Audiobooks for Musicians?

[Sevelos]

I enjoy listening to audiobooks while driving (or shaving) and I am looking for audiobooks that will help me become a better musician while keeping my eyes "free" for other things.
I guess there are biographies of composers, but I am looking for more practical things, such as improving my playing technique, tips and tricks, advices how to practice, basic luthiery, rhythm, musical theory, possibly singing lessons, etc.

The closest I found for now are the pod-casts "Grass Talk Radio" and "Classical guitar corner".

Any suggestions?

[Sevelos]

Really? Nothing?

[mandocrucian]

The audiobook of LIFE by Keith Richards is pretty entertaining. Johnny Depp is the primary reader and he has really got Keith down. There were a couple of chapters which were read in a Mick Jagger voice. (can't remember if KR did does....)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_(Keith_Richards)

Get some of the Homespun audio instruction. The Karl Berger set (Dr. B's Rhythmic Training) is advanced stuff. The Mike Doucet Real Cajun Fiddle set has plenty of explanations. The Amos Garrett Rock N Roll Rhythm Guitar might be informative, if that stuff isn't already something you do. The Dr John New Orleans Piano is another.

There's probably some Sol-Feg audio instruction/exercise . Drum grooves on a kit is good (or how to play various percussion) - you can tap out the basics while driving. Ones dealing with polyrhythms (3 against 4, 3 against 5 etc.) will help put that in your head.

Ones dealing with bass lines are highly useful - just sing along. How to Play Reggae Bass. The Funkmasters: The Great James Brown Rhythm Sections

I don't know what genres you play, or what level you play at, so I'm just tossing out some random ideas. Do you have a car disc player that will handle DVDs? If so, you can listen to your instructional DVDs. Maybe you'll have to make a DVD>CD audio transfer....

Also, I have no idea what bios and such (Bird Lives; Chasin' The Trane; The Real Frank Zappa Book; Bill Graham Presents: My Life Inside Rock And Out) or collected essays.. (Coker's The Jazz Idiom Idio and/or Improvising Jazz; Victor Wooten's The Music Lesson etc. etc. were ever issued in audio form.

Would be great if somebody had done audio versions of stuff like the Peter Guralnick books (Lost Highway; Last Train To Memphis. Do you have a vision-impaired friend of relative that can access "books for the blind" for all that stuff that was never put out commercially as audiobooks?

I just thought of something audio that I thought was first rate.... Ben Sidran's Sidran on Record PBS radio show. XM satellite radio were airing all those about 10 years ago and I tried to tape all the episodes (turned on the VCR and recorded the audio since XM was on the satellite TV package.)

"the memoir A Life in the Music, Talking Jazz, a collection of his historic interviews with jazz musicians....Talking Jazz includes an 80-page booklet with essays from writers, critics and musicians, classic photos from Lee Tanner, and 24 compact discs featuring conversations with 60 jazz musicians, recorded during a five-year period for Sidran's award-winning NPR program Sidran on Record. The 24 CDs orchestrated by Sidran document the speaking voice of jazz musicians, including Miles Davis, Art Blakey, and others."
(WHOA...Expensive! Maybe your library has a copy? (not likely))


Niles Hokkanen

[Michael Neverisky]

You could easily listen to the audio of any lesson in digital format from Mandolin Cafe on demand catalog. Or Homespun Tapes, Mel Bay, etc.

[Caleb]

I listen to audiobooks pretty much everyday and have for many years (sometimes near 100 a year). I just don't think you're going to find much meeting your criteria. Plenty of how-to podcasts out there for sure though. I'd go that route if I were you.

[Posterboy]

The Talent Code - Daniel Coyle, Making it stick - Peter C Brown. Not necessarily just about music but learning and practice

[MandoAblyss]

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Lesson-.../dp/B003OXTOQ6

The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten. Best discussion of musicality by a musician I've ever heard.

[Bob Visentin]

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Lesson-.../dp/B003OXTOQ6

The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten. Best discussion of musicality by a musician I've ever heard.

I'll second that!!!

[Sevelos]

Thanks guys, that's a lot of material to check!

[Mark Gunter]

Finished the first listen of The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten yesterday, and it has some great dynamics to the presentation that bring the book to life (it was an influential book when I read it, and I heartily recommend the audio book now.)

Last night I bought The Practice of Practice audio book by Jonathan Harnum, and listened for many hours today while working; it's great. A lot of info packed in there.