BOOK REVIEW : May 11th 2011

Book Review by Lois Henderson (Velddrift, South Africa), Reviewer for BookPleasures.com

“THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC: BOOK 2”

“In Book 2 of The Spiritual Significance of Music, Justin St. Vincent brings you more of the musings of a wide range of artists on what spiritual benefits the making of, and listening to, music brings to them. St. Vincent allows the artists’ authentic voices to shine through, as he has edited what they have had to say with such a gentle hand that the veracity of their words comes across to the reader in a powerful, yet carefully managed, way. What is most amazing about The Spiritual Significance of Music series is that the editor does not allow his deep Christian convictions get in the way of his appreciation of others’ perspectives, no matter their faith or outlook on life. By arranging the interviews alphabetically, St. Vincent also does not impose his structure on those who are the subjects of this book, allowing his breadth of vision for the series to permeate through the texts.

The Spiritual Significance of Music allows you to pick and choose those interviews that you find most appealing, so that if you have a particular interest in gospel music, say, you can select those interviews conducted with Christian artists. Similarly, if you are interested in more than just the music of metal bands, but would like to find out how the members of such bands think, there are more than enough interviews to pique your interest. You could also surprise yourself by reading outside your conventional genre and be amazed by the similarities that you discover with those from whom you might previously have deliberately disassociated yourself.

All those who have contributed to the series by way of their willingness to be interviewed about their personal approach to, and appreciation of, music have clearly thought at some length about what music means to them. The depth of insight that is gained in this way is presented in the artists’ own words, with St. Vincent providing only a brief overview of each artist’s work as an appendix to the main text. In order to make the artists more accessible to the reader, each interview and biography is accompanied by a color photograph of those concerned.

The range of artists is wide, including healers, authors, scientists, motivational speakers, and more. St. Vincent is also clearly not gender biased, as he has what seems to be almost equal representation of both male and female music aficionados. The editor knows what he wishes to achieve with The Spiritual Significance of Music, and clearly manages to attain his end goals. The entire series is worth exploring for the invaluable insights that it provides into what musicians and music lovers think about the art that they perform and appreciate so avidly.”

BOOK REVIEW : May 11th 2011

Book Review by Lois Henderson (Velddrift, South Africa), Reviewer for BookPleasures.com

“THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC: BOOK 3”

“The latest in The Spiritual Significance of Music series, Book 3 is a compilation of interviews with musicians and music lovers from around the world. Grounded in St. Vincent’s vast knowledge of the intricacies of the music world, the interviews and short biographies of interviewees are as intriguing and spiritually uplifting as those contained in his previous two books in this series have been. For those who are, as yet, unfamiliar with his work, Justin St. Vincent is the Director and Founder of Xtreme Music, which is billed as being a company “where Music meets Spirituality.”

St. Vincent has a profound awareness that “many people who love music also have a spiritual hunger to learn more about the dynamic relationship between music and spirituality.” And who better to provide invaluable insights into such a relationship than those who create and record it, as well as others who work intimately with it on a daily basis? The wide range of artists whose voices resound through The Spiritual Significance of Music come from widely diverse backgrounds and were, at the time of the interviews, involved with numerous activities relating to music. All of them, however, have given considerable thought to the significance of music for not only themselves, but for the wider universe as well. Their photographic portraits that are presented together with their interviews reveal their stance towards life as a whole—one can see from the intensity of their gaze that they have travelled some distance in the journey towards self-discovery, a journey that has been influenced by music in the most intimate way.

The alphabetical arrangement of interviews by artist’s name allows for surprising juxtapositions that alert one to the openness and lack of bias exhibited by St. Vincent in compiling this work. The interview with a Professor of Applied Music at the University of Winchester, England precedes an interview with the member of a brutal death-metal band from Mexico City, Mexico; an interview with an author, musician, percussionist, teacher, and vocalist from Mali, West Africa precedes an interview with a singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington. The rhetorical flow of certain musicians’ speech is contrasted with the relative terseness of others, whose music reflects the disjointed nature of life. Throughout all, though, flows the spirit of appreciation for what music does for the human soul and psyche.

St. Vincent brings the body of Book 3 to a close with a fitting Encore, in which he expresses his belief that the spiritual significance of music can “transcend communities, cultures, and creeds.” One would truly have to go far to find another series that so exemplifies such a truth.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : September 2011

Book Review by Cathy DeWitt (Gainesville, Florida, United States)

“THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC : EDITED BY JUSTIN ST. VINCENT”

Pablo Casals once said, “Music must serve a purpose; it must be part of something larger than itself, a part of humanity.”

