How does music communicate with the human brain? I have found that the answer is really very simple – “It’s complicated!”

As I have studied to prepare this series of posts I have ventured to texts on music theory, on the physics of music, on the psychology of music, and numerous other fields of study. I have also utilized the miracle of information available on the internet to compliment my study.

Today I want to point you to a number of different sources of interest. It is my hope that you will take the time to peruse these links. One thing I am confident of is that if you do – you will also discover that the answer truly is – “It’s complicated!”

First I suggest that you visit a series of posts from Psychology Today. The first is located at http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/music-matters.  Here you will find links to 21 brief and interesting topics.

Then I suggest that you visit

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mr-personality/201101/the-psychology-musical-preferences.  After reading follow the links a little lower on the left hand side of the page to this series of articles:

Then I suggest that you follow the following two links to two short YouTube video posts by Daniel Levitin, Professor at McGill University in Montreal.  They are titled

“It’s all in the timing: How musicians communicate emotion”

They are located at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJMwWX8WX3o and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4–Pq0bci4

Finally – a longer video segment – approximately 17 minutes following a brief commercial – an informative interview again with Daniel Levitin titled “Why music moves us”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6Pn9KRVCi4

After you have completed these – I am guessing that you will agree with me when I state: “It’s complicated!”

 

 

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