Music is essential to many of our lives. We listen to it when waking up, while in transit, at work, and with our friends. For many, music is like a constant companion. It can bring us joy and motivate ...

But, counterintuitive though it might seem, I don’t think sound is always a helpful way to understand genre. I’m a composer and conductor in the field that’s broadly known as Western classical music, ...

What is music good for? This question was part of a conversation with perhaps the best-known classical musician of our time, Yo-Yo Ma. In a New York Times Magazine article, the famed cellist ruminated ...