A collection of personal essays written by soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome.

Be Inspired, Stay Focused: Creativity, Learning, and the Business of Music is an engaging and inspiring collection of personal essays written by soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome. This book is a must-read for those wanting real insight into how a creative musician thinks about his or her craft and an honest and nuanced perspective of the music business. There's a little something in here for everybody:

The aspiring musician;

The seasoned musician;

The jazz fan;

The jazz writer;

The jazz educator;

And everyday folks seeking inspiration and new ways to connect to this music we love called jazz.

Sam Newsome is a soprano saxophonist and the director of the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports, and Entertainment. He has released several critically acclaim recordings as leader and has appeared on more than 40 as a side person. Since 2006, he has become a specialist in solo performance and extended techniques, and has released numerous recording showcasing the soprano in this unconventional format, along with his innovative prepared saxophone techniques.

He began focusing on writing in 2010 upon starting his blog Soprano Sax Talk, http://sopranosaxtalk.blogspot.com/ where he posts about topics that range from extended saxophone techniques to finding one's own artistic voice.

His writings have been mentioned in the Huffington Post and National Public Radio's A Blog Supreme.

To learn more about Sam Newsome, please visit him at http://www.somenewmusic.com or http://www.sopranosaxtalk.blogspot.com