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This Is What It Sounds Like: A Legendary Producer Turned Neuroscientist on Finding Yourself Through Music
One of the Next Big Idea Club's Favorite Nonfiction Books
A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2022
A legendary record producer–turned–brain scientist explains why you fall in love with music. This Is What It Sounds Like is a journey into the science and soul of music that reveals the secrets of why your favorite songs move you. But it’s also a story of a musical trailblazer who began as a humble audio tech in Los Angeles, rose to become Prince’s chief engineer for Purple Rain , and then created other No. 1 hits ,including Barenaked Ladies' "One Week," as one of the most successful female record producers of all time. Now an award-winning professor of cognitive neuroscience, Susan Rogers leads readers to musical self-awareness. She explains that we each possess a unique “listener profile” based on our brain’s natural response to seven key dimensions of any song. Are you someone who prefers lyrics or melody? Do you like music “above the neck” (intellectually stimulating), or “below the neck” (instinctual and rhythmic)? Whether your taste is esoteric or mainstream, Rogers guides readers to recognize their musical personality, and offers language to describe one's own unique taste. Like most of us, Rogers is not a musician, but she shows that all of us can be musical ―simply by being an active, passionate listener. While exploring the science of music and the brain, Rogers also takes us behind the scenes of record-making, using her insider’s ear to illuminate the music of Prince, Frank Sinatra, Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, and many others. She shares records that changed her life, contrasts them with those that appeal to her coauthor and students, and encourages you to think about the records that define your own identity. Told in a lively and inclusive style, This Is What It Sounds Like will refresh your playlists, deepen your connection to your favorite artists, and change the way you listen to music. 3 black-and-white photographs; 7 infographics; 2 illustrations
A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2022
A legendary record producer–turned–brain scientist explains why you fall in love with music. This Is What It Sounds Like is a journey into the science and soul of music that reveals the secrets of why your favorite songs move you. But it’s also a story of a musical trailblazer who began as a humble audio tech in Los Angeles, rose to become Prince’s chief engineer for Purple Rain , and then created other No. 1 hits ,including Barenaked Ladies' "One Week," as one of the most successful female record producers of all time. Now an award-winning professor of cognitive neuroscience, Susan Rogers leads readers to musical self-awareness. She explains that we each possess a unique “listener profile” based on our brain’s natural response to seven key dimensions of any song. Are you someone who prefers lyrics or melody? Do you like music “above the neck” (intellectually stimulating), or “below the neck” (instinctual and rhythmic)? Whether your taste is esoteric or mainstream, Rogers guides readers to recognize their musical personality, and offers language to describe one's own unique taste. Like most of us, Rogers is not a musician, but she shows that all of us can be musical ―simply by being an active, passionate listener. While exploring the science of music and the brain, Rogers also takes us behind the scenes of record-making, using her insider’s ear to illuminate the music of Prince, Frank Sinatra, Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, and many others. She shares records that changed her life, contrasts them with those that appeal to her coauthor and students, and encourages you to think about the records that define your own identity. Told in a lively and inclusive style, This Is What It Sounds Like will refresh your playlists, deepen your connection to your favorite artists, and change the way you listen to music. 3 black-and-white photographs; 7 infographics; 2 illustrations
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2022
881 people are currently reading
13218 people want to read
About the author
Susan Rogers
69 books32 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 654 reviews
February 3, 2025
By reading this book you can find interesting facts about the author’s life, her music preferences, some music theory, all peppered with some cognitive neuroscience to make it all sound smart. What you will not learn from this book is What the Music You Love Says About You, despite what the titles suggests. If you start this book as I did, thinking that you might learn what the music you listen to says about your psychology, then you will be disappointed. At most, you will find out if you have a music related impairment, such as the inability to follow rhythm or visualise melody. I am not saying the book is not interesting, it is. However, I find the title deceiving.
Susan Rogers, the main author, was the main sound engineer for Prince’s purple rain and went on to become a successful record producer. Then, she decided to study neuroscience and is now a professor cognitive neuroscience. In this book, she writes quite a lot about herself and her preferred music. She also explains that each person has a unique listening profile based on our brain’s natural response to seven key dimensions of any song, such as reality, authenticity, timbre, melody etc. She suggests a series of songs that help exemplify the theory, which I found exciting. The songs can be listened on the dedicated website. She then writes about some cognitive experiments in relation with each dimension, including some impairments that people could have.
