Where the Sound Goes is a deeply personal, lyrical memoir chronicling one clarinetist’s journey from shy beginner to orchestral musician, from trembling NYSSMA auditions to the glowing stage of the Kennedy Center. Told in a voice that’s at once tender, honest, and vividly reflective, Lucas Kania charts not only his musical milestones, but the emotional landscapes behind each one — the sibling harmonies, the mentors who saw him, the concerts that left him breathless, and the silences that nearly swallowed him.

Spanning childhood band rooms, youth symphonies, COVID-era college rehearsals, and unforgettable performances across the country, this book captures the making of a musician. With prose that echoes the very rhythms of breath and embouchure, Kania invites readers inside the real, raw, and radiant experience of growing up through music.

Where the Sound Goes is for anyone who has ever clutched a beat-up instrument case like a lifeline, who has ever found home in a practice room, or who simply wonders where the music takes us when we listen closely enough.