New Zealand’s Justin St. Vincent takes that theme and expounds on it.  In his fascinating book “The Spiritual Significance of Music”, he interviews international musicians, composers, and producers– from Don Campbell to Devo, from Gorgoroth to Ravi Shankar– capturing tidbits about their relationship with music and how it links them to their own spirituality.  Asking everyone the same question “What do you believe is the spiritual significance of music?” results in a diversity of answers that may surprise, delight, or confound you—but never bore you.

Here are some examples.

Author/Musician/Composer Don Campbell:  “I am music, most ancient of the arts. I am eternal, I am spirit.  Even before life began upon this earth, I was here—in the winds and the waves…the first trees and flowers and grasses…Even the deaf hear me if they but listen to the voices of their own souls.  I am the food of love.”

Pitchshifter’s J. S. Clayden:  “…Music is my comfort zone…As a companion, I find music to be flawless. It does not demand anything from me; it is not disappointed, jealous, …hurt…or mean…It can be uplifting, powerful, understanding…It is the perpetual puppy that is always happy to see me. It is my genie in a bottle.”

Saxophonist Gilles Laheurte: “It is through music that the soul can express itself best in the material world, much better than words, because music is a true universal language. Whether composed or improvised, music breathes, and brings out the inner invisible creative energy that makes us vibrate.”

Stryper’s Michael Sweet:  “The spiritual significance of music is very simple: God created all things, music being one of all things. God also blesses people with abilities and talents to create, produce and perform music…God can tear down walls and break the hardest of hearts through a beautiful melody and
a powerful lyric.”

The Fifth Dimension’s Florence Larue:  “Music is a gift from God.”

The author himself expresses one of my favorite views.  As a hospital musician, I have found the strongest healing power of music to be present only in whatever music has personal meaning to the patient. With this little book, through its many voices, St. Vincent shows that music is indeed subjective and personal. “Music in itself has no spiritual significance without people,” St. Vincent says, “because it is people who project significance onto sound. In this sense, the listener is empowered to create spiritual significance from their own personal experiences with music.”

St. Vincent invites us to consider, “What’s missing in m_s_c?  Music is completed by the letters U and I… It is you and I who hold the keys to the spiritual significance of music.”

Justin St. Vincent is the Director and Founder of Xtreme Music, where Music meets Spirituality; and is passionate about music from around the world. He also created the highly acclaimed website www.musicandspirituality.com

Cathy DeWitt has been the Musician in Residence for Shands Hospital and Director of Shands Arts in Medicine’s music program for more than fifteen years.

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : August 1st 2011

Book Review by David Clavijo (Spain)

“EXCELLENT BOOK AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!”

“After reading the book THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC everyone understands the importance of music in everyday life of many musicians and composers, and especially the importance that music has because the music travels beyond the senses and creates in the listener a state difficult to explain according to the music he hears. Justin St. Vincent has done a great job compiling all the viewpoints of different artists in his book. I recommend this excellent book to all lovers of music and they want to find a broader meaning of music and spirituality. ”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : December 7th 2010

Book Review by Becks (New Zealand)

“INTERESTING”

“The Spiritual Significance of Music: One word comes to mind when I think of this book and that is “interesting”. It’s a book that engages the question about what “The Spiritual Significance of Music” is and gives the opinion from a variety of artists, both Christian and non-Christian I enjoyed the variance in reading what different peoples opinions were, and are now furthering pondering the question that this title asks. Fantastic coffee table conversation type book, look forward to seeing the next one!”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : October 18th 2010

Book Review by Andrew Killick (Tauranga, New Zealand)

“FASCINATING STUFF”

“Justin St. Vincent has pulled off a remarkable project here… “The Spiritual Significance of Music” is an utterly unique book. Full of insights about the ‘deeper’ impact of music from artists across a massive musical spectrum. Given the range of contributors, from ‘world music’ artists to metallers, I’m probably being overly demanding when I say I wish there was an even greater range of musical styles represented… personally I could hope for more electronic, hip-hop, jazz… and perhaps a slightly younger demographic in the contributors… those slight reservations are what reduce my overall rating from 5 stars to 4. Nonetheless, the book will fascinate anyone who senses that there is more to music than just tones and words. The main strength of the project is that Justin allows each contribution to stand on its own merits, he brings no value judgements of his own to the contributor’s opinions… a remarkably relaxed approach, and not often seen. The reader is left to consider the implications for themself, and the range of insights given are definitely food for thought that can potentially enhance your appreciation and involvement in music. Recommended.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : October 6th 2010

Book Review by Vicki Landes (Saint Louis, Missouri, United States)

“ENLIGHTENING AND PASSIONATE!”

