Rhythms of the Game: The Link Between Musical and Athletic Performance

(Book). Bernie Williams' ability to play major league baseball at a high level was directly influenced by his musical training and his deep understanding of the similarities between musical artistry and athletic performance. Through a series of conversations, narratives, and sidebars, the authors (Bernie Williams, Dave Gluck, and Bob Thompson) discover and reveal the influence of music and its rhythms on the game of baseball. Readers of Rhythms of the Game will gain an insight into the similarities between musical artistry and athletic performance. The book is written for musicians and athletes looking to improve their level of performance on the stage or on the field, as well as for a general audience interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the underlying influence of music on the game of baseball.

At 17 Bernie Williams was signed by the New York Yankees as a free agent; he became a 5-time All-Star, a 4-time World Series Champion, and the 1996 ALCS MVP. He is also a critically acclaimed musician with influences that include jazz, classical, pop, Brazilian, and Latin styles. His albums are The Journey Within (2003) and Moving Forward (2009). David Gluck is currently a professor of music at The State University of New York, Purchase College, where he teaches in the studio composition department. In 2006 Bob Thompson (Hawthorne, NY) created and produced “The Baseball Music Project” with Hall of Famer and former New York Yankee Dave Winfield, presenting over thirty concerts together throughout the USA. He is author of Baseball's Greatest Hit: The Story of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”