If you have a passion for music and you would be interested to learn about the aspects above, then you might find this book is for you.
ARC received thanks to Random House UK, Vintage, Bodley Head
Susan Rogers, the main author, was the main sound engineer for Prince’s purple rain and went on to become a successful record producer. Then, she decided to study neuroscience and is now a professor cognitive neuroscience. In this book, she writes quite a lot about herself and her preferred music. She also explains that each person has a unique listening profile based on our brain’s natural response to seven key dimensions of any song, such as reality, authenticity, timbre, melody etc. She suggests a series of songs that help exemplify the theory, which I found exciting. The songs can be listened on the dedicated website. She then writes about some cognitive experiments in relation with each dimension, including some impairments that people could have.
If you have a passion for music and you would be interested to learn about the aspects above, then you might find this book is for you.
ARC received thanks to Random House UK, Vintage, Bodley Head
October 8, 2022
At first the book seemed to be written from the perspective of a listener, but not long before changing to the author's perspective. I must say, I was curious to learn about my listener's profile, but all I got was the author's.
Here's the premise:
"The dimensions of your listener profile [authenticity, realism, novelty, melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre] serve as distinctive routes through which your body and brain can fall in love with a piece of music. Each dimension contains a personal, neural "sweet spot" where music can provide you with your deepest experience of musical joy.
This leads to a natural question, the question that drives this book: What is it about you that makes you feel the thrill of resonance when you hear one record but the chill of apathy when you hear another? [...] More simply, what makes a person fall in love with a record?"
But there is no scientific answer to that. Not to mention that the subtitle of the book is completely misleading: there is nothing to explain what says about any of us the music we love. There are numerous examples of what the author, and her co-author, and some of her students like, and why they like it, but that's pretty much all.
At one point, the author says that music that evokes memories are best loved. I can't speak for others, but I have a strong feeling that is not the case for the vast majority of music lovers. Maybe just those who are in a bad time of their lives that hear a song which evokes good past times, and they love it for that.
"We each seek out different sorts of experiences and emotional rewards from our musical encounters. Some listeners favor songs that evoke sweet nostalgia, while others crave a groove that matches their inner rhythm. Some listeners prefer to let their imaginations wander freely when they enjoy their favorite records, while others visualize specific scenes evoked by a song's lyrics. Some listeners covet innovative sound design, while for others it's all about that bass."
That's obvious, isn't it? But I'm a bit of all of the above, with a sweet spot for bass guitar and drums. The book doesn't mention any of it.
The records selected as exemplification in regard to different styles, instruments used, timbre, and other traits are chosen from just a few genres, and the most majority (if not almost all) are american musicians. The author loves most soul, blues, and jazz, and those are the most discussed records. Also, there are plenty of memories from her times as a producer, which didn't add any value to the topic.
The neuroscience is tangential, at best. There are very few scientific explanations on how the brain works when listening to music, and those mostly feel like phrases from a learning book thrown in here, to sound more pompous.
I'm disappointed, to say the least. The book should have been entitled: My memories from the music industry: what I did and who I worked with, and then I wouldn't have picked it.
If interested, there is a site dedicated to this book, with links to some subjects addressed briefly in the book, and the playlist chosen for each chapter: https://www.thisiswhatitsoundslike.com/
But if you want a really good book on the topic, I wholeheartedly recommend Music, Math, and Mind: The Physics and Neuroscience of Music, by David Sulzer, aka Dave Soldier, who activates in the same music industry.
>>> ARC received thanks to Random House UK, Vintage, Bodley Head via NetGalley <<<
Here's the premise:
"The dimensions of your listener profile [authenticity, realism, novelty, melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre] serve as distinctive routes through which your body and brain can fall in love with a piece of music. Each dimension contains a personal, neural "sweet spot" where music can provide you with your deepest experience of musical joy.
