In “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness,” Fleming examines not only the therapeutic effects of music but also human evolution, brain function, childhood development, and technology. Recent advances in brain imaging have sparked a flurry of public interest in the arts-and-health sector and made possible new approaches to studying the effect of music on human health.

Fleming has given presentations on this subject in cities throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, in collaboration with leading researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners.

The best imaginable endorsement of Fleming’s book would come from Bessel van der Kolk, author of the New York Times number-one-bestselling “The Body Keeps the Score,” And here it is:

This lyrical book opens our hearts and minds to the vast potential of the creative arts—music, dance, and synchronous movements—to sooth, comfort and connect to each other, and thereby promote health and well-being. The authors, some of the most luminous musicians, dancers, physicians, and neuroscientists of our time, all are deeply engaging, sometimes even magical, writers. This book inspires us all to immerse ourselves in the vast potential of music and other creative arts to heal our wounds, sharpen our minds, enliven our bodies, and restore our broken connections.

But among musicians, Sting is the one we would most like to hear from about the subject of Fleming’s book:

At a time when the bonds of our common humanity are being stretched to the limits, at the same time as the intensifying stresses on our personal well-being, Renée’s book is a timely reminder that music is the meta-language that connects all individuals and spans all cultures, religions, and races. Music has never been more important.

“Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness”
Edited by Renée Fleming
Hardcover: $36.00
Apr 09, 2024 | ISBN 9780593653197