“Editor Justin St. Vincent compiles a fascinating array of answers to his thought-provoking question, “What do you believe is the spiritual significance of music?” Organized in an appropriately named book, “The Spiritual Significance of Music”, St. Vincent offers insight from various industry experts – from authors to performers and from Christian to mainstream and death metal.

“The Spiritual Significance of Music” is a profound collection of exclusive interviews which seek to enunciate the concept of music’s role in society and its significance in personal spirituality. St. Vincent asked his question to over a thousand individuals; over one hundred of these, such as Jefferson Starship, Devo, Daniel Bedingfield, Faith No More, and Petra, were utilized in the final version of his book. The interviews reflect a remarkable depth and appreciation and will have the reader contemplating their own views on the subject. St. Vincent also offers a short biography on each interviewee, including the genre they specialize in and a quick history of their work so the reader can fully understand from where this individual has developed their distinctive opinion.

“The Spiritual Significance of Music” is an eye-opening read for both the hobbyist and professional musician. As someone with a college degree in music, I found the interviews to be intelligent, insightful, and unique from one person to the next. Containing only a very small amount of grammatical errors – which can be expected when quoting another person – the book is otherwise very well edited and the cover has an enticing design. The only thing I saw that stuck out were the headings – some interviews have the band’s name in larger text with the interviewee’s name and title as subheadings while other interviews have the interviewee’s name as larger text and work or title as a subheading. Still others have the name of a project/non-profit organization in larger text and the name and position in that organization as a subheading. I would have preferred a more consistent approach to the headings, perhaps have the name of the interviewee as the main heading with the name of the band, organization, or project as a subheading. A minor issue and it does not take away from the overall effect of the book.

Editor Justin St. Vincent asks a deep question and offers a myriad of creative and comprehensive answers in his book, “The Spiritual Significance of Music”. Just as the term `music’ means something different to everyone, the concept of `spirituality’ further deepens the conversations. Enlightening and passionate!”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : July 21st 2010

Book Review by Jutta Inauen (Felsberg, Germany)

“EXCITING COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS”

“With THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC, Justin St. Vincent achieved something very special and unique: A collection of thoughts from artists and scientists with different cultural backgrounds and roots, from very different musical genres, all expressing their thoughts on one subject. It’s where doom-metal meets esoteric, where hard-rock meets sitar, but where the tenor of them all is going in one direction. On which side ever I open this book, I find an essay which is inspiring, which makes me think about my own approach to music, to song-writing, to practicing, but as well about my view on the musical preferences of my social environment.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : July 12th 2010

Book Review by Terry York (Waco, Texas, United States)

“REVIEW OF THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC”

“If you want to see evidence of what might be described as the breadth of divine spiritual embrace, read THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC, but read first, beginning on page 164, Brief Biographies. Then turn back to page 1. A wide gamut is represented. Here is fair warning: Be prepared to have your preconceived boundaries stretched…stretched beyond our understanding, not God’s. See, in dynamic tension, pages 111 and 158/9. Justin St. Vincent, the book’s editor, functions more as orchestrator or conductor in this project. He has found the connecting motif in music and coaxes it to light, no matter how far it must travel for its commonality to be see.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : July 1st 2010

Book Review by Peter Davison (Los Angeles, California, United States)

“A GREAT COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS ON MUSIC”

“Justin St. Vincent has gathered some of the leading lights in world spiritual music for his deeply thoughtful book THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC. This is a wonderful collection of heartfelt descriptions of the spiritual and personal meaning of music by foremost composers, musicians, and writers on music and spirituality. Here we find inspiring words by some our most inspiring people in music. As I read, I find myself truly linked with other musicians and those who live in the healing power of music. Ideal for an expanded concept of what to listen for in music and continued creativity in life.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : June 25th 2010

Book Review by Bumblefoot (New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States)

“THANK YOU FOR THE UPLIFTING BOOK !”

“THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC is the kind of book that’s good for everyone. Whether your relationship with music is as a music maker or an avid listener, open to any page and there’s something that will inspire you. The words are grounding and stabilizing, uplifting and enlightening, and carry a message that can be applied to anything in life, not just music. It’s a great pleasure to be part of this book, and I thank Justin St. Vincent for inviting me to join this diverse and talented group of contributors all sharing their stories, points of view, and a piece of themselves.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : May 10th 2010

Book Review by Irene Watson (Austin, Texas, United States)

“INSPIRATIONAL”

“When I asked for this book to review I thought it was something else so you can imagine my surprise when I received it. My first impression was “Wow, this is great!” And, needless to say I kept saying this throughout the book. I loved reading the narratives from well known musicians and to realize how in touch with spirituality they are. One of my favorite composers and violinist is Daniel Kobialka. I am inspired when he says “Music and spirituality, if allowed, can provide a gentle guide through life, with its movement, flow, and endless cadence to a seeking of truth.” And Craig Chaquico, former lead guitarist from Jefferson Starship says “It’s invisible but can fill the room and inspire the heart.” How true is that! Ron”Bumblefoot” Thal, guitarist with Guns and Roses says “Sound is the Almighty voice, music is the language.” Justin St. Vincent interviewed over thousand people but zeroed in on 100 of the best in order to compile this anthology. I commend him for the time and effort put into the project in order to give us, the readers, a glimpse into the musicians’ inner thoughts. I am personally inspired.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : May 9th 2010

Book Review by Midwest Book Review (Oregon, Wisconsin, United States)

“A TOP PICK FOR ANY MUSICAL STUDIES COLLECTION”

“Faith and spirituality reside in all music, not just music that is religiously oriented. “The Spiritual Significance of Music” interviews bands of various walks of life and genre, from the classical driven artists like Petra, to the offbeat music of Devo, to the shock rock death metal rockers of Cannibal Corpse to the work of DJ Ultra Nate, all music has a spiritual passion behind it, and these individuals explain how it comes into play. “The Spiritual Significance of Music” is a thought provoking and intriguing piece of work, a top pick for any musical studies collection.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : May 4th 2010

Book Review by Kathy Parsons (Florence, Oregon, United States)

“FROM MAINLYPIANO”

“I wasn’t sure of what to expect from “The Spiritual Significance of Music” when I was asked to review it. I knew it was a collection of essays by a group of musicians and artists, and assumed that most of those essays would be by artists under the broad spectrum of the “new age” music genre. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the artists whose writings are included come from a wide range of musical genres and that they are based in places all over the world. Some of the essays come from the authors of books about music, so it’s an amazing collection! There are 102 essays, including editor Justin St. Vincent’s concluding comments, and most are about a half page in length – several are two or three pages. I have to admit that I didn’t recognize many of the names, but I read each essay with interest because there were so many different viewpoints, ranging from music being a direct gift from God to music having absolutely no spiritual significance at all, and everything in between. Several Christian rock and metal bands are included, but there are also Satanists and death metal bands whose contributions are every bit as passionate as the more traditional religious bands. There are a few pop, world, and new age artists as well, so the current music world has a strong representation.The jazz and classical genres don’t have much of a showing, but perhaps that will be another volume – or not! I commend St. Vincent for gathering the thoughts of such a variety of people with such a variety of opinions about the subject. The last 45 or so pages present short bios of the contributors, including discographies and websites, so readers can follow up on the artists they find interesting. I found the whole book to be excellent and inspiring to read. Recommended!”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : April 27th 2010

Book Review by Gary Young (Upper Marlboro, Maryland, United States)

“EXCELLENT READ”

“The book is put together very well and I like the way the author lets it breath by letting the question and it’s various interpretations flow. a few of the artists in there that I never considered myself a “fan” of had some insight that totally blew me away and I came away with a new perspective. and it also is presented in a way that you can open it up and begin to read anywhere. Good job and a very enjoyable read. you’ll read it more than once.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : April 26th 2010

Book Review by Don Slepian (East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, United States)

“MUSICIANS AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM”

“Other reviewers here have spoken at length about the language of spirituality and how it relates to the spiritual significance of music. For me this book is a wonderful tour of contemporary musicians, ranging from New Age spiritualists to Gospel, Country, DJ’s, Death Metal, Christian Worship bands, they are all here. Not only do you see the variety of their answers, you also can explore each musician and their accomplishments in their brief biographies.

I enjoy people watching in the Mall. This is like a Mall with 100 musicians all slowly walking by, each giving you a glimpse of their personality and beliefs and inviting you to further explore their world through the connections to their websites. In this aspect I see the Spiritual Significance of Music reflected in the lives and philosophies of the musicians themselves.

