Miller, Ron K. Resonance: Why Music Moves Us. Open Channel Press, 2026.
Reason read: LibraryThing has this Early Review Program for members. I chose Resonance for its musical theme (obviously).
Music is powerful. We have all heard it before. Music has the ability to change someone’s emotion, their perspective on life, or even their entire future. Music can bring people together with a commonality or introduce new (and sometimes lasting) relationships. Music can be a bodily experience with synethesia or frisson. How people absorb, process and release music can be a physiological response. Music as medicine for patients with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Miller delves into all of this and much, much more in Resonance: Why Music Moves Us. He starts with recognition; how music can evoke an emotion or recall a memory. Later, Miller discusses reverence – how culture, science and technology is shaped by music. Even though I enjoyed Resonance a great deal, some chapters went deep enough into the science to become didactic and dry. A smaller complaint is the repetition (word for word) of some sentences which leads me to believe AI had a hand in the writing.
Some highlights for me were: Miller’s relationship to music on every level; exploring the psychology of a walk-up song in baseball, learning that there is a thing called musical anhedonia, and there are people out there who become archaeoacoustics researchers. A startling concept was the idea that music is an art form that dies as soon as a piece is over. It’s true. It drifts away like campfire smoke. It saddens me that some songs I loved as a teenager might never hit my ear again because I cannot recall the name, melody or performer. That piece of music is lost to me forever, especially if it wasn’t a radio hit at the time of its release. Maybe it was a B-side on a mixed tape someone made for me…now long lost?
Confessional: Miller once burned cds of themed music. I wish he shared the playlist of both the funeral and songs that “pulled [him] toward something better.” I am always on the hunt for new music. Further confessing: a friend of mine committed suicide recently. Before she left this world she and I shared dozens of songs that meant something to us. It is too painful to listen to any of them, but someday I hope they soothe my broken heart.
Author fact: Further proof I was paying attention. Miller is a father to a son with Down syndrome and he has a cat. When I read about his interaction with Jack White I cringed. I too had a similar experience with Natalie Merchant. Eye contact. Her turning away as disappointed; as if I missed my cue to have a greater connection.
Book trivia: I could see this being a textbook for music theory courses.
Music (and if you know what Resonance is about then you know the list is long): AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells,” Andrew WK’s “Party Hard” and “She is Beautiful,” Angine de Poitrine, “As Tears Go By,” Bach’s D Minor Chaconne, “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” Barney Theme Song, Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Get Back,” Beethoven’s Ninth and Pastoral Symphonies, Bob Weir, Bobby McFerrin, Brahms, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen, Charlie Puth, Chopin, Chris Thile’s Not All Who Wander Are Lost, the Cure, Dave Matthews, David Gray’s “Babylon,” Depeche Mode, Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” Don Henley, Don McLean’s “American Pie,” Duran Duran’s “Rio,” Ed Sheeran, Eddie Vedder’s “Guaranteed,” Elvis, Emmylou Harris, Europa Singers, Five Foot Two, George Jones’s “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Go Rest high On That Mountain,” Grateful Dead, Howard Jones’s “Things Can Only Get Better,” Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” Jack White, Jackson Browne, Jeff Buckley, Jerry Garcia, Jewel’s “You Were Meant for Me,” (cowritten by Steve Poltz), Jimmy Buffett, John Cage’s 4’33”, John Cale, Jonh Lennon’s “Across the Universe,” John Mayer’s “3×5,” “Heavier Things,” “Clarity,” and “Room for Squares,” Joni Mitchell, Jorge Calderon, Karen Carpenter, Keith Richards, Korn’s “Blind,” Lead Belly’s “Goodnight Irene,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Liebestraum, M83’s “Reunion,” Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” Maurice Ravel’s Bolero, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and “Master of Puppets,” Miles Davis, Moody Blues’ “Your Wildest Dreams,” Mount Eerie’s A Crow Looked at Me, Neil Peart, Nick Drake, Niel Gow, Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” Nine Inch Nails, Pat Metheny, Paul McCartney’s “Yesterday,” “Pete Yorn’s musicforthemorningafter, Pink Floyd, Prince, R.E.M.’s “Everbody Hurts,” Rolling Stones’ “(Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” Rush, Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love,” Steve Winwood, Sting, Sturgill Simpson’s “Turtles All the Way Down,” and “Mutiny After Midnight,” Stravinsky, Sufjan Stevens’ “Casimer Pulaski Day” and “Should Have Known Better,” Supergrass, Syd Barrett, Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life,” Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Toto’s “Rosanna,” Townes Van Zandt, Trent Reznor, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me In Your Heart,” Whitney Houston, “Wild Thing,” and Yoko Ono.
As an aside, here are the songs and/or musicians I was hoping Miller would mention. These are some of my favorites. “Paper Moon” by sirsy, “Vincent” by Don McLean, “Boston” by Dermot Kennedy, “”King of May” by Natalie Merchant, “Verdi Cries” by 10,000 Maniacs, “Willing and Able” by Noah Kahan, and “Henrietta, Indiana” by Josh Ritter.
