"In many ways it's about my life in music," said Iqaluit's John Bird of his recently published book, Spirituality of Music.

John Bird, author of Spirituality of Music, plays ukulele with the The Road to Nowhere Band and jams with a Celtic fiddle group. He also reconnected with choral singing for the first time since his youth after moving to Iqaluit about a year ago. He said the diverse musical opportunities available to him in Iqaluit made this the perfect place to complete his book. - photos courtesy of John Bird

Although not exclusively autobiographical, the photo-filled coffee table book leads readers through the emotional, social and spiritual bond that Bird, and perhaps all of us, share with music throughout our lives.

"It's about music as a source of joy and connection in life," he said. "I use a lot of my own experiences to talk about that."

The book is divided into several themes. It begins with an account of our experiences as receivers of music, such as the pleasure of attending a concert, listening to a recording or enjoying a loved one sing, then travels into the feeling we get from playing music on an instrument and with our voices.

Bird speaks of the deep connection felt by musicians and singers who create sound together.

"When your voice is resonating with other voices it builds into something that's greater than the sum of the parts," he said.

Dance is another expression of the body and mind's response to rhythm that is a focus of the book.

"Music is something we experience with the mind but we also experience it with our body," he said. "Your body entrains to (the music). The rhythm of your body lines up with the music you're playing."

Indigenous musical traditions, including throat singing, are featured in the book. He credits his discussions with throat singer Becky Kilabuk and other local throat singers for bringing him in touch with the spiritual tradition of the art form.

His cross-cultural examination of music's role incorporates the way slaves in the American South used music to instill hope and communicate the path to freedom along the underground railroad before emancipation in 19th century.

"The spirituality of the music is that it connects you to the rhythm of the world," he said. "Music is in every culture and every society in one way or other."

The final chapter explores that spiritual expression music offers, from the pulse of a mother's heartbeat felt by a child to the spiritual response listeners have to sublime classical compositions.

Music connects our intellect and emotion and emphasizes the connection we share with others, he said.

"For me, that's what spirituality is," he said. "It's about being connected and integrated with your body and your mind and with other people."