For anyone who lives with, works with, or plays with musicians this book can provide many happy hours of visiting musicians you haven’t met through a series of thoughtful, heartfelt and significant conversations. Mr. St. Vincent has acted as a curator, sorting through a thousand interviews to pick the 100 best. He does not interpret, judge, or comment on the interviews, he lets the musicians speak for themselves. The book stands on this virtue.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : April 25th 2010

Book Review by James & Marty Clayton Banfield (Bamberg, South Carolina, United States)

“A BOOK FOR ALL MUSIC LOVERS”

“All music lovers’s will want a copy of Justin St. Vincent’s book, “The Spiritual Significance of Music,” a book in which multitalented music artists are spotlighted and share “from the heart” what music TRULY means to them. After reading this book, you will have a greater understanding as to why music is called “the universal language.” Mr. St. Vincent has our congratulations in giving a gift such as this to the world of music, & in putting together this well written and highly presentable book. Everyone who loves music should have a copy!”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : April 12th 2010

Book Review by Pascal Gillon (Dole, France)

“A FOR AWE-INSPIRING…”

“If you ever wondered or questioned the power of music, in whatever form it may be expressed,this is the book to read: it will awe-inspire you. It underlines in a fabulous and no less than a fair way,the beauty and power of it. In this world where things can quickly become stressful or too fast for many, music re balances our souls and makes us endure what life throws at us as challenges.

The Spiritual Significance of Music is not only a powerful tool which reminds you to slow down and smell the roses but is an incredible and witty way to understand how music is an integral part of the human race’s personality and entity. The great intelligent way the book is written is certainly presented by the many facets of the musicians been interviewed which does permeate your mind with positive vibes and an optimist outlook of life.

In this book Justin St. Vincent is the conductor of this amazing orchestra of life colored by music. If you want to invest money in something that will change your life for the better style wise as a holistic tool,then buy The Spiritual Significance of Music. It will be the best thing you can do not only for a “jolly good yarn”,but as much for appreciating life in a better light from then on!”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : April 6th 2010

Book Review by Heather Frahn (Adelaide, Australia)

“A BOOK TO UNITE PEOPLE THROUGH MUSIC”

“The Spiritual Significance of Music is an important book if you are at all interested in how music effects world peace, social unification or the evolution of human consciousness. This book shows how artists from around the world acknowedge the importantance music is as a creative medium to connect people together, and also connect us to ourselves and our spirituality. An insightful look into the intimate thoughts from music artists and philosophers. Highly recommended if you’re interested in the Positive Music or Conscious Music Movements.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : April 5th 2010

Book Review by Adam Atkinson (Alberta, Canada)

“VERY INTERESTING AND THOUGHT PROVOKING”

“My wife and I read this book and loved the different views that were expressed by the different artists. Music and spirituality are both hot topics right now and this book begins a wonderful discussion on their connection. I would recommend this book for music lovers or for people interested in diverse spirituality!”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : March 31st 2010

Book Review by Matthew Welsh (Indianapolis, Indiana, United States)

“TAKES YOU INSIDE THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF MUSICIANS”

“The Spiritual Significance of Music is a collection of exclusive interviews with many of the world’s most visionary musicians and writers. Edited by Justin St. Vincent, it is a unique anthology that explores the dynamic relationship between music and spirituality. For example, in an interview with Ron Thal from Guns N’ Roses, Ron writes, “A good amount of songs I’ve written came about by taking whatever was weighing heavy on my chest and letting it in, facing it, and returning it to the world as something positive, a way to help make sense of it all.” The Spiritual Significance of Music takes you into the hearts and minds of well known musicians and lets you know how the music they make relates to their own personal spirituality.”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : March 21st 2010

Book Review by Luke Oram (Auckland, New Zealand)

“THE GRAND OLD CATCH 22 – THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC”

“The spiritual significance of music is a subject so deep and full of subjective sinkholes it would require a book.” – Gerald Casale, Devo

“Dialogue” has become one of our century’s biggest buzz-words. The corporates have stolen it for their keystones and politicians have started using it in lieu of human shields. Philosophically speaking though, getting Socratic’s always been a good way of chipping away at the fundamentals. If it’s mankind’s prerogative to explore the unknown, then a good round of circular questioning is the best place to start. The concept behind The Spiritual Significance of Music is simple enough; an array of artists, musicians and professionals brought together to provide commentary on the question “What do you believe is the spiritual significance of music?” Most of them have at it. Anyone who has had experience with a musician or creative will know that they have opinions in spades – a good thing, considering they are some of the world’s foremost voices.

