Don't Shoot! I'm the Guitar Man
by Buzzy Martin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Buzzy MartinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2010-09-07
ISBN: 0425240053
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Book Reviews of Don't Shoot! I'm the Guitar Man
Book Review: Don't Shoot! Zeroes in on life in prison.
Summary: 4 Stars
Don't Shoot! I'm the Guitar Man is a title that sets a pretty high level of expectation. I wasn't sure what to think as I looked over the book I had agreed to review. I quickly found out that the title isn't a humorous one or a tongue-in-cheek approach by the author to grab your attention. This was for real.
Buzzy Martin is a real musician who plays with real bands. He has lived his life with the belief that those with talent and knowledge should give back wherever they can make a difference - and he practices that belief no matter where it takes him. After working for a long time, teaching music in juvenile hall to youth who are termed "at risk" for turning to an adult life of crime and gang membership, Buzzy was invited to teach a music course at the infamous San Quentin prison.
This book covers the time that he spent inside the "Q" on a weekly basis for three and a half years, teaching music and giving self-worth to convicts, some of whom would never breathe the air of freedom again. The book is presented with a weekly commentary, much like the journal process he used to jot down his thoughts and feelings after each class. But don't think for a second that it's a boring or sappy story.
Buzzy describes the feeling of entering the prison well; the fear and tension are nearly tangible. The attitudes of the guards and prisoners come through loud and clear, from the guards' warnings to the heckling and testing of the music teacher as he passed with a guard escort, to the teary-eyed gratitude of his classes as they thanked him for braving the prison walls to give them a lifeline. You experience with him the blaring sirens and running guards as they respond to prison fights. You learn how important it is to never act without thinking while inside the Q. The language is reflective of that used inside as he quotes inmates and guards, and reflects on adrenaline filled moments of his visits. There is also sexual content as prisoners openly inform him of what his juvenile students can expect when they get their desired trip to the Q to "kick it with their homies."
I could feel his pain as he strove to understand how men could prefer living in such harsh conditions where they live in cages and are told what to do and when. I could also sense his relief when he would take that first breath of fresh air after leaving the prison gates. This book gave me a new, REAL understanding of what it's like for someone to live behind prison bars, or to be one of those who volunteers to go inside to alleviate the conditions there-if only for a moment.
I recommend reading this book, with the understanding that there is strong language and sexual content. We all know that prison life isn't pretty, but this book gives a glimpse of the reality that is life inside one of the nation's most notorious prison facilities.
Summary of Don't Shoot! I'm the Guitar Man
This is the story of lifelong musician Buzzy Martin, music teacher to the hardened criminals inside the walls of San Quentin Prison-and what he learned, note by incredible note.
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