This leads to a natural question, the question that drives this book: What is it about you that makes you feel the thrill of resonance when you hear one record but the chill of apathy when you hear another? [...] More simply, what makes a person fall in love with a record?"
But there is no scientific answer to that. Not to mention that the subtitle of the book is completely misleading: there is nothing to explain what says about any of us the music we love. There are numerous examples of what the author, and her co-author, and some of her students like, and why they like it, but that's pretty much all.
At one point, the author says that music that evokes memories are best loved. I can't speak for others, but I have a strong feeling that is not the case for the vast majority of music lovers. Maybe just those who are in a bad time of their lives that hear a song which evokes good past times, and they love it for that.
"We each seek out different sorts of experiences and emotional rewards from our musical encounters. Some listeners favor songs that evoke sweet nostalgia, while others crave a groove that matches their inner rhythm. Some listeners prefer to let their imaginations wander freely when they enjoy their favorite records, while others visualize specific scenes evoked by a song's lyrics. Some listeners covet innovative sound design, while for others it's all about that bass."
That's obvious, isn't it? But I'm a bit of all of the above, with a sweet spot for bass guitar and drums. The book doesn't mention any of it.
The records selected as exemplification in regard to different styles, instruments used, timbre, and other traits are chosen from just a few genres, and the most majority (if not almost all) are american musicians. The author loves most soul, blues, and jazz, and those are the most discussed records. Also, there are plenty of memories from her times as a producer, which didn't add any value to the topic.
The neuroscience is tangential, at best. There are very few scientific explanations on how the brain works when listening to music, and those mostly feel like phrases from a learning book thrown in here, to sound more pompous.
I'm disappointed, to say the least. The book should have been entitled: My memories from the music industry: what I did and who I worked with, and then I wouldn't have picked it.
If interested, there is a site dedicated to this book, with links to some subjects addressed briefly in the book, and the playlist chosen for each chapter: https://www.thisiswhatitsoundslike.com/
But if you want a really good book on the topic, I wholeheartedly recommend Music, Math, and Mind: The Physics and Neuroscience of Music, by David Sulzer, aka Dave Soldier, who activates in the same music industry.
>>> ARC received thanks to Random House UK, Vintage, Bodley Head via NetGalley <<<
September 24, 2022
This book is my JAM!
Click here to hear my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
Click here to hear my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
January 24, 2023
Holy bananas, this book was so boring.
How.. how.. could this author turn my life long passion into something so boring? I mean this book is totally a bait and switch as well — it’s not about our “listener profile” as music nerds, it really is a pseudo memoir about who the author knows and her experience musically alongside them from colleagues to students and more. However, not even those stories were good or even remotely engaging. I hate to do it, but I had to DNF this book, this is one to skip! Beautiful engaging book cover be damned. This ain’t it.
If you want to read about a ”non-musician”’s experience with musicians and music that’s expressive, check out Bob Boilen’s Your Song Changed My Life: From Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, Thirty-Five Beloved Artists on Their Journey and the Music That Inspired It!
More thoughts on this book here.
How.. how.. could this author turn my life long passion into something so boring? I mean this book is totally a bait and switch as well — it’s not about our “listener profile” as music nerds, it really is a pseudo memoir about who the author knows and her experience musically alongside them from colleagues to students and more. However, not even those stories were good or even remotely engaging. I hate to do it, but I had to DNF this book, this is one to skip! Beautiful engaging book cover be damned. This ain’t it.
If you want to read about a ”non-musician”’s experience with musicians and music that’s expressive, check out Bob Boilen’s Your Song Changed My Life: From Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, Thirty-Five Beloved Artists on Their Journey and the Music That Inspired It!
More thoughts on this book here.
June 18, 2022
This was easily one of the most rewarding books I've read in a long time.
In this deeply informative and fascinating book, Susan Rogers draws from her singular expertise as being both a multiplatinum record producer (Prince, Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne) as well as a trained cognitive neuroscientist. The combined result makes for a book that's incredibly rewarding and illuminating to read.
The neuroscience in this book avoids being overly reductive yet remains accessible to most audiences. Neuroscience aside, where this book really shines is the music writing— the love that Rogers and her co-author, Ogi Ogas, practically ooze out the pages.
