Denk, at the age of fifty-one, has written a book that shows what it’s like to be a pianist, but also what it’s like to be Jeremy Denk. As if that were not enough, it is also about the elements of music, and beyond that an account of the ways in which music and life mirror each other. It is a book like none other ... None of these books, however, comes close to the scope of Every Good Boy Does Fine ... Every Good Boy Does Fine...is wildly ambitious, far exceeding the author’s modest description of it as 'the story of piano lessons' ... The book is laid out in musical form: three substantial sections on harmony, melody, and rhythm ... Denk writes feelingly on the artist’s self-dramatization, the formation of a self, sometimes manifesting as arrogance, the conviction that you have something special to contribute to the appreciation of what you are performing, grasping whatever gives you the audacity to present yourself before the public. These are as much the subject of the book as its ostensible subject, piano lessons ... There is one final aspect of the book that contributes substantially to its originality: it is a coming-out story ... As he does throughout the book, Denk weaves invisible threads connecting life and art into something very close to musical form.

Every Good Boy Does Fine, has its share of private sorrow and family conflict. But for the most part this lucid and bittersweet coming-of-age story takes place inside the humdrum world of the studio ... If that sounds like a dull subject, consider that some of the greatest fugues are composed on unpromising theme ... Part of it retraces Denk’s erotic awakening with acuity and compassion. But as that process develops at its own befuddled pace, his conquest of technical difficulties storms ahead, while his musical horizons gradually expand. Inevitably, these different tempos bump up against each other in poignant and sometimes comical ways ... Denk also finds memorable ways to illuminate music theory. Dotted throughout the book are discursions on melody, harmony and rhythm, illustrated through musical examples, which become like a playlist accompanying each chapter. Much of the time, Denk elegantly sidesteps the need for music notation ... Most important, he explains abstract concepts with empathy and precision ... When Denk’s own romantic and sexual resolution arrives, late in the book, he brings the reader into intimacy with his own elation through a grammatical trick as unexpected as one of Schubert’s harmonic modulations. As an unnamed 'you' appears on the page, it feels as if all that came before — the punishing thumb exercises and scales, the blind groping for musical truths — had been nothing more than an organic unfolding, until Denk was at last able to be 'both individual and nature, the sigh and the dance.'

This charming book explores how Denk became a master poet of music. At its heart, the memoir is about not the growth of the pianist but growth of the person ... When the author recounts powerful moments...he writes with both great emotion and restraint ... Sometimes the author tells personal stories from his youth in order to explain musical ideas. At other times, he uses musical conceits to animate larger human experiences ... This memoir is structured as carefully as a sonata. Following the harmony section comes a melody section ... The book's final section about rhythm explores the paradoxical nature of strict form in music.

A unique memoir. It is partly about his own life—a coming-of-age story refracted through the power of music—but it is also about his many years of lessons, and his teachers. Most popular narratives about music center on the finished product—the triumphant concert, the celebrated album—but Denk focuses instead on the far-less-glamorous process of becoming ... Denk is one of the most articulate writers on classical music working today ... Subjective experiences are difficult to document, and Denk does so memorably and passionately. But he soon gets bogged down in the humdrum details of his early family life, in dull, plodding passages that read like they were no fun to recount, but were there to fulfill the brief of a memoir. Every Good Boy soars back when he discusses music, in pages brimming with enthusiasm, energy, and humor ... The reader develops a deep appreciation for all the small things that musicians do to make the work come alive ... Chapters on melody, harmony, and rhythm are interwoven with personal reminiscences, hand-drawn musical diagrams, and analysis. In a way, it is many books in one, and therein lies some confusion. Every Good Boy balances somewhere between an autobiography, a collection of teachings, and a more general discussion of working in classical music. Though it is arranged chronologically, it is sometimes choppy ... While Every Good Boy Does Fine may be imperfect, it’s also an honest and profound immersion into the reality and artistry of performing classical music.

Every Good Boy Does Fine, is far more than an autobiography. In fact, it is the finest volume of its ambitious type that I’ve ever encountered ... Part of me wants to simply write: read this book. However, I realize that my credibility, though considerable given that I am an Arts Fuse critic, does not have much sway on book sales, so some convincing exegesis is necessary ... Analysis of music is an important part of Every Good Boy Does Fine. He does this brilliantly ... Denk’s insights into the music of composers whose repertoire he concentrates on — especially Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven — are rich ... Superb ... He is a sensitive and articulate polymath who can elucidate ideas with wit, humor, and style. Because, for him, the line between music and life is so permeable, what he has to say is as revealing about life as it is about music. His is a rare talent.

Such writing, alert and alive, is characteristic of Denk ... Young pianists who read this book will learn how working with string-playing colleagues can teach them a lot about music, and not a little about love ... Once Sebők is on the scene – once Denk is perplexed, enthralled, exhilarated, despondent – the book takes off ... Denk captures the comedy of the moment, and in doing so turns this almost-nothing into something arresting, something with consequences. He makes the music speak, all the time, as Sebők wished. He plays it and plays with it. He makes it laugh.

Initially a short piece of the same title in the New Yorker, this expanded memoir plunges fully into the personal and professional delights and despairs of a life centered on learning and teaching music. In between Denk’s recounting of his personal history are chapters analyzing and ruminating on selected pieces of music...as illustrations of how melody, harmony, and rhythm build music that moves listeners emotionally ... Already noted for his skillful writing on music, Denk proves equally adept at memoir. Anyone with an interest in music will find this an excellent read; those with a good grounding in classical music or with time to listen and reflect on the pieces Denk analyzes will find this book even more rewarding.

Raucous ... At its heart are evocative sketches of Denk’s teachers and their lessons—which can feel like philosophy seminars...but always unveil some deep musical truth. Denk’s sparkling prose, frankness, and humor make for an indelible portrait of the musician as a bewildered kid.

With remarkable detail, the author recalls the countless hours of music lessons, as well as the demands of his parents and teachers, that helped shape him into a MacArthur-winning musician and frequent performer at Carnegie Hall ... The author recounts the ups and downs of each phase of his educational career, with a particular focus on the input he received from his teachers. Along the way, he offers readers lessons in harmony, melody, and rhythm. Musicians and music enthusiasts will appreciate this journey of self-discovery.