denk had a lot of problems that caused him to make Bad Choices. But the essence of EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE is that you can overcome problems if you’re willing to work to solve them…with the help of your friends and instructors.
I’ve been trying to come up with a reason why I should care about this guy. So far I’m drawing a blank.
Michael, maybe this might provide a reason to care: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEuaKv4sGrQ
I must admit that moved the needle a bit.
Michael, glad to hear that!