You Are the Music

Do babies remember music from the womb? Can classical music increase your child's IQ? Is music good for productivity? In this brilliant new exploration of the place of music in all our lives, music psychologist Victoria Williamson examines the many ways in which music affects us, from our first in utero experiences of sound through to adult life, and the part it plays in shaping who we are, as a species and as individuals. Join Williamson for a journey through the music of our lives, from the uniquely powerful musical experiences of adolescence to the amazing ways in which music training changes the brain. This upbeat, eye-opening book reveals as never before the extent of the universal language of music that lives deep inside us all.

Victoria Williamson is a lecturer and researcher in music psychology who holds academic posts in the UK and Switzerland. An expert in the impact of music on human behaviour, she has worked in both university and private industry research and hosts the popular educational blog musicpsychology.co.uk. Her personal musical life began aged six with classical guitar, an instrument that she still adores and has taught to both children and adults. A popular public speaker, she has presented her work at numerous forums including TED, the Latitude Festival, the British Science Festival and NPR. Her writing has appeared in NME and her research has been presented across national and international media including BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky (UK), CNN and MSNBC (USA), CBC (Canada), Radio New Zealand National, and 2SER and the Big Issue (Australia).