Daniel Levitin's 10 Books About Musical Creativity

This collection features stories of creativity, identity, and resilience through the lens of music. From Cohen’s poetic reflections to Wainwright’s raw memoir and Siblin’s pursuit of Bach’s Cello Suites, each book explores the link between personal history and creative expression. Sarah’s meditation on music’s lifelong pull and the experimental edge of Mad Skills and Us, Conductors reveal artistry as more than talent—it’s shaped by memory, place, and passion. For young readers, Oscar Lives Next Door offers an accessible entry into music history, cultural identity, and the magic of sound. Through the classical world, folk traditions, and personal narratives, these selections highlight that creativity isn’t just something we do—it’s how we understand who we are.

Daniel J. Levitin is a neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, musician, and bestselling author. He is James McGill Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal. He is the author of six consecutive bestselling books: This Is Your Brain on Music, The World in Six Songs, The Organized Mind, A Field Guide to Lies and Successful Aging (published in the UK as The Changing Mind), and his newest book, I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine (Allen Lane/Penguin Canada, published in the UK as Music as Medicine), remained on the Canadian National Bestseller lists for five months.