Description
By (author) Svard, Lois
We make or listen to music for the powerful effect it has on our emotions, and we can”t imagine our lives without music. Yet we tend to know nothing about the intricate networks that neurons create throughout our brains to make music possible. The Musical Brain explores fascinating discoveries about the brain and music, often told through the stories of musicians whose lives have been impacted by the extraordinary ability of our brains to learn and adapt.Neuroscientists have been studying musicians and the process of making music since the early 1990s and have discovered a staggering amount of information about how the brain processes music. There have been many books discussing neuroscience and music, but this is the first to relate the research in a practicalway to those individuals who make or teach music. Research in mirror neurons, neuroplasticity, imagery, learning and memory, the musical abilities of babies, and the cognitive advantage of studying music can offer valuable insights into how and when we should begin the study of music, how we can practice and teach more effectively, how we can perform with greater confidence, and can help us understand why experiencing music together is so important in our lives. An accompanying website provides links to interviews, performance clips,demonstrations, photos, and essays involving the concepts or musicians discussed in the book.
Table of contents
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Companion Website1. Music and Musicians – and Why the Brain Matters2. Origins of Music3. Born for Music4. Learn an instrument – change your brain5. Learning and memory – two sides of the same coin6. Practice – it”s all about quality7. Neuroplasticity – Awe-inspiring to Debilitating and Back Again8. Imagery – Music in the Mind”s Eye, Ear, Body9. Seeing Sound, Hearing Movement – Music and Mirror Neurons10. Does Music Really Make You Smarter?Epilogue: Thoughts on Music and SocietyGlossary
Review quote
Finally! …a book about music and neuroscience written by a musician and music teacher. Svard”s perspective can help musicians play better, music teachers teach better, and music students learn better.
Review quote
In ”The Musical Brain,” Lois Svard weaves together a comprehensive tapestry of neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and biology to explore the many ways in which music is a fundamental component of human experience. The author”s skill as an educator is evident in the way she distills complex research into concise and descriptive writing to provide readers with engaging real-life stories. This inviting book will be of great interest to any performer, teacher, orcurious music lover.
Review quote
Written with clarity and wisdom, packed with compelling accounts of neurological research on music, this superb book is relevant, timely and important. Svard makes the convincing case that music is
Biographical note
Pianist Lois Svard is known for her performances and recordings of works by American experimental composers. She has also written and lectured extensively about the applications of neuroscience research for the study and performance of music. She is Professor Emerita of Music at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and is the author of the blog The Musician”s Brain about music, the brain, andlearning.
Publisher”s notice
Pianist Lois Svard is known for her performances and recordings of works by American experimental composers. She has also written and lectured extensively about the applications of neuroscience research for the study and performance of music. She is Professor Emerita of Music at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and is the author of the blog The Musician”s Brain about music, the brain, and learning.
Review quote: previous edition
“Finally! …a
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