If you love music, neuroscience, or both like me, this is required reading.
Thanks to W.W. Norton & Company for the advanced copy!
In this deeply informative and fascinating book, Susan Rogers draws from her singular expertise as being both a multiplatinum record producer (Prince, Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne) as well as a trained cognitive neuroscientist. The combined result makes for a book that's incredibly rewarding and illuminating to read.
The neuroscience in this book avoids being overly reductive yet remains accessible to most audiences. Neuroscience aside, where this book really shines is the music writing— the love that Rogers and her co-author, Ogi Ogas, practically ooze out the pages.
If you love music, neuroscience, or both like me, this is required reading.
Thanks to W.W. Norton & Company for the advanced copy!
March 29, 2023
This is so well written and interesting that I had to give it 4 stars, but not 5 because I felt it was very biased to Rogers' background as a record producer and didn't have nearly enough of the answers I was looking for (such as why do some people love yodelling and it makes them happy while others hate it; why is it that kids exposed to the same music growing up might prefer classical or jazz to what their friends are listening to and a host of other questions.)
It was rather interesting reading about certain aspects of music from someone who is not a musician when she explained certain things--a very different POV ! If you are an avid fan of music, or if you know someone who is, this is a good book for answering some of the questions I had about why people like certain things. Some of my absolute favourite parts of this book were in the little one page extras found in between chapters, especially the one I read aloud to my daughter because it made me look good as a parent (can't hurt--it's not like they haven't seen all of my parenting flaws.) There is a quote from Leonard Bernstein that beautifully sums up a long standing argument among composers, musicians and listeners about melody , but if you really want to know, you have to read the book. FWIW, I think he was wrong.
It was rather interesting reading about certain aspects of music from someone who is not a musician when she explained certain things--a very different POV ! If you are an avid fan of music, or if you know someone who is, this is a good book for answering some of the questions I had about why people like certain things. Some of my absolute favourite parts of this book were in the little one page extras found in between chapters, especially the one I read aloud to my daughter because it made me look good as a parent (can't hurt--it's not like they haven't seen all of my parenting flaws.) There is a quote from Leonard Bernstein that beautifully sums up a long standing argument among composers, musicians and listeners about melody , but if you really want to know, you have to read the book. FWIW, I think he was wrong.
October 15, 2022
Listening to music is my favorite pastime: whether I'm listening to music while at work, on the commute, or at home reading a book, music is all around me and I've made it my hobby to learn what everybody else is listening to, where the songs and artists fall in music history, and artists they're inspired by and similar to. In this regard, This Is What It Sounds Like was a match made in heaven: each chapter describes the brain science behind registering and processing music with easy prose, apt anecdotes, and plenty examples to compare to. Rogers and Ogis made an amazing job at conveying the information given, and the love for music really shines through, especially from Rogers. All to the end I wasn't sure if I had a sweet spot with novelty and timbre and whatnot - I listen to so much music and I like so much of it - but then I decided to give one of the songs mentioned a chance: "Mojo Pin" by Jeff Buckley. The song was so overwhelming that I had to stop everything I was doing and close my eyes and take it all in. That's when everything the book was talking about clicked to place.
May 2, 2023
Слушам музика редовно, но съм музикално неграмотен. Да, вкусът ми е далеч от масовия и никога не бих си пуснал топ 40 "да има нещо там да свири", а консумирам музика осъзнато и активно търся какво ми харесва, но всъщност не знам нищо за това как се прави музика. Или пък, ако гледаме This Is What It Sounds Like, как се слуша музика.
Авторката, дългогодишна тонрежисьорка на някои от по-известните музикални продуценти и музиканти и самата тя любителка на разнообразна музика се опитва да ни научи какво представлява музиката като сомелиер, който се опитва да ни научи какво представлява виното. Това мелодия, тоналност, ритъм, оригиналност и забравих ги още какви бяха седемте основни качества на една песен - какво означават и как се различават по количество и качество, с примери от песни на различни музиканти.
Даже си направих труда да чета книгата с телефона в скута и да си пускам даваните от Сюзън Роджърс примерни парчета, за да разбера уж по-добре какво представлява музиката и защо ни харесва. Ядец.
