Some might think that music is neutral and no effect t on the brain, our attitude to Life and therefore listening to music has no bearing on our relationship or walk with God as long as we are sincere,,,,, As I am not a UNI graduate I also do not want to offer my own view but the view of professionals in phycology..... Quote If theres one constant in all this, its that songs carry a tremendous ability to provoke emotional responses Quote Infants as young as five-months-old respond rhythmically to music and seem to find it more interesting than speech. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- io9/5837976/what-happens-to-your-brain-under-the-influence-of-music The Subjective Sounds So just why does music carry so much meaning for us? Because music draws on so many different parts of the brain, its hard to say with certainty, but that might actually help give us an answer. Music is extraordinarily complex even before it enters the brain - the pitch of music, for instance, has to be much more stable than frequencies we normally sound, or else it would just devolve into chaotic noise. The same is true of rhythm, tone, and other musical properties - these have to be highly complex to cohere into anything even vaguely musical in the first place. And its not as though theres any real objective measure of what counts as musical and what doesnt. That shouldnt come as any surprise to anyone whos ever read a music review, but its crucial to remember just how much the brain is involved as an active participant in shaping our interaction with music. Memory is one of the most obvious influences here - youre more inclined to like a particular piece of music if it carries positive associations, for instance. Its also possible that a persons particular brain chemistry can affect his or her appreciation of music. Considering how many different parts of the brain are activated by listening to music, even one unusual link in that chain can drastically alter the persons response. Theres also plenty of more everyday factors to consider - how much a person knows about music, whether they themselves play an instrument, whether the music has lyrics, and even whether its a recording or a live performance can all dramatically change the particular neural response to the same basic piece of music. The Deeper Impact Those, however, are just the basic mechanical aspects of listening to music. A good song can trigger a cascade of secondary responses, often involuntarily. An obvious example of this is the propensity to move in time with music - not so much dancing, which is an active, independent process, but simple motions like tapping ones toe along with the song. This is caused by stimulation of neurons in the motor cortex. Another intriguing side-effect of listening to music is the activation of the visual cortex, found in the back of the brain in the occipital lobe. Research indicates that some music can provoke a response in this part of the brain, as the engaged listener tries to conjure up appropriate imagery to match the changes and progression in the music. Part of the reason that music tends to be so meaningful to us is that its deeply intertwined with memory. Because the brain is so completely engaged in listening to music, its one of the parts of a situation that is remembered most clearly later on. Songs and pieces of music can serve as powerful triggers for memories - hence the cliche about couples and their song. And lets not forget the language aspect of music. Obviously, not all songs have lyrics, but those that do draw upon the language centers of the brain. The two main parts of the brain associated with language are Wernickes area and Brocas area, the former of which is found in the temporal lobe while the latter is in the frontal lobe. Previous research has tended to indicate that Wernickes area is more crucial to language comprehension, while Brocas area is more tied up in language production, though it now appears that theres significant overlap. In any event, we can add them to the list of brain regions tied up in music comprehension
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 21:37:25 +0000
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