About Music and the Mind

This insightful and wide-ranging book 'About Music' covers topics from the discovery of how harmony works to how the brain is affected by music, from why Beethoven was controversial to how music inspired astronomy, from the showmanship of the Romantics to amazing new technologies and the future. The spectacularly beautiful Offa's Dyke national trail is the backdrop for a walking pilgrimage, while discussing musical matters the entire length of the path.

From the Preface: "This book examines many facets of music, its history, its effect on the mind, fundamental questions about why it exists and its form - how music is put together. The aim is to consider the building blocks and create an understanding of what music is all about."

Here is a book about the great adventure that is music. Music is so much more than an entertainment. It is a life-enhancing experience, enabling communication and understanding in a language that is not limited to the world of surface appearances. The author examines what music has meant to us in the past and what it may be in the future, as he goes in search of the spirit of music.