"Author John Bird invites us to discover how music touches us throughout our lives, from the pulsing rhythms we experience in the womb, to the music that will escort us out of life. In between, Bird shows how music connects us with family and friends and the world of the spirit; how it can express our "authentic voice," both as individuals and as members of particular cultural traditions; how it strengthens and unites us during times of protest, and comforts us during times of loss. He shows how music and word combine to integrate mind and spirit, and how music and movement combine to integrate spirit and body. As with all titles in this series, The Spirituality of Music is beautifully illustrated with full-color photographs throughout. The simple singing of Happy Birthday renews our sense of personhood and identity within a community of friends and family. We seek the sublime sweep of violins at the symphony, the mighty roar of a massed choir, or the soaring scream of an electric guitar, to lift us out of our humdrum daily existence. Sometimes the music welds us for a few heightened moments, with all the other concert goers, into one mystical, organic whole, as together we celebrate our connection with one another and with the divine. Join John Bird as he journeys into the mystic heart and soul of the music that forms the soundtrack to our lives."