One of editor Justin St. Vincent’s masterstrokes was in taking steps to avoid TSSOM being some kind of one-sided homily from the Christian Music Scene. To this end, the artists interviewed are from a wide spectrum of believers, atheists and cynics, with a few Satanists thrown in for good measure. The leading question too, is deceptively brilliant. St. Vincent gets no objections for leading the witness. It’s genius in it’s vagueness; there’s no mention of God, instead leaving the subject to come to their own conclusions on the meaning of spirituality itself, and introducing the question within a question. Many of the artists start there. “First of all, what is spirituality?” asks Sander Gommans of After Forever, waxing Socratic. The views of the artists are fascinating in their diversity; some discount the term in favour of a Powerful Emotional Response, others give names; whether that name be God, Allah, Yahweh, Satan, or some kind of universal force, “something substantial in the universe”. The honourable Ravi Shankar makes mention of “The highest mental orgasm”, which is a poetry all in itself.

As far as the link between spirit and music, the dialogue descends further into the rabbit-hole. Which is not surprising since explaining a tangible link between the invisible realm and the tangible has been keeping church and science at odds for centuries. Perhaps trying to find a link between the spirit and the song is an equally difficult endeavour. The artists are a real banquet on this one. A surprising amount of them head for the realm of science as their first port of call; Daniel Beddingfield refers to the sound of the “Deep hum behind reality…particle and wave…the excitement of electrons”, singer-songwriter Victor Crowl pays tribute to the “energy between the notes”, while composer Peter Davison brings the big bang into play. Industrial dance producer J.S Clayden’s piece is full of humanist and meta-physical argument and is a fascinating essay in leftfield. Of course, there is plenty of standard Protestant argument when it comes to God and music – “Music was created by God, as was every instrument to be used to bring Him glory” says Sonic Flood’s Rick Heil.

Again, St. Vincent’s great masterstroke is at show here. The book is treated with great objectivity; every opinion gets its own weighting, and the reader is left with a challenging depth of opinion, without any kind of overarching proselytism. It seems that for every religious view, there is an equal and opposite view – Michael IX Williams is left to assert his view that spirituality is a completely subjective concept; comparing a group of religious fanatics to a group of Dinosaur Jr fans squabbling over J. Mascis lyrics. One thing that becomes clear within TSSOM is the chasm between the language used by the overtly Christian artists and the others. A fascinating subtext in this whole book is the fact that the contributors without a clearly stated or defined religion seem to tackle the aspects of spirituality and music with a much wider lens – without any pre-conceived notions or definitions, they are willing to tackle the thing with wider arms than Christians. The Christian artists seem to be bound by a form of their own language, where `spirituality’ becomes `God’, `spiritual music’ becomes `Worship’. They argue over semantics (Petra’s John Schlitt – “I don’t believe there is spiritual significance in music, but I do believe music is a powerful tool for a spiritual end”)

To a certain extent, this makes their view come off as a little narrow. As a person with spiritual beliefs myself, I stop short of advocating some kind of universalism , but I definitely think that our language needs to change when we’re exploring a matter so wide and expansive, otherwise we miss out on a powerful opportunity to grow our outlook. As the apostle Paul said to the Athenians, there’s a lot to be said for communicating our views in the language of a wider world. The dialogue within TSSOM is important. Because spirituality is a wide and often intangible thing. It encompasses dark and light, good and evil. It’s not so much an explanation of the divine as our experience to it, and our reaction to it. It’s a matter that was meant to conjure mystery, elude classification and for eternity. And like the rabbi says, it’s a fool who thinks he can figure out the eternal mystery.

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : March 17th 2010

Book Review by Michelle Malsbury (Punta Gorda, Florida, United States)

“THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC”

Justin St. Vincent, editor for The Spiritual Significance of Music, is founder and director of Xtreme Music. He is a native of New Zealand and has lived in the UK, Hong Kong, and North America. (2010, p.213) New Zealand is now is choice of residence. For more information about Mr. St. Vincent please visit his web site. While most when queried about the connection between music and spirituality might come back with something entirely religious the various people that Mr. St. Vincent has invited to participate in this book range from total religious experiences in creating, listening, or playing, music to more subtle and less concrete versions of the connection that one might get from music itself. The pool of experts he questions on this topic is vast and multidimensional in breadth of life/vocational experiences across this mystical musical industry.

