John Ortiz's life has been steeped in music. His mother used to sing him to sleep and his earliest memories are of her melodious voice. By fourteen, he had written his first song. Ortiz's Ph.D. was on music's ability to draw people closer together. His wonderfully practical book The Tao of Music is brimming over with ideas on how adults can enrich their lives with this art.

Ortiz has created another user-friendly guidebook for parents that hits all the right notes! Here are exercises and recommendations for using music in the home for infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and school-age children. The author is an entertaining master-of-ceremonies as he presents a smorgasbord of tunes that will help kids develop their academic skills, raise their self-esteem, enjoy exercise, get to sleep, and improve communication and listening skills. There is even a section on music for prenatal experiences. In 31 "Music Menus," Ortiz puts on display his impressive knowledge of selections with hundreds of recommended titles. I also enjoyed the "Sound Bytes" that appear throughout the book such as "A tune a day may not keep the doctor away, but it may help to cut down on medical visits." Since music of any type is a vehicle that activates soul, Nurturing Your Child with Music is a spiritual resource that will enhance the inner life of any family.