Raising The Roof by Jack Pepper

 

Raising The Roof by Jack Pepper.

Published 6th June 2024 by Templar Publishing.

From the cover of the book:

Composer and broadcaster Jack Pepper introduces the world of classical music - and its colourful characters - as you've never seen it before... LET'S ROCK!

Take a tour of musical history, and learn your timbre from your tempo, your tuba from your cello and your symphony from your concerto. Rub shoulders with 20 great composers - including child prodigy Mozart, pioneering musician Florence Price and film score composer Hans Zimmer - and find out what it really takes to write a timeless classical hit!

Listen as you read, using the playlist inside, with over 40 classical pieces covering 1,000 years of music. The story doesn't stop here, as Classical continues to influence music today and future sounds.

Informal, funny and written with infectious enthusiasm, this book is sure to inspire the budding composer in every reader and open up this dazzling world of music to new fans.

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Something a little bit different today! Raising the Roof is a brilliant new take on introducing the world of classical music to a wider audience, by Jack Pepper, one of the UK's youngest composers and the youngest ever national radio presenter. The book is in lovely hardcover format, and a veritable feast for the eyes with a bold, bright cover, and full-page illustrations by Michele Bruttomesso, which suitably reflect the kind of fascinating and colourful information you will find within about classical music and its composers inside.

Beginning with an introduction that tells you all about Jack Pepper himself, he then goes on to explore what the term classical music means, its history, sound, and different kinds of classical music, before exploring twenty of classical music's 'rock stars' through the ages in more depth (plus a handful of notable mentions) - some of whom you will be familiar with, and many who will undoubtably be new to you (they certainly were to me). The book then rounds off with detail about how classical music influences the music scene today (a lot), and a few musings about what it might look like in the future.

The tone throughout is informative and conversational in style, with lots of humour, which makes it a very engaging read. Pepper has gone outside of the normal boundaries of the kinds of music you might expect to see in a book like this to bring in a wonderfully diverse set of composers too. For a start there are more than a few female composers in these pages, which delighted me - yes, they have always been there, but have been overshadowed by their male counterparts - and there are so many mentions of different musical traditions, and composers from a wide rage of cultural backgrounds; as well as composers who overcame disabilities to write fabulous music.

Pepper uses an innovative way to introduce you to the music he is talking about with suggestions of specific pieces to go in search of, indicated by musical symbols - this makes the book a joyous interactive experience, and brings the character and intentions of the composers alive. You can easily find the pieces of music on-line via streaming platforms or You-Tube, and I recommend listening to them as you go through the book, as it enhances the reading experience no end.

This is a book primarily aimed at teaching children about the world of classical music in an accessible way, but it has incredible appeal for adults too. The recommended reading age is 9+ years, although some of the language used is quite tricky, so I would suggest it is more suitable for older middle grade children who are confident readers rather than younger ones. The format particularly lends itself to use as an adult-child readalong book for you to sit down and enjoy together.  

From Gregorian chants, to traditional orchestral standards, jazz, film scores, and avant garde modern pieces, I guarantee this will open your eyes about the nature of classical music and its influence. You may not like everything you listen to, but even if you think classical music is not or you, there really is something here for everyone, and you are sure to find some composers whose music you want to listen to in more depth. As an adult with a pretty good knowledge of classical music I learned so much in a very entertaining way, and I am sure you will too!

Raising the Roof is available to buy now in hardcover.

Thank you to Bonnier Books for ending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Jack Pepper is one of the UK's youngest commissioned composers and youngest-ever national radio presenters. In his teens, he wrote for the Royal Opera House, Classic FM, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Band of HM Royal Marines, alongside pop, jazz and theatre work that saw his music nominated for a Canadian JUNO Award and performed everywhere from the Royal Albert Holl to the Roundhouse. He has presented for Scala Radio and Magic at the Musicals, and hosts both the musical theatre and classical shows for British Airways.

About the illustrator:

Born and raised in Vicenza, Italy, Michele Bruttomesso is an illustrator that consistently brings a touch of joy to every project he works on. A great punk rock music fan, he came to prominence while still in art school by drawing album reviews for local bands. He has illustrated for magazines, children's books, board games, posters and animation. He's the author of Drengexplosion (2019), an experimental webcomic that mixes cartoon and animation.