W. S. B. (William Smythe Babcock) Mathews

Born in 1837 and active in Chicago, W. S. B. Mathews was an American music critic, editor, educator, and author whose full name was William Smythe Babcock Mathews. He wrote extensively about musical appreciation and history, and his name is especially associated with books such as How to Understand Music and The Great in Music.

Mathews also played an important role in music journalism. Sources on his work connect him with the Chicago musical press and with Music: A Monthly Magazine, showing how strongly he shaped public discussion of concert life, composers, and musical education in the United States.

What makes him still interesting is his tone: he wrote for curious listeners as much as for trained musicians. Even now, his work offers a window into how Americans of his era learned to hear, study, and talk about music.