My Brain on Music

This is Your Brain on Music, written by Daniel J. Leviten really opened up my mind to new perspectives of looking at music and the way hit effects our minds. Upon diving into this book, I had never really had more than the average understanding of music; whether it was terminology, the meanings of songs, genres of music, or different artists. Now, I believe this book has given me an in depth understanding of what music really is all about and how it can have such a powerful impact on not only our brains, but our lives as well.

I was initially very surprised to see how much music and science intertwined. I thought it was incredibly interesting how Leviten tied components of music such as pitch, tone, and rhythm into different scientific categories such as neurochemistry, cognitive psychology, and evolution. He explains how they are intertwined and avoids stating why. He even challenges the theory that music was an incidental by product of evolution. Challenging this theory, he explained how music was a sign of cognitive health and well being and how it can lead to social interaction and fitness. It amazes me that music could have such a driving force on the way that we evolved as a species. If you think about it, it really makes sense that music could provoke such behavior. In addition, it makes me wonder what effect music may have on the brains of other species.

Like I had said above, this book helped me dig a considerable amount deeper into my knowledge of music as a whole. The book has helped me analyze music in many different perspectives of life and I have come up with reasons as to why music does what it does in certain situations. For example, if I was at a concert, and I was loving what I was hearing, I may turn to the person standing next to me and say, “Wow! This show is amazing, this guy has some real talent!” Provoking conversation is a perfect example of what Leviten meant when he said that music drives social interaction. Furthermore, I am happy to get to know more about something I am so passionate about. Expanding my knowledge on a subject that has such a prevalent impact on my life is one of the better feelings that I can get. With that being said, I look forward to the future of readings in this class.

ii