By Stephanie Reister
Rowan Public Library

Music is considered a universal language, but as George Bernard Shaw quipped, “Though music be a universal language, it is spoken with all sorts of accents.” Find your own musical interpretations at Rowan Public Library.

RPL has a variety biographies and memoirs of musicians, singers, songwriters and the people who have supported them. “Music is History” is written by Questlove, Grammy-winning founder of The Roots and musical director of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” He reminisces about his experiences with music and provides analysis of American history and contemporary music from 1971 to the present.

In “Anatomy of a Song” Marc Myers, contributor to the “Wall Street Journal,” ponders 45 songs that he believes transformed rock, rhythm and blues, and pop from 1952 to 1991. “Devil’s Music, Holy Rollers and Hillbillies” by James A. Cosby explains rock and roll’s earliest roots from slavery to segregation and discusses the personalities that have evolved the genre.

DVDs include music-related movies, artist performances, documentaries and instrument instruction. “Yesterday” is a quirky film that explores what happens when only one guy on the planet remembers the Beatles, and their music, existed. “Dolly: The Ultimate Collection” is a retrospective of performances from the beloved country singer.

North Carolina’s music history is also represented in RPL’s collections. “Step it Up & Go” by David Menconi chronicles NC’s contributions to popular music. He profiles the artists of the homegrown music scene that spans many decades and genres.

RPL’s “Come Gather ‘Round Good People” podcast by librarian David Lamanno shares the history of a folk song with NC ties. Lamanno then performs the song, at times accompanied by library associate Kim Dinkins. Find the podcast on RPL’s SoundCloud channel at bit.ly/RPLSoundCloud.

Maybe you’re inspired to write your own song. Wilco’s frontman Jeff Tweedy shares his approach to song writing in “How to Write One Song.” He gives readers permission to write one song at a time, not fret over trying to write multiple songs at once. Tweedy’s humble and accessible style bestows confidence on aspiring writers to pen their own lyrics.

Wondering what it takes to make a living as a musician? “How to Make It in the New Music Business” by Ari Herstand is a detailed, current overview of the industry. Herstand shares his perspective and knowledge of the ever-changing music business in which DIY musicians have usurped a fair amount of power from record companies.

Music is the soundtrack to our lives and there are many stories behind the music itself. Whatever your musical interests, RPL inevitably will have something that’s your jam.

Stephanie Reister is children’s librarian at Rowan Public Library.