What a Song Can Do: 12 Riffs on the Power of Music

by Jennifer Armstrong (editor)

This compelling collection of stories explores the powerful impact that music has in our lives—especially in the lives of teens. Each story strikes a new Ron Koertge introduces us to the boys in the band—the marching band; Joseph Bruchac contributes a Native American boy with no rhythm whatsoever; Jennifer Armstrong writes about what was perhaps the first battle of the bands—during the American Civil War; and David Levithan offers up a love song that speaks powerfully to an unintended audience. But while each story is different, they combine into harmonic song of praise—for the depths music can reach in us, and the power it has to bind us together.

Genres: Short Stories, Young Adult, Music, Anthologies, Teen

200 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 8, 2004

About the author

Jennifer Armstrong learned to read and write in Switzerland, in a small school for English speaking children on the shores of Lake Zurich. The school library had no librarian and no catalog – just shelves of interesting books. She selected books on her own, read what she could, and made up the rest. It was perfect. As a result, she made her career choice – to become an author – in first grade. When she and her family returned to the U.S. she discovered that not all children wrote stories and read books, and that not all teachers thought reading real books was important. Nevertheless, she was undaunted. Within a year of leaving college she was a free-lance ghost writer for a popular juvenile book series, and before long published her first trade novel, Steal Away, which won her a Golden Kite Honor for fiction.

More than fifty additional novels and picture books followed, and before long she also tried her hand at nonfiction, winning an Orbis Pictus Award and a Horn Book Honor for her first nonfiction book, Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. In late 2003 she will travel to the South Pole with the National Science Foundation to do research for a book on ice.

Reviews

[Ashley Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Song Can Do is most definitely a well-put together book filled with twelve different perspectives on how music really can change the lives of so many people on this earth, and how music lies within every breathing moment of the lives of an enormous percentage of people. I loved reading the different mini stories that different "authors" in What a Song Can Do told because in each "mini-story", the different authors shared in diverse ways their story of how music has influenced their life. Readers can learn a multitude of life lessons and develop an appreciation for music and people around them through the stories in this book by looking at others situations (dealing with music) and seeing them in a different fashion. What a Song Can Do certainly has the capability to change the lives of every reader that picks up this book, because of the greatness of the power of music it expresses through words to make our everyday lives enjoyable.

Jennifer Armstrong truly has a talent for writing, arranging, and editing books, including What a Song Can Do and many others. This book is written very well in that each mini-story flowed right to the next in an upbeat rhythm, no matter the mood of the story just read or the story the reader is beginning to start. What I found to be extremely creative and empowering to the reader is that you can actually feel as if you were involved within one of the many great stories within this brilliant collection of stories. Jennifer Armstrong has a unique writing style that she takes advantage of to communicate powerful words.
An interesting fact that readers will find is that no matter how much talent you have naturally or developed, everyone can still keep music in their lives. Music is an internationally known language and brings us all together, and Jennifer Armstrong used that idea and creatively constructed this wonderful piece of “artwork”. Jennifer Armstrong "composed" these 12 mini-stories into one book sending an overall message that I honestly believe affects everyone's life, most definitely in a positive way: you can discover a completely new life and perspective when you enter the musical world for the first time, and repeatedly. What can a song do? Read this wonderful piece of musically inspired and themed book to find out how music can really change a person’s life.

[Ms W · Rating 2 out of 5]

MsW: Easy read to flip back and forth through, stories like these swirl in my head quite often, I've been drawn to music for as long as I can remember. I might have to write a few riffs of my own some day...my Gramma teaching me piano notes by cutting the sides of a shoe box, writing the scale and sticking it in behind the keys; super fun afternoons in her spare room singing church hymns and gospel standards at the top of my lungs in tune with the guitars and piano played by uncles and Gramma and Grampa; in 5th grade, wanting to be in band so badly that I showed up to that class one day sure that the only instrument we could afford would get me a seat, but being heartlessly told by the director that no, a recorder was not a band instrument; getting my first guitar, with plastic strings, but a guitar! I played it continuously until I got distracted by sports, but to this day wonder where it might've taken me if I'd stuck with it; getting my first record player, a red plastic case with a manual arm-my most memorable 45's were Bad Moon Risin', A-B-C, and Stop in the Name of Love...I still have them, and just might have to put 'em on the platter again real soon :)

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really enjoyed these short stories. Perfect for a 7th/8th grades middle school (upper MG, lower YA) music teacher looking for reading to supplement the English teachers' objectives. Stories are from many different POVs, such as: a story about an Abenaki boy by Joseph Bruchac; a Polish Jewish guitar player; a gay singer / songwriter; a Muslim piano player in Ramallah; a violin audition to raise money for a youth orchestra tour; two teens with synesthesia who find each other through a shared piano; and more. A really good collection for the musicians in your family, as well!

Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?

Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved it, it was very inspiring to any musician, wanna be, or to anyone who just plain loves music. like me:)

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also read this while lying on a bunk bed in South Carolina, but it was a different bed than the one I read Amalee on. I loved the first chapter the most, but the rest was awesome, though I didn't like the indian story as much as the others even though I forget what they were.

[Janette Grimshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give this between a 3 and a 4; it depends on the story since I liked some stories more than others. Ones I might consider using in class would be. . .
--Riffs
--Piano Obsession
--The Audition
--Tangled Notes in Watermelon
--The Gypsy's Violin
--New Town

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve short stories all relating to the power of music in the lives of teenagers. These charming stories are written by such amazing authors as Ron Koertge, David Levithan, James Bruchac, and of course, the editor herself. A magnificent collection of stories.

[kinsey]

I'm still reading this book right now but it seems pretty good so far.
It's pretty interesting.

[MsDanaE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Putting into words what music does for us is a difficult thing to do. The authors in this book of short stories do a unique job at trying to find words to describe music.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the collaboration of stories. My two very favourites were Tangled Notes in Watermelon(so cute), and Ballad of a Prodigy.

[Anne Kerley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The article on synesthesia basically describes my life. Enjoyed this compilation.

[Cesar · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this book is amazing