Born in 1947, Peter Michael Hamel studied music, psychology and sociology in
Munich and Berlin. He continued his education abroad, spending three extensive periods in Asia. His knowledge of Eastern musical traditions had a profound effect not only
on his own compositional style, but on his views concerning Western music as a whole. He shared his unconventional insights into music and its place in society in the
influential book, Through Music to the Self. First published in 1976, the book discusses the transformational effects of music through the ages and calls for a new approach
to composition in twentieth century Western music. Through Music to the Self has since been translated into several languages and has inspired countless composers and
musicians worldwide.