University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

After receiving my master's degree, but still a few years away from my first professional position, Sessions' book helped me to understand how I fit into the larger world as a musical performer. This knowledge sustained me during this sometimes frustrating period. When I became an active performer, I was able to put Sessions' ideas into practice on a daily basis. My fascination with the experience of the music listener eventually led me to become a teacher of "non-musicians." I hope that readers of this book who are music listeners will come to understand that, as audience members, they play a crucial role in the experience of music performance through their active engagement in the listening process and through their emotional response to the music. Without them, there's no reason to compose or to perform.