A Musical Childhood in Pictures

A Musical Childhood in Pictures is a beautifully curated book of black & white photographs following Grammy award-winning Mark O'Connor's childhood music career during the 1970s bluegrass and old-time music scene. It is a companion to O'Connor's aching memoir Crossing Bridges: My Journey from Child Prodigy to Fiddler Who Dared the World. A Musical Childhood in Pictures featuring the photography of O'Connor's mother, Marty O'Connor (1930-1982), traces the narrative of the memoir with never-before-published images of young Mark and the legendary musicians he learned from and performed with including his fellow teenagers at the time, Vince Gill and Marty Stuart, to his command performance before President Ronald Reagan introduced by Merle Haggard. The journey begins when at age 10 he was winning classical guitar competitions against University graduates, and at age 12 was thrust as a soloist onto the Grand Ole Opry stage introduced by the "King of Country Music," Roy Acuff. The layout follows him on the road as national fiddle and guitar champion, touring with his jazz violin mentor Stephane Grappelli, to his involvement in some of the world's most iconic instrumental bands such as The Dregs. O'Connor's memoir details the personal triumphs, struggles and demons that informed the decisions he made about his music, career path and the risks he was willing to take for a shot at the brass ring.