Danger Music: How teaching the cello to children in Afghanistan led to a self-discovery almost too hard to bear

‘A timely, powerfully-told tale, written with forthrightness and compassion.’ The Age

‘… opens our eyes to the beauty that can be found in the worst of places. It is a brave and incredibly inspiring story.’ OUTInPerth

Eddie Ayres has a lifetime of musical experience – from learning the viola as a child, to playing with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and moving to Australia to present an extremely successful ABC Classic FM morning radio show.

In 2014 Eddie was spiralling into a deep depression - he quit the radio, travelled, and decided on a surprising path to salvation. Eddie applied for a position at Dr Sarmast’s renowned Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul, teaching cello to orphans and street kids in a war zone.

In Danger Music, Eddie takes us through the bombs and chaos of Kabul, into the lives of the Afghan children who are transported by Bach, Abba, Beethoven and their own exhilarating Afghan music. Alongside these epic experiences, Eddie determines to take the final steps to secure his own peace; he allows himself to become the man he always knew was waiting for him.

‘Captivating, moving and relevant … this book is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read.’ The Bibliophile’s Bookshelf