Review: Fascinating, Useful Read for Musicians and Non-Musicians Alike
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 16, 2013
"A Matter of Time: The Science of Rhythm and the Groove" is a musician's advice and thoughts (backed up by his exploration of scientific and psychological studies about the subject) about rhythm, and how humans use and process it in making and enjoying music. The author himself is a drummer, and shares both his own experience and "ah-ha!" moments about rhythm as well as interesting anecdotes that takes this book from the realm of a topic that could be dry to one that is very helpful and interesting.He begins with the importance of clarity in explanation so that musical students can truly understand rhythm, groove, pulse, and more. He spends time discussing how everyone has rhythm, as it occurs in nature and our own bodies, and gives guidance on how to tune into it--thinking versus non-thinking, "feeling" music, etc. The text even links to videos that help illustrate the author's points.This book is written in a conversational style that's easy to follow, and I would recommend it to both younger and older musicians (no matter where they are in their career), those who are interested in music generally, and those who enjoy learning for learning's sake (even if you don't play music yourself, a lot of the information in the book is fascinating--for instance, did you know that supermarkets play music of a certain speed because it causes you move your cart at that speed down the aisles? Now you do!