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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which Beatles song was the first to reach number one in America?

2. Why did George Martin stop taking piano lessons after only eight lessons?

3. The head of promotions at Parlophone was related to which other person in the book?

4. George Martin's fairy godfather helped him to gain admission to which school?

5. As explained by George Martin in Chapter 2, how is orchestration different from composition?

Short Essay Questions

1. Briefly outline George Martin's career experiences before beginning his ultimate career in the recording industry.

2. Whom does George Martin consider to be his fairy godfather, and how did the two meet?

3. Briefly summarize George Martin's experience at the Guildhall School of Music.

4. Why did George Martin's childhood piano lessons end after only eight sessions, and how did he continue to improve his skill?

5. What is the strong warning behind George Martin's pun on a Beatles song, "All You Need Is Ears"?

6. How does George Martin compare the nature of singer/songwriters in the 1950s, when he started at Parlophone, with the situation in 1979, when "All You Need Is Ears" was published?

7. Describe the flat George Martin grew up in, especially its sparse amenities.

8. What was George Martin's opinion of the Beatles talent and potential, upon listening to the demo tapes brought to him by Brian Epstein?

9. Why did the Beatles stand up George Martin in 1964, as described in Chapter 1?

10. Why did George Martin turn down Dick James' offer to take on a share in his company?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What creative techniques, employed by George Martin and the Beatles, caused "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" to be regarded by many as the best album of all time?

Essay Topic 2

Describe George Martin's complex relationship with Debussy's "L'Après-midi d'une faune." How did the piece enhance his understanding of orchestration?

Essay Topic 3

How does George Martin string together the various periods of his life, both professional and personal, and how does he interweave more technical discussions about music, architecture, filmmaking, and technology? Chapter by chapter, how does the book flow to create a cohesive autobiography?

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