Why did Ayn Rand once say that operetta had a "life-saving" effect on her? The answer emerges from an exploration of her life in Russia and her esthetics, focusing on her concept "sense of life." Drawing on material from her 1960-61 biographical interviews and The Romantic Manifesto, the talk will use numerous sound clips to examine how music affects people and, in the process, provide a greater appreciation of Ayn Rand's life and her psychological triumph over Soviet Russia.