Wrong Sex, Wrong Instrument
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.60 (670 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B005F049M0 |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 189 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-09-07 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Now retired after forty years with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Maggie gives a fascinating and humorous insight into every aspect of her working life, including tours, conductors, composers, soloists, colleagues, recording contracts and educational work, as well as her own family life and the social conditions of wartime England and post-war Eastern Europe. Now retired and no longer silenced by a contract, Maggie Cotton presents an honest and long-overdue player’s perspective of life inside a professional symphony orchestra, describing how she became the first female percussionist in what was initially a staunchly male-dominated world. Bolstered by her gritty Yorkshire roots, and naively undeterred by overwhelming odds, Maggie overcame many hurdles in pursuit of her ambition to play percussion in a professional symphony orchestra, in so doing transforming the face of women in that field from one of novelty circus performer to respected professional and colleague.
About the AuthorMaggie Cotton was born in Yorkshire in 1937 and has devoured music since her very early pianistic beginnings as a child. Maggie's other published books are Percussion Work Book and Agogo Bells to Xylophone.. Since retirement, having played for the orchestra for forty years (eighteen with Simon Rattle), she has also worked as a music critic, and has at last gathered her experiences, from a player's perspective, of the colorful and deeply satisfying world of the professional symphony orchestra in her autobiography, Wrong Sex, Wrong Instrument. In the late 1950s, three years after leaving
In the late 1950s, three years after leaving school, she trail-blazed her way into the male-dominated profession of symphony orchestra musician, landing herself a contract as a percussionist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Maggie Cotton was born in Yorkshire in 1937 and has devoured music since he
"So entertaining" according to sarah jane. An entertaining read that gripped you and makes you interested in the author and classical music. An epic story that is touching, funny and sad at times.