I’ve finished Tori Amos: Piece by Piece and it was a delightful read. It was a pretty emotional experience. I’ve already written about it earlier but here’s a few more insights into what makes it so great and so important to me:

Chapters 3 and 5, which describe how Tori writes her songs and transfers them into studio recordings and live shows. Chapter 3 starts with an incredible poem. Two pages of why and how Tori is the person she is and it conveys the passion she has for her piano. You’d think the live shows were quite straightforward, and certainly if you’re doing the same show night after night they are, but Tori doesn’t. Every show is conceived and tailored to the location, venue and everything else that’s happening at the time. It’s a meticulous arrangement.

Chapter 4, Demeter: The Journey into Motherhood. All of it. I spent the whole time thinking I had no idea. What you read in the music press is only a tiny piece of the whole story. If you ever need to work out priorities read this chapter.

Chapter 6, Sane Satyres and Balanced Bacchantes: The Touring Life’s Gypsy Caravan: Yes, it’s all about touring, so it’s grown from Chapter 5, but if you’re a manager of any kind of group or organisation, or you are responsible for them, this chapter provides great wisdom.

Chapter 8, The Lioness: Surviving the Music Business: Ever wondered why To Venus and Back has a live CD as well as a studio CD? Or why and how the Strange Little Girls project came about? Or the rationale for Atlantic Record’s Tails of a Librarian compilation? I had ideas when they were released. Call them artistic suspicions. I should have paid more attention. I’ve written before about musicians who get screwed by their record companies. Tori, fortunately, is wised up to this and more. Chapter 8 is monumental, hence the (cleaned up) title of this post. Anyone who is thinking of going into the music industry should read her experiences.

But there’s one section above all else that I feel the need to repeat here. I’m probably not legally allowed to, but it’s important to me that I do so. Whilst I was reading the book I became utterly convinced that in my next life (and let’s face it there will be one), I want to write music. That’s all I want to do. This from Tori:

“I’ve felt music’s integrating effect throughout my own life. Music more than anything else is what keeps me on this planet. I don’t know if in another life I would be given music. So I’m going to create with it as much as I can. It is the only universal language that’s tangible. Love is a universal language, but that’s a much more abstract concept than being able to communicate with anyone in the world because the two of you can dance to a rhythm that we all innately understand without having to say a word. Music is more than a privilege; without it, I really don’t know how I would cope. It’s one reason I haven’t gone off the rails.”