Waking the Spirit, Andrew Schulman
Waking the Spirit, Andrew Schulman
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Waking the Spirit
A Musician's Journey Healing Body, Mind, and Soul

Author: Andrew Schulman

Narrator: Andrew Schulman

Unabridged: 8 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/23/2026

Synopsis

Revised, updated, and beautifully accompanied by music performed by the author, this audiobook is the astounding story of a critically ill musician who is saved by music and returns to the same hospital to help heal others.Andrew Schulman, a fifty-seven-year-old professional guitarist, had a close brush with death on the night of July 16, 2009. Against the odds—and with the help of music—he survived: a medical miracle.Once fully recovered, Andrew resolved to use his musical gifts to help critically ill patients at Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s intensive care unit. In Waking the Spirit, you’ll learn the astonishing stories of the people he has met along the way—both patients and doctors—and see the incredible role music can play in a modern hospital setting.Schulman expertly weaves cutting-edge research on neuroscience and medicine, as well as what he has learned as a professional musician, to explore the power of music to heal the body and awaken the spirit.

About Andrew Schulman

Andrew Schulman is the Medical Musician/Critical Care at Berkshire Medical Center and the first Certified Medical Musician admitted as a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. He is the founder and artistic director of the Abaca String Band, which has performed throughout the United States, and also a solo guitarist who has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall in London, the White House, and the Improv Comedy Club, among many others. Schulman lives in New York City with his wife, Wendy, and their dog, Phoebe.

Reviews

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Quotes

“He talks with neuroscientists and psychiatrists and explores the legacy of Pythagoras, the ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher who was among the first to recognize the healing properties of music.” New York Times Book Review

“Inspirational.” Publishers Weekly

“Offers evidence of the calming, stabilizing, and synchronous (‘entrainment’) physical effects music therapy can have on a patient’s nervous system, pain, and overall health…[A] testament to the limitless benefits of music and its role in health care.” Kirkus Reviews

“I think the world has been waiting for this book.”
Bill McGlaughlin, host and music director of the public radio programs Exploring Music and Saint Paul Sunday

“An inspiring personal story of the ageless power of music to comfort and to heal supported with plentiful compelling scientific evidence.” Caroline Stoessinger, author of A Century of Wisdom

“Waking the Spirit is an inspiring story that teaches many important spiritual lessons, but the principal one is that to give thanks, you have to give. By healing others, he healed himself. You will never listen to music in the same way again.” John Kralik, author of 365 Thank Yous

Awards

  • People Magazine Pick
  • Oliver Sacks Foundation
  • Books for a Better Life Award
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