New Books Lecture Series:
Eric Booth’s The Music Teaching Artist’s Bible

Monday, April 20, 2009
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
1608 Walnut Street, 18th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103

In April 2009, Eric Booth visited The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage to discuss his new book, The Music Teaching Artist’s Bible, published by Oxford Press.

About the book:
Teaching artists enter classrooms and communities by the thousands to engage individuals in the power of music. Humbly, passionately, and with great commitment, they go about the business of building tomorrow’s audiences, expanding the impact of music on young lives, illuminating the relevance of music for all, and in so doing rejuvenating their own lives in music. Filled with practical advice on the most critical issues facing the teaching musician today—from economic and time-management issues of being a musician and teacher to communicating effectively with students—The Music Teaching Artist’s Bible uncovers the essentials that every musician needs in order to thrive in this role. Author Eric Booth offers both inspiration and how-to, step-by-step guidance in this truly comprehensive manual that music teaching artists will turn to again and again. The book also includes critical information on becoming a mentor, succeeding in school environments, partnering with other teaching artists, advocating for music and arts education, and teaching private lessons.

The Music Teaching Artist’s Bible helps practicing and aspiring teaching artists gain the skills they need to build new audiences, improve the presence of music in schools, expand the possibilities of traditional and educational performances, and ultimately make their lives as artists even more satisfying and fulfilling.

About Eric Booth
As an actor, Eric Booth performed in many plays on Broadway and around the country, playing over 23 Shakespearean roles, and winning acting awards on both coasts. As a businessman, he started a small company, Alert Publishing, that in seven years became the largest of its kind, analyzing research on trends in American lifestyles. As an author, he’s published five books, including The Everyday Work of Art, a Book of the Month Club selection. He has written dozens of magazine articles, and was the founding editor of the Teaching Artist Journal. Eric Booth has served on the faculties of Juilliard, Stanford University, NYU, Tanglewood, and Lincoln Center Institute, and taught at The Kennedy Center. He was the faculty chair of the Empire State Partnership program (the largest arts-in-education project in America), and held one of six chairs on the College Board’s Arts Advisory Committee. He serves as a consultant for many organizations, cities, and states and businesses around the country, including several of the nation’s largest orchestras and national service agencies. Formerly the director of the Teacher Center of the Leonard Bernstein Center, he is a frequent speaker on the arts and delivered the keynote speech to unesco’s first ever worldwide arts education conference.