Musical Minds

[jdubfan]

I watched part of the repeat of the NOVA show on PBS titled Musical Minds last night. I'd really like to see the entire episode sometime. They had some really interesting (to me) neurological information about how music relates to the brain. If you don't find this interesting, I understand. But I thought this was a really neat show. I've often wondered why I have such a powerful attraction to music, especially Joe's. It can change my mood, bring me down/up, change my stress level, blood pressure, outlook, have me dancing in the aisles. And this show kind of answered some of my questions.
Every culture, all of them worldwide have some type music. They now know the human brain is hardwired for it, making us what the scientists called natural musical animals. We are born with parts of our brains ready for anticipating musical parts, participating in and appreciating music. In a brainscan, they can't tell a visual artist, writer or mathematician, but they can tell a professional musician. That was a Way cool moment for me.
Neurologist Oliver Sacks (he wrote Awakenings, starring Di Nero and Robin Williams, a movie about his discoveries of what musical therapy did for his patients. Ones who couldn't talk could sing, ones that couldn't walk could dance, etc.) He's a Bach fan, but not Beethoven. They played popular pieces and when he heard the Bach, his brain really lit up, but not for Beethoven. Then they played rare pieces that he couldn't tell between the two, but his brain could, the same parts lit up for Bach, but not the other. I thought that was really interesting. I could relate, sometimes I'm not sure who I'm hearing, but I know I like it. It usually ends up being someone who's music I usually like but just didn't recognize at that moment. Good gawd, I am normal!
They also had case studies of Dr. Sacks including a young man who is a musical savante on the piano. He's blind, autistic and mentally disabled. He can't count to 10, but he can play back anything he hears, and do modulations and variations on the melody. It was amazing.
They had a woman who had Amusica, it's like vocal color blindness, she can't appreciate music like most (that'd be hell on earth for me). No rhythym, no pitch, no nothing. My friends and family would probably say I have this!
They also had an orthopaedic surgeon who'd always liked rock music, but he got struck by lightning in his head, and now is OCD about hearing/playing/creating classical piano pieces to the demise of his practice and marriage.
I alway knew in my heart music was way more than just sitting around, wasting time (HA Dad!) there's lots of brain parts involved. Fascinating stuff, I didn't do it justice here, but if you ever see this show scheduled, you might want to watch for a bit, pretty cool stuff. :thumbsup:

[Freypower]

As you can see this has been moved to Singing For The Sake Of The Song.

That's very interesting. Particularly with classical music I have always wondered why I prefer some composers to others (I am a Beethoven and Bach person rather than a Mozart person).

[sodascouts]

That is interesting indeed! I'd like to check that program out!

[TimothyBFan]

I AM NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Troubadour]

I AM NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wouldn't go that far. ;)

That sounds like a very interesting program, jdub. Thanks for letting us know about it. Definitely worth looking out for!

[Prettymaid]

I AM NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, about this anyway...:hilarious:

I find this fascinating too and would like to see the show. Everyone on this board must realize the impact that music has to some degree or they wouldn't be here.

[TimothyBFan]

HEY.... http://bestsmileys.com/sad/11.gif

[jdubfan]

I hear music almost constantly in my head, especially in the morning. Usually it's just an earworm, but sometimes it's a pretty cool tune, probly songs parts that I've heard. In Joe's song On The Radio, he talked about the songs coming to him to get written down, I wonder if he still has that happen. Hope so, I'd sure like one more album Joe!! They showed MRIs of someone just thinking about a favorite song, and the same brain centers lit up like they were physically listening to music, so it gives you the same benefits without crankin' it up. But, I prefer to hear it outside my head.

[Brooke]

That is very interesting and would like to catch this show, too. Thanks jd!

Willie, I believe you! :lol:

[sodascouts]

You know, I was thinking about this some more today... my older sister hardly ever listens to music, and has no desire to. My father was a professional musician for a while. My younger sister and I played string instruments when we were younger - I still have my little trophy for being awarded the position of 1st chair, 1st violin for the Regional Youth Symphony in my old bedroom in Texas lol. I had to stop playing because of the hand tremors caused when they upped my dosage of epilepsy meds to control seizures, but my sister currently plays for her small church. I wonder if the differences in the level of musical appreciation are due to our brains being wired different ways? And does that explain why some of us listen to music constantly, are moved greatly by it, are very intense about our musical favorites, and others aren't?

[TimothyBFan]

You know, I was thinking about this some more today... my older sister hardly ever listens to music, and has no desire to. My father was a professional musician for a while. My younger sister and I played string instruments when we were younger - I still have my little trophy for being awarded the position of 1st chair, 1st violin for the Regional Youth Symphony in my old bedroom in Texas lol. I had to stop playing because of the hand tremors caused when they upped my dosage of epilepsy meds to control seizures, but my sister currently plays for her small church. I wonder if the differences in the level of musical appreciation are due to our brains being wired different ways? And does that explain why some of us listen to music constantly, are moved greatly by it, are very intense about our musical favorites, and others aren't?

