The Musical Human

A History of Life on Earth

By: Michael Spitzer

Narrated by: Daniel Levitin

Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents The Musical Human by Michael Spitzer, read by Daniel Levitin.

One hundred and sixty-five million years ago saw the birth of rhythm.

Sixty-six million years ago was the first melody.

Forty thousand years ago Homo sapiens created the first musical instrument.

Today music fills our lives. How we have created, performed and listened to this music throughout history has defined what our species is and how we understand who we are. Yet music is an overlooked part of our origin story.

The Musical Human takes us on an exhilarating journey across the ages – from Bach to BTS and back – to explore the vibrant relationship between music and the human species. With insights from a wealth of disciplines, world-leading musicologist Michael Spitzer renders a global history of music on the widest possible canvas, looking at music in our everyday lives, music in world history and music in evolution, from insects to apes, humans to AI.

Through this journey we begin to understand how music is central to the distinctly human experiences of cognition, feeling and even biology, both widening and closing the evolutionary gaps between ourselves and animals in surprising ways.

The Musical Human boldly puts the case that music is the most important thing we ever did; it is a fundamental part of what makes us human.

©2021 Michael Spitzer (P)2021 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"An amazing book, tying together research in archaeology, anthropology, music history, and human origins to form a compelling and exciting account of the many ways music has developed across the world and across time." (Daniel Levitin)

"A hugely ambitious work, but never daunting, and there’s something thought-provoking on every page.... With scholarship, wit and passion, this book demonstrates that there truly is a soundtrack to human lives." (Catherine Bott, Classic FM)

"A thrilling exploration of what music has meant and means to humankind." (Ian Bostridge)

An almost unbelievably wonderful book.

I truly cannot praise this book highly enough. The subtitle, 'A History of Life on Earth', seems almost absurd until you get some way in but by the end makes perfect sense. The only 'problem' I had with it was not being able to read too much at once because it is so densely packed with mind-expanding revelations, thrilling insights and life-enhancing ideas that I frequently felt positively overwhelmed! And Michael Spitzer's writing style is, to my mind, superb. I'm well aware that this review will seem excessive and exaggerated to most but I'll be surprised if anyone with any interest in music doesn't find 'The Musical Human' extremely well worthwhile.