I think at some point in all of our lives as music lovers and listeners we ask ourselves; how does the simple act of tuning into a beloved song (or record), or even those of you who have devoted years of your life to playing music, have such a profound and positive influence on our mood and outlook? Why is it that we love our music so much?
When we converse with one another about music tastes and genres, how often do you think about your philosophy on music and why you like the music you like? The general consensus amongst people I talk to is that ‘I like it, because it sounds good to me’. Nobody really knows why. Personally in the past, I had never deeply thought about why these collections of vibrational frequencies created by certain instruments, have the effect that they clearly do. In this brilliantly written book: ‘This is your brain on music’, Dr. Daniel Levitin a successful rock musician and studio producer turn cognitive neuroscientist, is ideally placed to write this material and to guide the reader through the aspects of how our brains so miraculously interpret these sound frequencies, and then convert into music.
Levitin uses detailed science of the brain in an attempt to explain the true nature of music, while using detailed music theory (such as tempo, timbre and the 12 note musical scale) to gain further insight into the mechanics of the brain, while we listen to our favourite ditties. Levitin writes with a great depth of knowledge, about artists and compositions dear to him through the twenty or more years of professional experience as a musician. The reader can get a real sense of the deep fascination the author holds for musical expression and commitment amongst those who aspire to become one of the all-time greats (insert artists). With a neuroscientists conviction, Levitin sets out to explain how these very familiar and easily recognisable sounds, have such a profound impact on our emotional centres in the brain. In doing so, he explains how these emotional responses trigger memories which are linked to a particular time, place or person, all through our brains almost magical ability to interpret and organise the music that he believes, us humans have an inherent obsession with.
The elegance of Levitin’s writing can also be seen in how the content and in parts the ultra-technical language that he uses, is never detached from those readers that may not have a background in science or those who do not fall into the category of musicologists. This book can be enjoyed by everyone with an interest in both of the subjects being discussed. Music is a science and music is a human experience.
Levitin also tackles a very common belief that we humans have when it comes to our ability to learn how to create music. Those of you who have ever tried to learn a musical instrument and ‘failed’ so to speak, believe that they just don’t have a musical bone in their body. Levitin believes that every person who has ever lived is an expert music listener, and has a natural inherent ability to distinguish between many different sonic complexities. Levitin argues that, even for the likes of the young Mozart, genetic propensity only gets you halfway; the rest is environmental, combined with hard work. This aspect of the book, and the cultural history that music has had all the way back through human evolution, seems to reveal that we humans have evolved the capacity to create, enjoy and share our musical experiences with each other and in so doing, the biology of our brains changed to accommodate it.
I find it interesting to think, in a quantum sense we are intrinsically connected to the musical (vibratory) field. The same physical laws that govern sound and light waves in the universe, is now beginning to be understood, in that us earthlings seem to be made of the very same stuff and are governed by those quantum physical laws of nature. It is a complex world when you look deep into the quantum realm, however there is great inspiration in knowing that every individual is consciously connected to everybody else through the quantum field. Think of an event in your life where you surprised yourself with a certain ability you didn’t know you had, or an event where you really connected with another individual through a selfless act. These experiences have been related and scientifically linked to tapping into this ‘electrical universe’ as it has been dubbed by quantum physists worldwide.
This electrical universe is comprised of electro-magnetic energy. Our sun, solar system and Milky Way galaxy, including ourselves are all composed of the same EM energy. Carl Sagan once described us as ‘star stuff’ in his critically acclaimed book and documentary series, ‘Cosmos’. If you as an individual conscious mind believe this to be true, the vibrational energy that you emit into your environment can be captured by others and has an interference pattern associated with that interaction. It is then not unrealistic to believe that the vibrational frequencies that we pick up from a musical composition, interacts with our own vibrational frequency and hence a unique musical experience is created out of ‘thin air’. When one starts thinking of themselves as a vibrating electrical receiver, plugging into this cosmic EM field can allow a real deep connection between you and your music, art and also relationships.
Through the development of the human brain, individuals that acquired superior hand eye and hand ear coordination through musical expression is now believed to have given rise to a more successful human being. Increased auditory range as a result could have made us more efficient at hunting, and less likely to become the hunted.
In conclusion, ‘This is your brain on music’ is an extremely enjoyable read. The insights laid out in its pages promote a new and deep appreciation for the art of music, including a lesson in the beauty and incredible abilities of each of our musical brains. How often do you get to say that about a book on neuroscience.
