About 
"Music Through the Centuries"
by Mary Ellen Bickford

© 2005 by Rising World Entertainment

Music Through the Centuries is a book by composer Don Robertson published exclusively on DoveSong.com. Written during 2004 and 2005, it presents the evolution of the classical music of the European tradition through the past centuries and describes for the first time the story of how each new step in the evolution transpired within the framework of each century, with the first signs of the new century's music occurring at the beginning of that century.

Robertson, who was the first to call the 20th Century "the Century of Negative Music" in 1969, unfolds the background for this statement and tells the story of how discordant music became the primary form of classical music until the late 1960s, when tonality and consonance slowly began reappearing. He describes the influence of North Indian Classical music on our culture and talks about how "new age music" came about.

Music Through the Century's last chapter on the music of the 21st century presents the author's ideas and insight into the next evolution of the classical music of the Western World.

Don Robertson has decided to make his book available at no cost on the DoveSong.com website as a public service. He realizes the power of the internet in presenting information such as this to the world, and feels that "Through the Centuries" is a fulfillment of the purpose of DoveSong.com, which he established in January of 1997.

Robertson is a composer who has personally experienced what he writes about. His insights, although that have been revolutionary, and extremely controversial, are the results of years of investigation, experience, and study.

Originally, few people understood the importance of Robertson's ideas concerning positive music, ideas that he has been teaching for forty years. However, as time unfolds, more composers, musicians, and writers have begun to take an interest in his unique ideas, and his world view on music. He is perhaps the only person to have a depth of knowledge that spans three important musical traditions: European Classical, North Indian, and American Gospel.

I believe that Don Robertson, whom I have known personally and worked with for over  twenty-five years, has opened a new door to music for all those who are willing to venture through. His entire thesis is now fully available for the world to see, hear, and feel through this website (containing over 300 pages), which is now complete, having become more integrated with the addition of this, the only book that he will write about music, the subject of his life's work and love.

Mary Ellen Bickford
DoveSong.com
November, 2005