Bridge of Waves What Music Is and How Listening to It Changes the World

Music is nothing but a sequence of fleeting vibrations that arise and subside. Why can something so insubstantial thrill us, pacify us, or even make us cry? Because, says W. A. Mathieu, whether itrs"s a cantata or a blues jag, a harmonica solo or a symphony, music always reveals the sacred, making a bridge across the space between us and others, and uniting mind and heart within us. Itrs"s truly a mystical path, and you donrs"t even need to listen that deeply to discover it. Mathieurs"s lively and delightful essays lead you to question what music is, how it works, and what itrs"s for. And he shows you how to make music a spiritual practice, to understand its value in your life and in the creation of family and community.

William “Allaudin” Mathieu is a composer and musician whose long and colorful career ranges from his early work with the Stan Kenton band to his compositions for the Second City comedy troupe, to his best-selling recordings on the Windham Hill label in the 1980s. He is the author of The Listening Book, The Musical Life, and Harmonic Experience: Tonal Harmony from Its Natural Origin to Its Modern Expression.