Every Good Boy Does Fine

A Love Story, in Music Lessons

By: Jeremy Denk

Narrated by: Jeremy Denk

Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A beautifully written, witty memoir that is also an immersive exploration of classical music—its power, its meanings, and what it can teach us about ourselves—from the MacArthur “Genius” Grant–winning pianist

LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL • “Jeremy Denk has written a love letter to the music, and especially to the music teachers, in his life.”—Conrad Tao, pianist and composer

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker

In Every Good Boy Does Fine, renowned pianist Jeremy Denk traces an implausible journey. His life is already a little tough as a precocious, temperamental six-year-old piano prodigy in New Jersey, and then a family meltdown forces a move to New Mexico. There, Denk must please a new taskmaster, an embittered but devoted professor, while navigating junior high school. At sixteen he escapes to college in Ohio, only to encounter a bewildering new cast of music teachers, both kind and cruel. After many humiliations and a few triumphs, he ultimately finds his way as a world-touring pianist, a MacArthur “Genius,” and a frequent performer at Carnegie Hall.

Many classical music memoirs focus on famous musicians and professional accomplishments, but this book focuses on the everyday: neighborhood teacher, high school orchestra, local conductor. There are few writers capable of so deeply illuminating the trials of artistic practice—hours of daily repetition, mystifying advice, pressure from parents and teachers. But under all this struggle is a love letter to the act of teaching.

In lively, endlessly imaginative prose, Denk dives deeply into the pieces and composers that have shaped him—Bach, Mozart, and Brahms, among others—and offers lessons on melody, harmony, and rhythm. How do melodies work? Why is harmony such a mystery to most people? Why are teachers so obsessed with the metronome?

In Every Good Boy Does Fine, Denk shares the most meaningful lessons of his life, and tries to repay a debt to his teachers. He also reminds us that we must never stop asking questions about music and its purposes: consolation, an armor against disillusionment, pure pleasure, a diversion, a refuge, and a vehicle for empathy.

©2022 Jeremy Denk (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This one-of-a-kind musical autobiography by one of our most brilliant and perceptive classical musicians is part illumination of the essence of the musical discourse and part deeply personal, sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious confession of the long and tortuous road to maturity and mastery of a sublime art. Denk’s teachers, alternately inspiring, exasperating, demanding, adoring, and deploring, are evoked in delicious detail in a book that is as sophisticated as a Bach fugue and as American as Tater Tots and Kmart.” - John Adams, composer

“A boy tumbles into manhood while learning classical piano in this raucous coming-of-age memoir . . . Denk’s sparkling prose, frankness, and humor make for an indelible portrait of the musician as a bewildered kid.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Among the many virtues of this funny and moving book - its frankness, its generous preservation of wisdom from mentors past, its breathtaking insights about how and why music affects us - one stands out above the rest: It makes me want to practice.” - Conrad Tao, pianist and composer

Musical examples make this shine

I started reading the book but then was told that the audiobook had musical examples, which completely changed the reading / listening experience.

Frazier

I enjoyed the authors journey but couldn’t help imagining it as a spin off of the TV series Frazier. The main character, of course, being Niles Crane.

Best Audio Book I’ve Listened To

The elegant incorporation of music played by the author into the text takes this to a new place. The text is great on its own, but the addition of the music enhances the experience greatly. Mr. Denk is also a very good reader, and that adds to the effect as well. If you like music and in particular classical music, this book is a must listen.

Stunning

One of the most amazing performances I have ever “read..” Jeremy Denk takes us on a roller coaster of brilliance, music, love and metaphor. Can’t wait to listen to it again!

Great book.

I’m a pianist and have taught piano for 50 years. This was the best book I’ve ever read about the difficult process of training as a musician. I loved reading about the inspiring teaching of Georgy Sebok as much as I loved the anecdotes about teaching less than sterling students. Denk is marvelous musician with a beautifully imaginative and sensitive way of talking about music. He’s also got a wonderful sense of humor! I loved this book.

Wonderful

This is an absolutely wonderful book and a terrific read by the author I recommend it for any musician and for those who love music with the understanding that a little bit of knowledge of music will help you appreciate the book that much more than if you had not that even cursory introduction to the classical side of music performance

Every Good Reader

I loved the beauty of Denk’s writing, the clarity of his processing and insight, and the joy of hearing the music coalescing with the text. Just wish there was more music!

So similar it’s scary

I’ve so far only heard Jeremy once, a few years back at UMD, and (apart from a little post-concert meet-and-greet) don’t know him personally, but I almost feel like we’re the same person after listening to this. From the early-on treacherous ability to sight-read everything really well to the (comparatively) late realization of, hey, you have a body too (and subsequent allowance of homosexual experiences), I was relating so hard to so much of this. Add to that his incredible gift for non-pretentiously philosophizing and wondering out loud about various aspects of music and life, and you have a must-listen for all musicians and even a good portion of the general public. The musical examples are beautifully chosen, and there is very little “getting into the weeds” about cerebral music stuff. Thanks, Jeremy, for this love-letter to an art form that entrances so many of us. (And, for what it’s worth, I feel like my own teacher—Leon Fleisher, whom I was happy to hear you mention a couple times—would have enjoyed it, too.)

Exemplary Audiobook!

Denk is a fine writer and I was ambivalent about choosing the audiobook version of this memoir. I went with this version because Denk himself is the reader and I knew he had an engaging voice. I didn't know beforehand that the audio version contains brief illustrative musical passages from some of the works he discusses. They're brilliantly done, not overdone, and really add richness to the stories he tells. His gift for metaphor and simile illuminate parts of the interior of his great talent.

Transcendent writing and ideas

I've never heard music described this way -- as poetry and story. Incredible to hear such an accomplished musician speak so humbly and so lovingly about an incredibly hard career.