Contrary to the popular belief that likes to separate the emotional from the logical, few things go together as well as music and mathematics. With Pieces of Mind and Matter, South-Dakota- based music professor and composer Paul Lombardi has taken it upon himself to render this intricate relation audible and accessible to audiences - all while chronicling his personal musical journey. Paul Lombardi holds a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of Oregon, and studied composition with David Crumb, Robert Kyr, Stephen Blumberg, and Leo Eylar. His music has been performed in more than 30 states across the US, as well as in other areas in North America, South America, and Europe. Many groups have played his music, notably the Kiev Philharmonic, the East Coast Composers Ensemble, Third Angle, and the Hundredth Monkey Ensemble. His music has been performed at national and regional Society of Composers, Inc., National Association of Composers/USA, College Music Society conferences as well as numerous festivals and symposiums. He is an associate professor of music theory and composition at the University of South Dakota, where he was awarded the 2018 Belbas Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching.