The Musical Brain: What Students, Teachers, and Performers Need to Know

by Lois Svard

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 practical way 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.

Genres: Music

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2023

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several books on the neuroscience of enjoying, teaching, and performing music, and I have found The Musical Brain to be the most informative and surprising book of them all. Ms. Svard weaves together threads from neuroscience, anthropology, and the musician's studio to affirm what musicians intuitively know: that we are biologically hardwired to appreciate and need music.

The writing is somewhat technical, but never overwhelming. You do not need any knowledge of music theory to understand what Ms. Svard is writing about, and she writes about the science in a straightforward manor.

This book is essential for the following readers:
-Music teachers (should be required reading)
-Musicians who wish to understand what's going on in their brain while they learn and perform music
-Policy makers who determine budgets for arts programs and curricula
-Parents who want to know how integrating music into their children's lives can bolster their academic and social development

[Joanne Cretacci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, especially from a performers and teachers point of view.

[Will Leben · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this book I figured I’d be getting an overview of how music influences different areas of the brain. Instead, or rather in addition, I got much more. The book explores and explains a considerable set of positive impacts of playing and listening to music on intelligence, memory, and other cognitive processes. An even bigger surprise was a substantial set of tips on how to learn to improve one’s music playing.

Accompanying the book is a companion website that expands on the content of each chapter and further illustrates key points from the book. As far as I can tell, the companion website is accessible to anyone and just might give prospective readers a feel for what’s in the book: https://global.oup.com/us/companion.w...

[Mavy · Rating 4 out of 5]

good but too many examples of non music related activities