The music between us : is music a universal language?

Summary: Drawing on philosophy, psychology, musicology, linguistics, and anthropology, Higgins's richly researched study showcases the ways music is used in rituals, education, work, and healing, and examines how it provides such a reliable source of security and joy. With its profound integration in some of the most meaningful facets of society, she argues, music can form bonds between people that are even more psychologically and emotionally fundamental than language--to which it is often compared--pushing beyond linguistic barriers as a truly cross-cultural form of communication that can create solidarity across political divides. Uncovering this communicative universality through an impressive array of real-world examples, The Music between Us provides a new understanding of what it means to be musical and, in turn, human.