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Published by She Writes Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Offering a uniquely musical perspective on the #MeToo experience, this is the story of a talented and fiercely determined musician—a young woman with everything to gain and, ultimately, nothing left to lose—who finds a way through despite multiple betrayals by the men in her life.
She won the audition of her dreams . . . only to find that her beloved mentor had become her most dangerous enemy.
Growing up in the shadow of a brilliant older sister, ignored by a father who dismissed her ambitions, music was the one place Ernestine belonged. Her flute teacher saw what no one else did: talent, fire, and potential. For years, he was the father she never had. So when at twenty she wins a seat in the Atlanta Symphony, sitting beside the mentor she adores, it is everything she’s ever wanted. Until, without warning, he turns against her.
In the months that follow, the man who once inspired and supported Ernestine does all he can to destroy her—chipping away at her confidence with relentless verbal attacks, undermining her position, and threatening the career she’s worked so hard to build—until, confused, isolated, and spiraling, she faces a choice no young artist should ever have to make.
Set in the fiercely competitive world of classical music, Countermelodies is a story of betrayal, resilience, and a stubborn love of music that refuses to be silenced.
She won the audition of her dreams . . . only to find that her beloved mentor had become her most dangerous enemy.
Growing up in the shadow of a brilliant older sister, ignored by a father who dismissed her ambitions, music was the one place Ernestine belonged. Her flute teacher saw what no one else did: talent, fire, and potential. For years, he was the father she never had. So when at twenty she wins a seat in the Atlanta Symphony, sitting beside the mentor she adores, it is everything she’s ever wanted. Until, without warning, he turns against her.
In the months that follow, the man who once inspired and supported Ernestine does all he can to destroy her—chipping away at her confidence with relentless verbal attacks, undermining her position, and threatening the career she’s worked so hard to build—until, confused, isolated, and spiraling, she faces a choice no young artist should ever have to make.
Set in the fiercely competitive world of classical music, Countermelodies is a story of betrayal, resilience, and a stubborn love of music that refuses to be silenced.
Product Details
- Publisher: She Writes Press (September 24, 2024)
- Length: 320 pages
- ISBN13: 9781647427337
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Raves and Reviews
2024 NYC Big Book Awards Winner in Memoir
“A disturbing and compelling tale of resilience, determination, and musical passion.”—Kirkus Reviews
"Whitman has composed a remarkable work, a musical memoir that is symphonic in scope, emotional range, and musical nuance . . . she expertly weaves together themes of heart wrenching tragedy and despair with themes of uplifting joy and triumph. And pulsing beneath each word, sentence, and melodic phrase, the undeniable transformational power of courage, resilience, and hope. Once I began the musical journey, I couldn’t put it down. Brava!"—Brian Pertl, Dean, Lawrence Conservatory of Music
“. . . In this memoir you will learn about the inner workings of professional orchestras and brush shoulders with luminaries, but the most important lesson it delivers is how to overcome pernicious self-doubt.”—?Jean Feraca, author of I Hear Voices: A Memoir of Love, Death, and the Radio
“In her candid and courageous memoir, flutist Ernestine Whitman traces the long term impact of psychological abuse encountered within a dysfunctional family . . . will be of great interest to music lovers curious about the professional music world and the need for steely determination in order to survive and succeed.”—?Leone Buyse, Professor Emerita, The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University; former principal flutist, Boston Pops Orchestra and acting principal flutist, Boston Symphony Orchestra
“When Ernestine Whitman became a professional flutist, classical music was a man’s world. Opposed by her judgmental father, she learned to fight for her art, navigating encounters with dangerously insecure men and holding fast to her flute until it became the means of her transcendence. At turns funny and frightening, Countermelodies is a glorious masterclass in music history, feminist resilience, and memory.”—?David McGlynn, author of The End of the Straight and Narrow and One Day You’ll Thank Me
“What was it like to forge a path as a woman in a male-dominated field generations before the #MeToo movement? . . . a courageous, engrossing, and exquisitely written portrait of the artist as a young woman. Part coming of age, part coming to terms, Countermelodies is the story of a gifted flutist making her way in classical music at a time when men got away with unimaginable abuses of power. Like the most sophisticated sonatas, it’s stirring, unsettling, and, in the end, triumphant.”—?Eleanor Henderson, professor at Ithaca College and author of Ten Thousand Saints and Everything I Have Is Yours: A Marriage
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