As a teenager, whenever I was feeling particularly angsty, I would shut myself in my bedroom, draw the curtains, and put on my “sad music” mixtape.

We all know about Mozart and Beethoven, who displayed their musical talents at an early age and were eagerly promoted by their fathers. But history is full of cases of exceptionally musical children before the advent of after-school piano lessons and Baby Mozart videos. Here are some of history’s youngest classical musicians.

These are 12 of the highest-and most often-rated books about classical music, according to Goodreads and Amazon.

More than a simply a conductor and musician, Leonard Bernstein was a social activist and music lecture whose televised lecture series in the 1950s was very well-received. Subsequently, his 1959 best-selling book The Joy of Music was published, in which Bernstein covers topics such as composing, American music, and the genius of Beethoven with wit and insight through a series of imaginary conversations.

You want your kids to learn more about classical music? These 11 great books will help.

In today’s stressful world, stress-management resources are almost as common as the ailment they treat: from spas to anti-anxiety medications, just about everyone seems to be seeking relief from the high-pressure, always-on, need-it-now nature of modern society. Playing an instrument can also help reduce stress.

Anyone who has spent time in downtown Montréal will recognize the Gothic Revival architecture and red doors of Christ Church Cathedral, the seat of Montréal’s Anglican Diocese situated above the Promenades Cathédrale.

Music is a language as universal as human emotion, and it has the power to console, inspire, and even incite revolution or acts of heroism. It’s unsurprising, then, that it has featured so prominently in other forms of art, including the written word. Here are 11 novels by Canadian authors that explore classical music and its profound impact on the human soul.

The Canadian International Organ Competition (CIOC) opens this Friday, October 6 with a genre-bending concert at the Maison Symphonique: renowned organists Christian Lane and Jean-Willy Kunz will share the stage with Montréal singer-songwriter Leif Vollebekk, an artist more likely to be found onstage at Pop Montréal.