The First Notes: The Story of Do, Re, Mi by Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews’ uplifting lyrics from the iconic 1965 film The Sound of Music ring even truer in a just-released picture book The First Notes: The Story of Do, Re, Mi (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), which introduces readers to the remarkable story of Guido d’Arezzo’s development of musical notation.
The book, written by Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, a young Italian monk named Guido centuries ago longed to find a way to write and teach music. Eventually, he created the musical scale, using the words Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do…one syllable for each note.
Though the other monks thought it was a waste of time, Guido’s music couldn’t be silenced. His discovery remains the foundation for learning music today, and inspired the famous song “Do-Re-Mi,” which Julie Andrews sang in The Sound of Music.
This richly illustrated picture book from Andrews and Hamilton,aimed at readers ages 4 to 8, is a charming and beautiful introduction to readers about musical notation. In addition to the lyrics of “Do-Re-Mi” illustrated in full color, the backmatter includes an author’s note, extensive historical notes, and a glossary.
Says Publishers Weekly, “Andrews and Hamilton’s step-by-step prose, and [Chiara] Fedele’s colored pencil, gouache, and watercolor illustrations of vibrant Italian landscapes…successfully combine to evoke strong emotions around Guido’s eventual success.”
