This is Your Brain on Music

Max
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Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:26 pm

I have been reading a book called "This is your Brain on Music", written by the McGill University neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin
I have hesitated to recommend this to the TG community because it's not an easy read. It reads like a text book.
I normally read about 30-45 minutes a night and with this book I usually have to reread the last 1-2 pages before getting started again.
With all that in mind, it is a fascinating book and well worth the chore of reading it.

This Is Your Brain On Music describes the components of music, such as timbre, rhythm, pitch, and harmony.
It touches on why is it that certain songs get stuck in our heads. Why some performers can remember 1000's of songs and others only 100's.
Why is it that some people have perfect pitch, but most of us even non musicians can sing a song very close to pitch and in the correct rhythm.
another particular focus of the book is on cognitive models of categorization and expectation (their words), such as why can we recognize a song even if it's in a different key, different rhythm and sung by different people (my words).

The book states that music has been around longer than agriculture, and there is no evidence that language actually preceded music in our species. It may have promoted the cognitive development that was harnessed for speech.
Only in the past few hundred years did music become a spectator activity, but in the eons when it could have shaped our social evolution, it was a group activity that may have promoted group togetherness and synchrony.

Two documentary films were based on the book:
"The Musical Brain" (2009) featuring Levitin as host, along with appearances by Sting, Michael Bublé, Feist, and former Fugees leader Wyclef Jean.
And "The Music Instinct" (2009) with Levitin and Bobby McFerrin as co-hosts, with appearances by Yo Yo Ma, Jarvis Cocker, Daniel Barenboim, Oliver Sacks and others.

In 2009, Harvard University announced "This Is Your Brain On Music" would be required reading in its Freshman Core Program in General Education.

Well looks like I am recommending this book, but you've got to like reading text books.

Max


thereshopeyet
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Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:01 pm

Thanks


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neverfoundthetime
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Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:29 pm

... which reminds me.... where did I put it?!


Max
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Wed Oct 05, 2011 6:09 pm

thereshopeyet wrote:
Hello Max

I purchased this book when Chris recommended it over a year ago.

As you say, it's a really interesting read.
I read it on holiday in the sun!

:)
OOP's....there's got to be a way my brain can remember this kind of info, maybe a jingle.

Max


BigBear
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Thu Oct 06, 2011 6:49 pm

Max- great book review. I'm going to check it out.

There was a segment on TV this past week that mentioned why certain songs click with us or why we sing along to only certain songs. I'll bet this is along the same lines or a result of this guy's research. It sounded fascinating.

I'm sad to say that Tony's (Tovo's) favorite song "Y-M-C-A" was at the top of the list!!! Must be an Aussie thing. LOL!

Thanks again for the review!

:cheer:


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neverfoundthetime
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Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:34 am

Only in the past few hundred years did music become a spectator activity, but in the eons when it could have shaped our social evolution, it was a group activity that may have promoted group togetherness and synchrony.
Yeah, that got my attention too. I'm glad we are doing our bit to take music back into our own hands.


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