Some of the more memorable excerpts, to me, are listed below: From guitarist/vocalist Sander Gommans from After Forever “The lyrics…do handle something bigger than ourselves: a force we cannot explain.” (2010, p.6) Music therapist Kenneth Aigen says (p.7) “The creation of groove is a spiritual discipline because it requires focus and abandonment, body and mind, unison and variation, intention and surrender.” Gonzo Sandoval, percussionist for Armored Saint, says that “We allow listeners to peek into our very soul.” (p.13) Percussionist, Cyro Baptista writes that ” …it takes a lot of courage to make music from your heart, certainly more courage than getting a gun to make war.” (p.22) Rand Bishop, author, defines that connection as “Nimble fingers, dexterous lips, powerful diaphragms, and sonorous throats give wings and fuel to music’s flight.” (p.29)

Those above are but a few of the quotes that stick out in my mind as defining the spirituality of music as asked by Justin St. Vincent in this book. Common threads that can be read across the people who participated in this book are that music can take the listener, musician, or writer to places where words cannot completely express: moving us to spiritual heights unlike anything else we are able to feel as humans: it is subjective in nature and resonates with each person differently. Many participants also say that music has the ability to change moods or actions across the entire socio-emotional spectrum. Music can evoke love and hate, depression and elation, religious and/or atheist like no other art form. Gerald Casale, bassist, vocalist, and co-founder for Devo said that “True spirituality seeks to re-unite a thread that connects all of us to the rest of life and, thus, brings us together.” (p.52) Peijman Kouretchian, drummer for Girth, said that “Music…is an instantaneous sensory….decoding of spirit.” (p.77) Kouretchian also adds that the more pure [paraphrase] the artist the more powerful the music.

The pages of this book are filled with opinions and thoughts on the topic of spirituality and music, but few can touch what Wendy Bartlett, director of Healing with Harmony, said “Maybe Heaven is not a place at all, but rather a feeling that awakens our Spirit because for that moment in time we are touched by music, we are one with our Maker.” (2010, p.86) Thank you Justin St. Vincent for editing these many excerpts and combining them into a cohesive format for a thought provoking and insightful reading.

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : March 10th 2010

Book Review by Julianna d’Fae “Kiwi Firefly” (Christchurch, New Zealand)

“SPIRITUALITY HAS MANY MEANINGS…”

“When I first agreed to review this, I had no idea what I was getting myself into – I thought that ‘spirituality’ might be a code word for Christianity and that I would be reading about gospel music or something. I was excited to find that ‘spirituality’ was defined in each interview as whatever it meant to that artist. For some, it was a communion with god, but for others, it was more obscure, a feeling of connectedness with other people or a direct line to emotion.

One of the ideas I really liked was that the space between the notes was just as important as the notes themselves. When I began listening to music for the spaces, I realized it was true. The difference for me between great music and just good is where they let you breathe – if they do at all. I love that music is a universal language that touches people on an emotional level, rather than an intellectual one. I have never met a person that doesn’t like music itself (though obviously everyone has their own brand).

Reading The Spiritual Significance of Music is not like reading a novel. Each page is a new person, offering their little piece of wisdom about what music means to them. These perspectives open conversation, especially in a musically oriented family like mine. It’s the sort of book that makes you suddenly think of four or five friends who really should read this (I have two lined up already). It’s the sort of book that really should be a documentary like ‘The Secret’ or ‘What the Bleep’ because that way, you could listen to the music and hear the people speak, and I think it would be a moving experience. A great book to buy, gift or pass around. A conversation that intigues me… after all, what is so special about music?”

AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW : February 21st 2010

Book Review by Lois Henderson (Velddrift, South Africa), Reviewer for BookPleasures.com

“A PAEAN TO THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC”

“Not an esoteric text that is accessible only to the enlightened, this paean to the spiritual significance of music is written in such a way that you might easily think that you are reading a series of articles from Rolling Stone Magazine. This collection of interviews with both music-makers and writers from around the world is aimed at finding their answer to the question: `What do you believe is the spiritual significance of music?’ This intimate and, at times, deeply profound study of individual beliefs about the interconnection between spirituality and music is presented verbatim in the words of each artist him/herself, without the inclusion of any questions that the editor might have addressed to the interviewees concerned and without the addition of editorial comment. Such a presentation allows the pure and authentic voice of the musician or author to emerge in all cases.

