{"id":21976,"date":"2024-07-12T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/?p=21976"},"modified":"2024-07-11T16:46:49","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T15:46:49","slug":"house-of-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/2024\/07\/12\/house-of-music\/","title":{"rendered":"HOUSE OF MUSIC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Books and magazines: the Kanneh-Mason family<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

to complement a new album<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norman Warwick suggests HOUSE OF MUSIC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We related news yesterday of a new album by the gifted cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, a member of a family of seven young classical musicians,  rightly much feted by a couple of BBC documentary specials over the last two or three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We take this opportunity to remind any of you who remain unaware of the family\u00b4s story that you can catch up with all that has happened to them through a couple of books that are still in the bookshops and outlets like Amazon and Kindle and all good bookstores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the books is by the Mother of the Kanneh-Mason musicians. Kadiatu was a smiling, confident and a very proud mum, as shown  in those tv documentaries, her voice rings truly in this excellent biography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason is a former lecturer at Birmingham University and the mother of seven children. The third eldest, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, was BBC Young Musician 2016 and performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The siblings have performed at the 2018 BAFTA ceremony, Britain\u2019s Got Talent<\/em>, The Royal Variety Performance and at major concert halls around the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven brothers and sisters, all of them classically trained musicians, lived together in this eponymous House Of Music. One was Young Musician of the Year and performed for the royal family. The eldest has released her first album, showcasing the works of Clara Schumann. These siblings don\u2019t come from the rarefied environment of elite music schools, but from a state comprehensive in Nottingham. \u00a0It is hard to imagine how they did it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their mother opens up about what it takes to raise a musical family in a Britain divided by class and race. What comes out is a beautiful and heartrending memoir of the power of determination, camaraderie and a lot of hard work. The Kanneh-Masons are a remarkable family. But what truly sparkles in this eloquent memoir is the joyous affirmation that children are a gift and we must do all we can to nurture them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

House Of Music was the winner of the indie book award 2022 for non-fiction as well as the winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Storytelling Award 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The critics were pretty unanimous in their praise of this lovely story, and its teller, with these below being typical examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I was entranced… Beautifully written and hugely enjoyable.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Riveting, taking in prejudice as well as sacrifice. There are 4.30am starts, lost instruments, fractured wrists, all captured with vivid flourishes. A paean to camaraderie.\u2019 Observer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018An amazing, compelling, moving, unforgettable story…\u2019 Lady Antonia Fraser<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018[Kadiatu\u2019s] frank memoir reveals the eye-watering level of practical, emotional, intellectual and financial commitment required to raise seven outstanding classical musicians. Her beautiful, wise writing is its own music.\u2019 <\/em>Daily Mail<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason\u2019s story offers a ray of sunshine. Her account of the daily struggle to manage the musical education of her family\u2019s seven talented children reaches a triumphant conclusion when second son, cellist Sheku, achieves worldwide fame in 2018, playing at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Financial Times<\/strong>,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The story runs deeper\u2026 Kadiatu makes no secret of the sacrifices she\u2019s had to make, whether physical (pregnancy never agreed with her), career (she gave up her job as an English lecturer 21 years ago), or financial.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daily Express<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The unique story of a unique family. Unique? Well I can\u2019t think of any other family with seven children, all of whom are prodigiously talented musicians. Kadiatu gives a glorious account of how she and husband Stuart came to realise that from the earliest age their children communicated through music. She gives an honest account of the burdens as well as the joys, as she and Stuart knew they had a duty to fulfil, which imposed enormous financial strain on them. Now they can relish their children\u2019s achievements \u2014 including Sheku\u2019s performance at a royal wedding \u2014 and know all the sacrifice was worth it. Kadiatu combines this with a searing account of growing up as a mixed-race child in the Britain of the 70s. A deeply intimate and honest read on so many levels.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Suchet<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018A memoir that both candidly portrays and fiercely protects [Kanneh-Mason\u2019s] brood\u2026 The fortitude and determination of the parents leap from every page.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guardian<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u2018I was entranced by the inspirational memoir about an exceptional family of very young musicians who have already achieved phenomenal success\u2026 Beautifully written and hugely enjoyable, this book shows us what it takes to nurture children to fulfil their potential and offer their unique gifts to the world.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bernardine Evaristo<\/strong>

\u2018The Kanneh-Masons are a unique family and the family\u2019s matriarch, Kadiatu, has written a suitably unique and fascinating account of how day-to-day life works in an extraordinary household.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julian Lloyd Webber<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Having just spent time working with my friend Sheku at Abbey Road it\u2019s wonderful to read about him and his terrific family.  All the DNA that makes him one of the most important classical musicians \u2013 actually make that \u201call around\u201d musicians \u2013 of his generation is captured so well in this loving book.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nile Rodgers

<\/strong>\u2018This book is about hard work, determination and a triumph against the odds. It is truly inspirational!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Smith

<\/strong>\u2018Eloquent and inspirational\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surrey Life

<\/strong>\u2018An engaging and informative account of hard work and dedication, given context by [Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason\u2019s] experiences of growing up with a Sierra Leonean father and a Welsh mother in 1970s\u20131980s Britain.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herald<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These days it is rare to read issues of the classical music magazine media that do not include features or interviews with one, two, three, four, five, six or even all seven of these musical maestros. In fact, the latest (June\/July 2024) edition of Pianist, the glossy magazine, features a very lengthy, informative and inspirational interview with Janeba Kanneh-Mason. She speaks of how she warms up for recitals and rehearsals. Janeba was one of  the stars, (although all seven of these young musicians seem to have endearing personalities). Janeba\u00b4s joy of music, however, probably revealed  the key to their success.  That key is the unbridled love they all have for their chosen instruments and the House Of Music.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason\u00a0is a former lecturer at Birmingham University and the mother of seven children. The third eldest, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, was BBC Young Musician 2016 and performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.\u00a0The siblings have performed at the 2018 BAFTA ceremony,\u00a0Britain\u2019s Got Talent, The Royal Variety Performance and at major concert halls around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,13,45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-and-tradition","category-literary","category-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21976"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22068,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21976\/revisions\/22068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aata.dev\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}