The book, "Musical Identities" (Raymond MacDonald, David Hargreaves, Dorothy Miell, eds.; Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2002) consists of 11 essays on the psychology of music. The editors divided the essays into two groups: those on developing musical identities ("identities in music" involving recognizable social and cultural roles, such as that of a pianist, conductor, or composer), and those on developing identities through music ("music in identities" where music plays a role in creating a non-musical identity, as when music contributes to the articulation of gender and ethnicity). The author concentrates his comments on the "music identities" essays, and concludes by stating his belief that the instinct that guides musical behavior in infancy may be equally valuable in adolescence. Where an infant receives the benefits of the instinct by engaging in music making with others, the self-aware adolescent may receive benefits from the seemingly "passive" activity of recreational listening. The mere act of listening to music can be a model for finding extra-musical identity. (Contains 29 notes.)