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.