I came across the Letters of Note project when I was browsing Audible. I had never heard of it, but it is wonderful and I plan to read and listen to a lot more of it. Collections of letters, first compiled online and then published as books and audiobooks that became so popular that there are live events that fill places like the Royal Albert Hall? What's not to love?
On a whim, I decided to listen to "Letters of Note - Music". The editor is Shaun Usher.

This collection features letters spanning almost 200 years, by famous musicians and composers, but also no names who happened to write letters that are noteworthy for one reason or the other, such as the letter by a Beatles fan who wrote to Nike, being outraged when they used a Beatles song for a commercial. There are letters by Leonard Cohen, Richard Strauss, Tschaikowski and Keith Richards. There is one by Helen Keller who wrote about her experience of feeling music by touching the radio, and one by a doctor who wrote to David Bowie after the famous singer died. Each letter is unique, be it sad, earnest, passionate or funny.
Listening to this meant that the letters were brought to life by such accomplished readers such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Fry and Miriam Margolyes. I really savored it and tried to listen to not too many at a time, in order to be able to really take them in. I loved this listening experience, although I think that reading the letters as a book, including, as I understand, facsimiles and pictures, must be wonderful as well.
I am looking forward to exploring more of these collections! ( )

Dit kleinnood zou zelfs zijn centjes waard zijn, mocht het boekje alleen uit de brief van Leonard Cohen aan zijn uit het oog verloren muze Marianne bestaan. Zelden (of nooit) kwamen de haren op mijn armen zo overeind bij het lezen. Zelfs nu als ik erover schrijf.... Zes sterren voor die brief.

Verder verzamelde Usher de meest uiteenlopende brieven omtrent muziek, die elk om hun eigen redenen lezenswaardig zijn. Ergens blijft het gevoel na zinderen dat er nog krachtigere, leukere of interessantere brieven over muziek moeten zijn, maar misschien is het net leuk om het potentieel van briefwisseling op die manier aangereikt te krijgen. Heerlijk boekje! ( )