KEYS TO THE KINGDOM: Reflections on Music and the Mind
Keys to the Kingdom: Reflections on Music and the Mind charts the course
of an unusual odyssey. For nearly a decade, Kathleen Housley played piano
with Katrina Withey, a gifted musician partially paralyzed from a stroke. To
understand those times in their playing when disabilities disappeared in a
shimmer of grace, Housley wrote brief reflections, turning to neuroscience
and history for deeper insight. Some are as complex as a fugue. Others are
as simple as a finger exercise on the C scale. Yet sounding throughout the
reflections is a sublime theme-the importance of friendship.
"I am certain I will return to this book many times-to prevent music from
becoming solely intellectual, friendship simply casual, and life experiences
reduced to a progression of day-to-day events. Each chapter is a fresh and
enlighteninglook at the power of music throughout time, and a moving glimpse
into evoking the eternal power between friends."
Pamela J. Perry, D.M.A., Professor of Music,
Central Connecticut State University
"Kathleen Housley has written a sensitive account of friendship, courage, and
the power of music to unite and heal. Her observations are sealed with a light
touch of metaphors, never too much, always growing from the real experience."
Richard T. Lee, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Philosophy,
Trinity College
"Keys to the Kingdom is more than an inspirational story. It brilliantly connects
neurology, music, language, and the overall sense of being. All rehabilitation
specialists should read this book to appreciate the holistic nature of
recovery and well-being."
Mary Purdy, Ph.D., Department of Communication Disorders,
Southern Connecticut State University
Kathleen L. Housley is the author of four books of non-fiction and one book
of poetry. She has written for numerous journals including Image, Isotope,
The Christian Century, and Ars Medica.