Music therapists use music to achieve non-musical goals. Their clients range from children with autism or developmental disabilities, through adults recovering from brain injuries or addiction, to seniors with Parkinson’s disease, depression, or dementia. Although accomplished musicians, their therapeutic efforts are quite separate from what they do in other settings as performers or teachers.

Music therapy is a fascinating field, full of human interest, but unfamiliar to many people. Music for Other Reasons offers a warm and informal introduction to the profession and its practitioners. While touching on some of the neuroscience that explains how music can unlock a client’s physical, cognitive, or emotional capabilities, the book focuses on the therapists who use this knowledge to benefit others: how they came to work in the field, what they do each day, and some of their joys and challenges.

Regardless of your musical background, Music for Other Reasons provides an engaging depiction of a lesser-known path towards wellness, one that celebrates the wonderful complexity of being human.

Bob Cowin, a former community college administrator, is the author of Launching Solo: The First Year of Single People's Retirement and Refugee Countdown: A Canadian-American Partnership to Resettle a Syrian Family.