Wednesday, October 15, 2008

This Is Your Brain on Music

Check out this weeks episode of Sound Opinions (hosted by Chicago’s own Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis, of the Sun Times and Tribune, respectively) where their guest is neurologist Oliver Sacks (of 'Awakenings' fame). They discuss the mysterious connections between music and the mind, including the effects of music on patients with amnesia or who are otherwise unresponsive. They also touch on the importance of music education in schools and those nagging earworms.

On a similar note (heh), I am currently reading This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin. Levitin is a former record producer and engineer turned psychologist. The book is also about the connection between music and the human brain and the psychology of why we like it so much. I’ve only gotten through the chapters on music theory and the human brain, which are both daunting topics, but Levitin’s writing makes it entertaining and easy to read.

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