Shortlisted for The Age Non-fiction Book of the Year; People’s Choice, Queensland Books of the Year; Booksellers’ Choice Non-fiction Book of the Year.

How can we pause long enough to repair ourselves? How can we make space and time in our lives to know ourselves?

One way is through music - learning music, listening to music, being open to music. Because music consoles and restores us. Through music, whether we are listening or playing, we know ourselves more intimately, more honestly, and more clearly with every note. And with every note, music offers us a hand to the beyond.

Through music, we can say what we didn’t even know we felt.

This book is an ode to music, and a celebration of humanity’s greatest creation. It is not a call to arms, but a call to instruments.

In music, Ed Ayres finds answers to the big questions life throws at us. Using personal anecdotes - including those relating to his transition from Emma to Ed - and observations from teaching and learning music, Ed finds hope in our desire to become whole, with some simple music lessons along the way.