TRANSPORTED:
THE EVERYDAY MAGIC OF MUSICAL DAYDREAMS
Forthcoming from Liveright, May 19, 2026
Also available in the UK (Oneworld)
OVERVIEW
A revelatory work―grounded in the author’s own pathbreaking research―that explores the capacity for meaning–making and connection through “musical daydreams.”
DESCRIPTION
We’ve all had the experience: a song comes on, and suddenly we’re not where we were. We’re back in the past, or living out a future that never happened, or imagining a scene that never existed. In Transported, Elizabeth Margulis explores the phenomenon of musical daydreams―the vivid, spontaneous, emotionally redolent scenes, stories, and memories we lapse into while listening to music―and argues that these everyday reveries offer a powerful and underappreciated window into how we think and feel. Drawing on cutting–edge neuroscience, psychology, ethnography, and revelations from her own teaching and research, Margulis debunks oversimplified myths and illuminates music’s true potential to alleviate anxiety, reignite creativity, and foster connection.
At a time when distraction dominates, Transported makes a powerful case for music as one of the last realms where the mind is still free to wander.
“With striking intellectual range and an inviting voice, Elizabeth Margulis reframes everyday music listening as a subject of rigorous scientific inquiry. Bringing together insights across disciplines with a balance of precision and accessibility, she broadens our understanding of music’s capacity to foster creativity and nurture well-being.”
“A fascinating exploration of the mysterious and important connection between music and daydreams, and a deeply enjoyable path toward understanding what imbues music with its undeniable power.”
“This vivid and insightful book provides an entirely new perspective on music’s power to evoke scenes and stories in our imagination. Weaving together surprising scientific discoveries with a humanist’s sensitivity to cultural and historical context, Margulis brightly illuminates a valuable aspect of musical experience that we are just beginning to understand.”
“ Transported pushes forward how we understand the nexus between music and humans. And by ‘we,’ I mean academics, musicians, music listeners, and even those people scratching their heads and wondering what all the fuss is about. Even better, Margulis’s writing is at the same time elegant and accessible.”