"A
wise and loving owner's manual for anybody who has ears. Mathieu offers a rare
opportunity to re-discover a rich and often neglected channel that links our
inner self with the world."—Keyboard
Magazine
"A
practical and in-depth guide to the vastness of the mysticism of sound. It is
also beautifully written. It is poetic, humorous, loving and
confrontational—it is filled with the child's curiosity and it is filled with
love for life—and it is contagious."—The
Sound
"In
this collection of short, evocative essays, [Mathieu] offers playful and
powerful suggestions for awakening to the music that is always around us and
inside us. . . . His infectious passion for the melodies and rhythms of
everyday life shimmers on every page."—Yoga
Journal
"In
this age of the couch potato, squatting bug-eyed at the boob-tube, this is a
book on behalf of the unregenerate ear-minded person's protest against the
eye-minded majority. . . . Mathieu offers suggestions and encouragement on many
aspects of music-making, and provides playful exercises to help readers
appreciate the connection between sound, music, and everyday life."—Spiritual
Frontiers
"The
Listening Book
is
a true gift for music-makers of any stripe, It offers us not only the insights
of a master teacher and the instincts of a great musician, but it radiates with
that wonderful quality of a man who wears his soul on his sleeve."—Paul
Winter, composer and musician
"The
Listening Book
is
a remarkable and exciting work. An obvious labor of love, every page sings of
the joys of life and music. Mathieu's observations and perceptions are
insightful, incisive and often startling. This is a book that could change the
way we view music, and which would be of benefit to everyone from the casual
listener or performer to the professional musician."—David N. Baker,
Distinguished Professor of Music and Chairman, Jazz Department, Indiana
University School of Music