Comments on: Music on Your Brain http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/ Global Perspectives for an American Audience Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:33:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Patty Carlson http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-8342 Patty Carlson Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:43:43 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-8342 Dr. Levitin, your argument that music is at the heart of human nature was very interesting to me. My research has indicated music may be the innate and inherent remedial language of the brain. I invite you to read a published thesis paper posted at PianoLogic.com to this effect. I would be most appreciative of your comments. I look forward to your reply. Dr. Levitin, your argument that music is at the heart of human nature was very interesting to me. My research has indicated music may be the innate and inherent remedial language of the brain. I invite you to read a published thesis paper posted at PianoLogic.com to this effect. I would be most appreciative of your comments. I look forward to your reply.

]]> By: Alysha Wilcox http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-8125 Alysha Wilcox Sat, 20 Nov 2010 21:09:24 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-8125 I'm writing a research paper on how music effects the brain and was wondering what some points are that you think I should include? Thanks, alysha I’m writing a research paper on how music effects the brain and was wondering what some points are that you think I should include? Thanks, alysha

]]> By: Gareth Hyndman http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-3417 Gareth Hyndman Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:47:45 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-3417 I forget the source, and I wish I could find it on the internet - but a Medical Examiner mentioned that he could not distinguish Einstein's Brain from any other person, but a professional musician or composer had a visually distinguishable Brain. I found that idea fascinating. I was wondering how much plasticity plays a role in that and/or genetics. And if you had any idea of the source of that statement or its veracity. I forget the source, and I wish I could find it on the internet – but a Medical Examiner mentioned that he could not distinguish Einstein’s Brain from any other person, but a professional musician or composer had a visually distinguishable Brain. I found that idea fascinating. I was wondering how much plasticity plays a role in that and/or genetics. And if you had any idea of the source of that statement or its veracity.

]]> By: Daniel Levitin http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-2649 Daniel Levitin Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:46:02 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-2649 Thank you all for participating in the forum, and for your thought-provoking questions. I'm humbled to realize that I still don't have anywhere near all the answers, but the fun is in the looking. Thank you all for participating in the forum, and for your thought-provoking questions. I’m humbled to realize that I still don’t have anywhere near all the answers, but the fun is in the looking.

]]> By: Jonathan Dyer http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-2607 Jonathan Dyer Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:12:33 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-2607 Thank you! I like that. Thank you! I like that.

]]> By: Daniel Levitin http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-2606 Daniel Levitin Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:03:29 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-2606 A lot of people with PD listen to music and find it helps, especially to get them moving. But notwithstanding Oliver's observations, most PD patients need more dopamine than music can release - the levels of dopamine provided by pharmaceuticals are vastly greater than those provided by music. Still, there is something about the beat and sequencing of the music that seems to engage circuits in the basal ganglia and cerebellum to unfreeze them. More research needs to be done! A lot of people with PD listen to music and find it helps, especially to get them moving. But notwithstanding Oliver’s observations, most PD patients need more dopamine than music can release – the levels of dopamine provided by pharmaceuticals are vastly greater than those provided by music. Still, there is something about the beat and sequencing of the music that seems to engage circuits in the basal ganglia and cerebellum to unfreeze them. More research needs to be done!

]]> By: Daniel Levitin http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-2605 Daniel Levitin Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:01:29 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-2605 A lot of people say this. I guess when Rhitu asked me the question, I should have answered that "like many people, I can't listen to music in the background because it absorbs my attention." In other words, I'm not sure it's because I'm a musician that this happens. I'd say that people like us are probably more sensitive to music so that if it is music we like, it draws us in more completely. A lot of people say this. I guess when Rhitu asked me the question, I should have answered that “like many people, I can’t listen to music in the background because it absorbs my attention.” In other words, I’m not sure it’s because I’m a musician that this happens. I’d say that people like us are probably more sensitive to music so that if it is music we like, it draws us in more completely.

]]> By: Louise Hetzler http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-2597 Louise Hetzler Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:25:38 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-2597 I am reading Musicophelia by Oliver Sacks. He writes about the post-encephalitic "Awakenings" patients he worked with, and how music worked better than dopamine in getting their parkinsonism "unfrozen", as it were. Is music the drug of choice for people living with Parkinson's Disease today? I am reading Musicophelia by Oliver Sacks. He writes about the post-encephalitic “Awakenings” patients he worked with, and how music worked better than dopamine in getting their parkinsonism “unfrozen”, as it were. Is music the drug of choice for people living with Parkinson’s Disease today?

]]> By: Jonathan Dyer http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-2596 Jonathan Dyer Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:22:03 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-2596 Daniel, In the podcast Rhitu asked what music you listen to while you work and you said that as a musician you can't listen to music as you find it too distracting -- you just find all your attention going to the music. Well I'm not a musician but I'm exactly the same way. I've never been able to have music on in the background while I work or read a book. It's as if music distracts my brain in a way it doesn't for others -- well except maybe you. I wondered if you had any insight into this? Jonathan Daniel,

In the podcast Rhitu asked what music you listen to while you work and you said that as a musician you can’t listen to music as you find it too distracting — you just find all your attention going to the music. Well I’m not a musician but I’m exactly the same way. I’ve never been able to have music on in the background while I work or read a book. It’s as if music distracts my brain in a way it doesn’t for others — well except maybe you. I wondered if you had any insight into this?

Jonathan

]]> By: Daniel Levitin http://www.world-science.org/forum/music-brain-daniel-levitin/comment-page-1/#comment-2595 Daniel Levitin Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:31:52 +0000 http://www.world-science.org/?p=2151#comment-2595 Yes! Surprise is actually registered in several different parts of the brain, but in one that we've studied - in the prefrontal cortex - musical surprise causes activaton in the same areas as other surprises, for example, a sentence that ends unexpectedly ("The pizza was too hot to sleep") or a visual sequence that is unexpected. Surprise is an adaptive strategy for the brain of course, because it indicates a gap in our knowledge of the world - things are only surprising if we failed to predict them - and it gives us an opportunity to improve that prediction system. Yes! Surprise is actually registered in several different parts of the brain, but in one that we’ve studied – in the prefrontal cortex – musical surprise causes activaton in the same areas as other surprises, for example, a sentence that ends unexpectedly (“The pizza was too hot to sleep”) or a visual sequence that is unexpected. Surprise is an adaptive strategy for the brain of course, because it indicates a gap in our knowledge of the world – things are only surprising if we failed to predict them – and it gives us an opportunity to improve that prediction system.

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