Well I have been told I'm "wired differently" more than once. :hilarious:

But seriously. I do see your point but don't think that can be correct. I say this because I'm one of those that is listening to music CONSTANTLY (even while I sleep with a pillow speaker) but yet I cannot play any instrument or carry a tune. I mean from the time I can remember, I have always played music NONSTOP. I remember my close -and- play and my Nancy Sinatra 45, to my portable cassette player with my Tom Jones (scary I know!) cassette I received for my 6th birthday, to the giant jam box I got for Christmas when I was a teen. And you all know my constant vinyl obsession, music while I sleep, etc.... I was befriended by a friend on Facebook the other day and a few days later he saw I was on and sent me a message in chat, starting out the conversation with "I see you still love music..." because I am continuously posting videos to my FB wall.

Soda, I can't imagine being like your one sister with not caring about music at all. To me, everything I do in life ALWAYS has music playing in the background. From the time I awake in the morning till the time when my head hits that speaker in the pillow, it goes thru my head. Is that normal for some people? And why are some of us like that and others just don't see the fascination with it?

I need to see this program obviously!

[MikeA]

How many different manifestations are there to that part of the brain that seems to control our perceptions of "MUSIC"?

There are those to whom Music means virtually nothing but a total waste of time. The only interest they show for the art is when their pride reveals their appreciation for something their children do when they "perform".

Then there are those like Willie who love music with a passion but do not play or sing.

Then there are those like me who love music, maybe have a little talent but never have been able to develop it to any great degree. We have the desire and have been able to acquire a little skill by working at it, but don't have the innate ability to create.

Finally, there are those fully endowed who may not even really like music but who have amazing creative skills and vocal abilities and the knack of picking up virtually any instrument and make it sound awesome.

I do wish there was a pill I could take that would unlock that portion of my brain that has been denied me.

[whitcap]

Here are a couple clips I found on youtube from the program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FkdDX--IaU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyY1ul_DbcQ

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well this is very interesting stuff. I'm gonna have to try to catch this show. I'm kinda like Willie - I love music but can't sing or play my way out of a paper bag. I think that may be why I have such admiration for those that can.

[Prettymaid]

And while I love music, I cannot have it on while I'm trying to concentrate on something. I don't mean doing housework or making dinner because I can certainly listen to it then, but I was never able to do homework with music on and still to this day can't do things like that and listen to music. But I am one of those people who can't do two things at once anyway, so maybe that has something to do with it. :blush:

[TimothyBFan]

To be honest Cathy-it's probably not the wisest thing for me to listen to music when I do other things also but I do it anyways. I've found myself not concentrating on what I've been doing before. I remember being a kid doing homework in my bedroom with the radio going and Mom coming in and telling me to turn it off till I was finished. Just couldn't do it. I had to have it on, even while laying on my bed reading a book. Maybe I would of been a straight A student had I listened to my mother! :???: My son has always done it just like I did and was pretty much a straight A student!

[jdubfan]

There isn't a "musical part" to the brain, as I understand it. When they showed the MRIs of listeners, the brain was lit up all over the place. Musicality is like everything else in life. It's like a dial going from very musical to not musical at all, and anywhere in the whole range of musicalness is possible, where we end up on the scale is determined by many things. One of the things I found most hopeful about Dr. Sacks comments was that the brain has a lot of "plasticity", meaning that it is always changing and evolving synapses and nerve connections to new stimulants and conditions as our lives change as we age. That's why music therapy works when other methods don't, it's using different paths, neurons, parts of the brain. The doctor on the show that got struck by lightning and was just starting to write and play the concert piano was at least 50ish when he was beginning. I played different woodwind instruments from elementary thru college, and if I wasn't playing, I was listening to something, constantly. I started out with a close n play too! A little pink radio (AM only) was my constant companion as a kid. I also have probly 2 dozen notebooks filled with phrases, word combos, things that caught my ear that I've never thrown away in my many moves, but have never done anything with.... yet. Maybe some day. I hope music remains a big part of my life. I can't think of anything that has been as constant and as enjoyable for me. 'specially meeting Joe :woah:

[jdubfan]

This more Dancing for the sake of the Song, but I thought this was another new scientific thing about music, and cute. From CBS's Sunday Morning last Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAbikgr6ZU0

Music's more than just for human enjoyment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNAAZ5Nt6pk

[Prettymaid]

Snowball's video is great. Like me, Black Or White seems to be his favorite.