There really is a kind of magic in the music of Queen.

I can remember the first time I listened to a Queen song, it turned out to be a pivotal moment in my life.

It happened when I was 13.

I had joined my high school choir and our enthusiastic teacher had, rather ambitiously, set us the task of learning and performing Bohemian Rhapsody. I was immediately hooked.

It was an incredibly powerful song that built to a crescendo of beautiful harmonies, soft then loud, before finally fading to a poignant end.

I'll never forget how I felt when I came home after that first choir practice, claimed all of my dad's Queen albums — which I still own — and listened to them non-stop.

A publicity shot released in 1975 to promote Bohemian Rhapsody. ( Wikimedia Commons )

While preparing to see my idols for the second time in Australia this week (minus Freddie Mercury and the long-since retired John Deacon) I stumbled my way into something rather extraordinary: the chance to come face-to-face with my hero, Brian May.

Only hours after rocking the stage on the opening night of his Australian tour, the 70-year-old music legend made a special afternoon appearance at Kinokuniya bookstore in Sydney in front of adoring fans.

He was warm and friendly, strolling through the eager crowd at the launch of his new book, Queen in 3D, and greeting everyone with a kind face and welcoming smile.

"It's magic, it's the kind of magic which I always wanted to bring to Queen," May said of his book.

Sorry, this video has expired Brian May reflects on his career and his passion for 3D photos ( Candice Prosser )

The nostalgic photographic story provides a very personal insight into his life and career, of his passion for the lens and the private memories he treasures.

"It is like a photo album, very much so, and people are shocked I find when they look at it they go 'Oh this is a very nice book, and here are some nice pictures'," he said.

"But when they actually get in there and look through the viewer they go 'Oh my God, I didn't realise it was going to be so real and we feel like we can touch you guys, we can touch Freddie in those days'."

He was generous and open when I spoke to him — interesting, intelligent and refreshingly down to earth.

I was immediately taken back to that time, when I was a 13-year-old, when I discovered a feeling within me that remains a part of me to this day and will never leave me.

Brian May performing with Adam Lambert at Rod Laver Arena in 2014. ( Supplied: Andrew Prosser )

Whenever I hear Queen's music — the electricity of Brian May's Red Special, the commanding power and beauty of Freddie Mercury's vocals, the unity of iconic lyrics and music — it transports me to a place, a feeling that is unlike anything else I've ever experienced.

In that moment, I had found my sound, my passion, my own little world.

I felt a sense of empowerment, that this special thing I had discovered was all mine, that this feeling was for me to enjoy and it didn't matter what else was going on around me.

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Freddie died when I was a young child, before I understood who he was or the role his music would play in my life.

In 2014, when I first got the chance to see Brian May and Roger Taylor perform on tour, I was incredibly moved.

When the lights faded, the smoke cleared, and Brian May's guitar cut through the cloud of anticipation like a lightning bolt, it took my breath away.

There are many new generations of fans, like me, who find themselves drawn to the unique sound of Queen's music.

"We were fiercely competitive as writers," May told me when I asked him about the enduring success of Queen.

"You know, we live in strange times but the fact that I think we still talk about normal things [in our songs], the things that everybody feels inside, that's what it's all about."

Queen guitarist Brian May holds up a 3D camera, in a photo from his new book. ( Brian May )

His face lights up as he brings some of his memories to life, describing the images that inspired him.

"There's a great picture of Freddie, which I didn't even know I had," he told me as he pinpointed the page in his book.

"This is a good one, this is Freddie taking a picture of me taking a picture of him, so I rather like this and I would love to find the picture that he took."

It's clear that May, who speaks softly but with passion and thoughtfulness, is still moved by his craft.

"I do love what we do," he said.

"Sometimes what goes with it is hard, you know all the travelling, especially when you get a bit older, and the jet lag and stuff and there's a lot of hotels and a lot of stuff that you just have to deal with, you're away from your family, you're away from home, you're away from your animals — it's tough.

"But for that couple of hours on stage it's worth it."

Brian May with ABC reporter, and diehard Queen fan, Candice Prosser. ( ABC News: Ross McLoughlin )

It's been a long ride for May, but what a journey it's been so far.

Not only is he a musical genius, astrophysicist, animal rights activist, and photographer, he's also an incredibly humble, gentle and honest man.

"We're rock stars but we're not saying 'Hey, we're rock stars and this is what it feels like'," May said.

"We're normal people, we have normal kind of dreams, we have normal disappointments and sadnesses and joys, love etc, that's what we talk about in the songs."

What May creates, what all the members of Queen have created, is pure genius.

The music of Queen is undeniably brilliant, it's unique, beautifully written and above all, magical.

Each time Freddie's voice fills my soul and I allow myself to be entirely consumed by the exquisite sound of my favourite Queen songs, I am at peace.

In the words of my musical heroes: "You don't know what it means to me".