House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-MasonsWINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARD 2022 FOR NON-FICTION WINNER OF THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY STORYTELLING AWARD 2021 ‘Riveting, 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.’ Observer Seven brothers and sisters. All of them classically trained musicians. 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’t come from the rarefied environment of elite music schools, but from a state comprehensive in Nottingham. How did they do it? Their mother, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, 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. |
Contents
Growing | |
The First Piano | |
From the Margins | |
The Magic of Time | |
A Surprise Beginning | |
The Importance of Failure | |
Doors Flung Open | |
At the Precipice | |
Revelations | |
Falling Out of the | |
Of Guardians and Gifts | |
Mind and Body | |
When the Days Are Dark | |
Becoming Parents | |
Moving Again | |
Nature and Nurture | |
Of Troth and Allegiance | |
Family Identity and Kindness | |
Talent and Sacrifice | |
Into the | |
In the Spotlight | |
House of Music and Memories | |
The Year We Lost and Found | |
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