Pianist Lois Svard is known for her performances and recordings of works by American experimental composers. She has also written and lectured extensively about the applications of neuroscience research for the study and performance of music. She is Professor Emerita of Music at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and is the author of the blog The Musician's Brain about music, the brain, and learning.
"Finally! ...a book about music and neuroscience written by a musician and music teacher. Svard's perspective can help musicians play better, music teachers teach better, and music students learn better. * Nina Kraus, professor and neurobiologist, Northwestern University, author of ""Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World"" * In 'The Musical Brain,' Lois Svard weaves together a comprehensive tapestry of neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and biology to explore the many ways in which music is a fundamental component of human experience. The author's skill as an educator is evident in the way she distills complex research into concise and descriptive writing to provide readers with engaging real-life stories. This inviting book will be of great interest to any performer, teacher, or curious music lover. * Vanessa Cornett, Director of Keyboard Studies, Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, University of St. Thomas, author of ""The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance"" * Written with clarity and wisdom, packed with compelling accounts of neurological research on music, this superb book is relevant, timely and important. Svard makes the convincing case that music is * in so many vital ways *"