Daniel J. Levitin, 2006, 320 pages
Why human beings make and enjoy Musica is, in Levitin’s telling, a delicious story. In this unprecedented meeting of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between Musica – its performances, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it – and the human brain.
Taking on prominent thinkers who argue that Musica is nothing più than an evolutionary accident, Levitin argues that Musica is fundamental to our species, perhaps even più so than language. ‘This Is Your Brain On Music’ is an ear-opening, mind-blowing investigation into an obsession at the center of human nature.
Take a look at the content:
I Amore Musica and I Amore science – Why would I want to mix the two?
What is Musica – from pitch to timbre
Foot tapping – discerning rhythm, loudness, and harmony
Behind the curtain – Musica and the mind machine
Anticipation – what we expect from Liszt (and Ludacris)
You know my name, look up the number – How we categorize music
After dessert, crick was still four seats away from me – Music, emotion, and the reptilian brain
What makes a musician? – Expertise dissected
My preferito things – Why do we like the Musica we like?
The Musica instinct – Evolution’s #1 hit
Think of a song that resonates deep down in your being. Now imagine sitting down with someone who was there when the song was recorded and can tell te how that series of sounds was committed to tape, and who can also explain why that particular combination of rhythms, timbres and pitches has lodged in your memory, making your pulse race and your cuore swell every time te hear it. Remarkably, Levitin does all this and more, interrogating the basic nature of hearing and of Musica making (this is likely the only book whose giacca sports blurbs from both Oliver Sacks and Stevie Wonder), without losing an affectionate appreciation for the songs he's reducing to neural impulses. Levitin is the ideal guide to this material: he enjoyed a successful career as a rock musician and studio producer before turning to cognitive neuroscience, earning a Ph.D. and becoming a superiore, in alto researcher into how our brains interpret music. Though the book starts off a little dryly (the first chapter is a crash course in Musica theory), Levitin's snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way.
A wonderful introduction to the science of one of the arts that make us human.
www.yourbrainonmusic.com
Why human beings make and enjoy Musica is, in Levitin’s telling, a delicious story. In this unprecedented meeting of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between Musica – its performances, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it – and the human brain.
Taking on prominent thinkers who argue that Musica is nothing più than an evolutionary accident, Levitin argues that Musica is fundamental to our species, perhaps even più so than language. ‘This Is Your Brain On Music’ is an ear-opening, mind-blowing investigation into an obsession at the center of human nature.
Take a look at the content:
I Amore Musica and I Amore science – Why would I want to mix the two?
What is Musica – from pitch to timbre
Foot tapping – discerning rhythm, loudness, and harmony
Behind the curtain – Musica and the mind machine
Anticipation – what we expect from Liszt (and Ludacris)
You know my name, look up the number – How we categorize music
After dessert, crick was still four seats away from me – Music, emotion, and the reptilian brain
What makes a musician? – Expertise dissected
My preferito things – Why do we like the Musica we like?
The Musica instinct – Evolution’s #1 hit
Think of a song that resonates deep down in your being. Now imagine sitting down with someone who was there when the song was recorded and can tell te how that series of sounds was committed to tape, and who can also explain why that particular combination of rhythms, timbres and pitches has lodged in your memory, making your pulse race and your cuore swell every time te hear it. Remarkably, Levitin does all this and more, interrogating the basic nature of hearing and of Musica making (this is likely the only book whose giacca sports blurbs from both Oliver Sacks and Stevie Wonder), without losing an affectionate appreciation for the songs he's reducing to neural impulses. Levitin is the ideal guide to this material: he enjoyed a successful career as a rock musician and studio producer before turning to cognitive neuroscience, earning a Ph.D. and becoming a superiore, in alto researcher into how our brains interpret music. Though the book starts off a little dryly (the first chapter is a crash course in Musica theory), Levitin's snappy prose and relaxed style quickly win one over and will leave readers thinking about the contents of their iPods in an entirely new way.
A wonderful introduction to the science of one of the arts that make us human.
www.yourbrainonmusic.com