Sound Choices: Using Music to Design the Environments in Which You Live, Work, and Heal

Rating:
Summary: Sound decision
Review: Mazer and Smith have written a book which will help each of us as professionals and "ordinary" individuals understand how to create a sound and healthy environment around ourselves, so that we can communicate better and function better in our family, workplace and community. The alternation of the personal insights and history with solid professional and experiental research is a pleasure to read and offers each reader something new to think about and something old (in their own life) to understand. The power of music to heal and noise to hurt are clearly delineated, and the author's analysis, suggestions and recommendations are laid out thoughtfully and helpfully. Having the CD available to illustrate some of their concepts helps integrate the experience of listening with the joy of reading this fine book. Whether teacher, medical professional, musician, architect, parent, business person, it will be a "sound decision" to buy, read, and use what you have learned from "Sound Choices".

Rating:
Summary: Sound decision
Review: Mazer and Smith have written a book which will help each of us as professionals and "ordinary" individuals understand how to create a sound and healthy environment around ourselves, so that we can communicate better and function better in our family, workplace and community. The alternation of the personal insights and history with solid professional and experiental research is a pleasure to read and offers each reader something new to think about and something old (in their own life) to understand. The power of music to heal and noise to hurt are clearly delineated, and the author's analysis, suggestions and recommendations are laid out thoughtfully and helpfully. Having the CD available to illustrate some of their concepts helps integrate the experience of listening with the joy of reading this fine book. Whether teacher, medical professional, musician, architect, parent, business person, it will be a "sound decision" to buy, read, and use what you have learned from "Sound Choices".

Rating:
Summary: Excellent presentation of music for healing
Review: Susan Mazer and Dallas Smith are musicians who have gifts for music in words as well as in playing their instruments - reflecting a healing presence through the instruments of their personhood.

Each speaks for her/himself, creating a pleasant discourse, stimulating tension of similarities and differences, and harmony in their coming together to share their explorations of bringing music as healing into medical environments that ordinarily are stressful and anything but healing.

Mazer and Smith describe how they birthed and are maturing their skills in using music in hospital and other healthcare settings.

Excellent presentation of music for healing. The authors are sensitive to the healing qualities of the instrument that is the musician - through which the music flows. Reading the book is a healing experience in itself.