The unbiased reportage allows for the juxtaposing of interviews with adherents to the more traditional faiths, such as Christianity and Hinduism, with others with those who adhere to more alternative practices, such as Satanism. The wide range of beliefs that is reflected in these pages also encompasses agnosticism and the spiritual questioning of such musicians as Michael IX Williams. Covering such subthemes as the anthropological, cultural and historical roots of music, as well as its therapeutic and universal appeal to the emotions, The Spiritual Significance of Music should be of interest to a wide range of music-lovers. By arranging the entries alphabetically, according either to the names of the artists, or to the names of the groups or bands to which they belong, Justin St. Vincent is able to express his lack of bias towards the musicians concerned. The reader is, accordingly, free to respond to what each of the interviewees has to say on a personal level. The work ends with brief overviews of the main work of each of the musicians and authors involved, including their web site addresses, the details of when and where each interview took place, and the names and web site addresses of the photographer concerned.

As an indexer, I would have loved to have seen an index broadly split up into pertinent categories, expressing the major concerns of each of the musicians and writers. However, at the moment one may choose either to read the interviews conducted with those artists who have made the deepest impression on one’s life, or take pot luck and start reading at any point in the text (you might be pleasantly surprised by the serendipitous findings that you make). Of course, there are also the black-and-white photographs of each artist interviewed, so that if you are particularly interested in female music and writings, for instance, you might choose to read all those interviews conducted with women. However, no matter how you choose to read this text, you are bound to learn more about the main theme: the spiritual significance of music, as personally experienced by more than one hundred contributors, many of whom are extremely well known.”

Autopsy Of A Dream is an introspective journey into the surrealist cognition of our human condition. An emotional exploration of sound styles including musique concrete, krautrock, and free-jazz. Verplanken embraces diverse references ranging from psychedelic electronica to the minimalist movement, citing influences from Pink Floyd and Philip Glass. Listen out for the sound design on “Last Interlude”, combining gritty footsteps with micro-noise and ambient drones. The album features nine mysterious compositions based on several abstract ideas and conceptual metaphors.

Let Me Be Your Sunlight is a soulfully beautiful love song written for Nova The Musical. An international online-collaboration between Dutch composer Tristan Bons, Welsh librettist Robert Gould, and Swedish lyricist Jimmy Granstrom. The musical tells the story of an emotionally troubled teenage boy who meets a girl who tries to be his sunlight. This extremely rare CD-Single features two talented vocalists, Sarah Marie and Jordan Puleston, previously part of the Welsh-pop sensation Bac2Bac. This exclusive release also includes an instrumental MIDI version of “Let Me Be Your Sunlight”.

A Tribute Of The Year: Tribute To Faith No More is a challenging release. Tribute albums are notorious for disappointing fans and alienating listeners who aren’t receptive to reinterpretations of their favourite songs. Tribute Of The Year predominantly features underground industrial metal bands butchering perfect songs originally by Faith No More. There are a couple of decent covers on this compilation, like Daiquiri’s “Everything’s Ruined” and Tub Ring’s “Mouth To Mouth”. Overall, this collection of covers will not live up to high expectations from the most hardcore of Faith No More fans.

Fake No More are the U.K’s premier tribute to Faith No More. This look-a-like and sound-a-like tribute provide the ultimate experience for hardcore fans and newcomers to Faith No More’s exceptional music. A limited edition three track single was independently released and made available through band members themselves. It includes exclusive covers of “Be Aggressive”, “Digging The Grave”, and “We Care A Lot”. A great quality live recording from July 2, 2002 Bristol, England, Fleece and Firkin. This release provides evidence that Fake No More are a brilliant tribute to Faith No More.

Bachelor In Paradise: The Best Of Martin Denny showcases music from the influential pioneer of Exotica, who helped shape the musical exploratio of record buyers from the late-1950’s and beyond. His style is a cross-fertilization between world jazz and Pacific Island music. This definitive collection showcases Martin Denny’s music portfolio, including “Quiet Village”, “Cast Your Fate To The Wind”, “Pearly Shells”, “A Taste Of Honey”, and “Little Bird”. An essential introduction to the world of Exotica, and a perfect complement to any music enthusiasts’ collection.

Eight Million Stories – Naked City Ephemera is available inside the Naked City Box-Set. This exclusive ephemera contains all Naked City’s original uncensored album artwork, promotional images, live photography, and even the Naked City Scrapbooks illuminating John Zorn’s incredible genre-shifting compositions. This one-hundred and thirty page book includes testimonials where musicians and admirers have reflected on how Naked City’s music has changed their life forever.