This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession


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  • ISBN13: 9780452288522
  • Condition: New
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Product Description

In this groundbreaking union of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between music—its performance, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it—and the human brain. Drawing on the latest research and on musical examples ranging from Mozart to Duke Ellington to Van Halen, Levitin reveals:
• How composers produce some of the most pleasurable effects of listening to music by exploiting the way our brains make sense of the world
• Why we are so emotionally attached to the music we listened to as teenagers, whether it was Fleetwood Mac, U2, or Dr. Dre
• That practice, rather than talent, is the driving force behind musical expertise
• How those insidious little jingles (called earworms) get stuck in our heads

And, taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin argues that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. This Is Your Brain on Music is an unprecedented, eye-opening investigation into an obsession at the heart of human nature.

 

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Customer Reviews


Bill Thompson Said: Making the science of music accessible to the non-specialist ( Aug. 23rd 2010 )

The music industry is among the largest worldwide and music is a pervasive part of our lives. We turn on music while driving, we listen to music at parties, bars, and restaurants, we dance to music, shop to music, sing in the shower, and attend concerts. Yet the psychological significance of this aspect of our lives is not widely understood. At over 100 Universities around the globe, leading scientists are engaged in a vigorous effort to understand the cognitive and neural basis of music. When we listen to music, what happens in our brain? What makes an elite musical performer? Why do we move to music? Why does music affect us emotionally? Does music have a biological function? Why did we evolve as a species that creates, performs, and listens to music?

The goal of "This is your brain on music" is to explore these and other questions, and to provide non-specialists with insight into some of the fascinating research that is currently being undertaken by leading scholars and scientists around the world, not only in departments of music but in psychology, neuroscience, medicine, computer science, and linguistics. Levitin describes a relatively small sample of this research while drawing examples from range of musical genres, from hop-hop and heavy metal to opera. "This is your brain on music" is written in a discursive and personal style that is especially entertaining for those outside of the field.

As a researcher within the field and author of a slightly more advanced book (Music, Thought, and Feeling: Understanding the Psychology of Music), I recommend Dan's book to non-researchers who want a general understanding of the central questions at stake. Levitin's book was not intended as a college textbook but it can serve this purpose for certain types of "general education" courses. I recently used Levitin's book as required reading for a general education course on music psychology, and the experience was positive. I chose the book because it requires no background in psychology or music and is accessible for those outside the field (my book might have worked, but it explores the field in more depth and includes more detailed descriptions of research).

The students enjoyed Levitin's book. They found the anecdotes about popular musicians entertaining, and the level of scientific detail was about right. For the same reason, established researchers inside the field may not find the book quite as informative because it is squarely targeted towards non-specialists. There are areas of the field that are not addressed or presented in a simplified manner, and several landmark studies by some of the most important pioneers in the field are not mentioned. For those inside the field, such omissions may seem alarming, but they are understandable in a popular book. As Levitin himself makes clear, readers should not assume that "This is your brain on music" is introducing a brand new area of research (it's been around at least since von Helmholtz (1821-1894) and intensively since the 1970s) or that they will end up with a comprehensive understanding of the field. There is too much research to describe in a single book.

On the surface, the chapters in Levitin's book follow a logical progression that includes topics such as rhythm, melody, musical memory, music appreciation, expertise, the evolution of music, and so forth. But it should be noted that the contents of the chapters often digress considerably from that implied by the chapter title. Such digressions not only include personal anecdotes and tangential discussions of popular tunes, but discussions of topics that might logically be placed in another chapter. This blurring of topics presents challenges when using the book as a textbook, so instructors need to keep this in mind and make adjustments in their planning. Again, students will find the textbook accessible and engaging, so this organizational challenge should not prevent instructors from adopting the book.

It should also be noted that there are points with which some researchers might disagree. As an example, some researchers believe that individuals with autism can understand and empathize with the emotional significance of music, but have problems expressing this understanding. Sociopaths, in contrast, lack the capacity to empathize emotionally. If one only read Levitin's book, one might assume that autism is equivalent to sociopathy (Oliver Sacks also implies this equivalence). Having said that, the nature of autistic spectrum disorder has yet to be fully worked out, and it is reasonable for an author to offer one perspective. In general, readers should recognize that the most significant questions in science often have no simple answers, and the most important benefit of the book will be the inspiration to learn more about this evolving field.

All in all, "This is your brain on music" is well worth while, both for non-specialists who want a taste of this exciting field of study, and possibly for instructors who want to adopt the book for courses on music psychology that require no background in psychology or music.

Bill Thompson Music, Thought, and Feeling: Understanding the Psychology of Music

Idiot Proof Said: Not what I expected, but worthwhile nonetheless ( Jul. 20th 2010 )

While this book did not go into the neuropsychological detail I had hoped (I had hoped for more or less and update to Robert Jourdain's "Music, The Brain, and Ecstacy"), it was nevertheless an enjoyable read. I was particularly intrigued by Levitin's recounting of his listening sessions with science of musical sound icon John Pearce, who observed that cognitive depth and complexity in contemporary pop and rock is apparent in its timbral constructs. If I have one complaint, it is that Levitin plays a little fast and loose with the neuropsychological research and makes some tenuous and unsubstantiable claims about music and evolutionary biology. It was as though he was searching for a tidy way to end the book and didn't really think through the last chapters as carefully as the earlier ones.

J. DeCicco Said: Jim DeCicco - music producer review ( Jun. 9th 2010 )

As a music producer, i am exposed to a large community of artists and am able to see firsthand how music affects people very deeply, on a mental and physical level. i think the subject matter that this book focuses on delves into an emotional space that is yet to be fully quantified. if there is one thing that is certain, it's that our emotional connection to music we experience during the most meaningful moments of our lives will resonate for generations to come.Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi)

Jim DeCicco
executive producer & co-founder
hollywood music in media awards

John Gardner Said: Music like you've never seen it before ( May. 5th 2010 )

While admittedly this is a book which will appeal to a limited audience, I loved it! Levitin runs the Laboratory for Musical Perception, Cognition, and Expertise at McGill University, and has the unique resumé of professional recording artist turned sound engineer turned neuroscientist. This is a highly academic (difficult to read) book which seeks to educate three audiences: Scientists, Musicians and Music-lovers.

The first chapter of the book manages to do something I would previously have thought impossible: It breaks music down into purely scientific constructs, including very technical definitions of terms such as "melody", "harmony", and "timbre". Even the most thoroughly left-brained reader will be able to develop an appreciation of music here! Thankfully, he does acknowledge that music contains elements which absolutely cannot be explained outside of subjective experience.

The rest of the book focuses on the effects music has on its listeners, both socially and psychologically. I've read several books on the psychology of music, but this is definitely one of the best.

Shayne Fisher Said: Riviting ( Apr. 6th 2010 )

I loved this book, it was a great read, and really captures the majesty of our experience with sound and the nature of the brain. Excellent read.