Честно казано, друго освен дълбоко объркване не почувствах - първо докато си пусках примерните парче��а, и второ докато четях какво трябва да чувам в тях. Същото объркване, каквото изпитват милиони хора, които душат и опитват вино, отчаяно стараейки се да усетят "пролетните череши" и "опушените нотки" - с тая разлика, че аз не се преструвам, че наистина съм ги усетил, за да не се изложа.
Авторката има наистина разнообразен музикален вкус, но най-доброто, което мога да кажа за личното ми преживяване с него е, че по-голямата част от примерите й ми звучаха объркващо - объркващо в смисъл как някой може доброволно да си пуска такава музика. Само дори от интрото на тая иначе обявена от списание РолингСтоун за албум на века песен ме побиха гнусни тръпки като да съм настъпил говно.
Самите обяснения за частите на песента, мелодия и т.н. също не ми казаха нищо - някакви празни думи без смисъл за мен. "...забележете как гласът на Синатра прелива около мелодията, понякога я изпреварва, а понякога изостава от нея...". Първо, докато слушам песента (тая беше май единствената хубава) не мога да забележа такива неща, щото я слушам, не я деконструирам и второ, даже да я деконструирам, какво от това, че изпреварва и изостава?
След като зарязах книгата по средата, се успокоих с една голяма чаша вино (на което хич не му знам "нотките") и с мисълта, че слушам музика със сърцето, а не с главата и това ме прави някак по-одухотворен, или поне не пълен музикален инсект. Па дали е вярно - на кого му пука.
Авторката, дългогодишна тонрежисьорка на някои от по-известните музикални продуценти и музиканти и самата тя любителка на разнообразна музика се опитва да ни научи какво представлява музиката като сомелиер, който се опитва да ни научи какво представлява виното. Това мелодия, тоналност, ритъм, оригиналност и забравих ги още какви бяха седемте основни качества на една песен - какво означават и как се различават по количество и качество, с примери от песни на различни музиканти.
Даже си направих труда да чета книгата с телефона в скута и да си пускам даваните от Сюзън Роджърс примерни парчета, за да разбера уж по-добре какво представлява музиката и защо ни харесва. Ядец.
Честно казано, друго освен дълбоко объркване не почувствах - първо докато си пусках примерните парче��а, и второ докато четях какво трябва да чувам в тях. Същото объркване, каквото изпитват милиони хора, които душат и опитват вино, отчаяно стараейки се да усетят "пролетните череши" и "опушените нотки" - с тая разлика, че аз не се преструвам, че наистина съм ги усетил, за да не се изложа.
Авторката има наистина разнообразен музикален вкус, но най-доброто, което мога да кажа за личното ми преживяване с него е, че по-голямата част от примерите й ми звучаха объркващо - объркващо в смисъл как някой може доброволно да си пуска такава музика. Само дори от интрото на тая иначе обявена от списание РолингСтоун за албум на века песен ме побиха гнусни тръпки като да съм настъпил говно.
Самите обяснения за частите на песента, мелодия и т.н. също не ми казаха нищо - някакви празни думи без смисъл за мен. "...забележете как гласът на Синатра прелива около мелодията, понякога я изпреварва, а понякога изостава от нея...". Първо, докато слушам песента (тая беше май единствената хубава) не мога да забележа такива неща, щото я слушам, не я деконструирам и второ, даже да я деконструирам, какво от това, че изпреварва и изостава?
След като зарязах книгата по средата, се успокоих с една голяма чаша вино (на което хич не му знам "нотките") и с мисълта, че слушам музика със сърцето, а не с главата и това ме прави някак по-одухотворен, или поне не пълен музикален инсект. Па дали е вярно - на кого му пука.
August 22, 2022
A engaging and fascinating look at why people's musical preferences exist for specific songs from a music producer turned neuroscientist.
Each section examines a different aspect of a record (authenticity, realism, novelty, melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre) and the different ways they appeal to the human brain and what that means for your musical taste. The authors make the topic easy to understand using a range of musical examples and scientific studies combined with a written tone that makes the topic accessible, and engaging. The authors clear passion for the topic makes the book even more charming.
The extra benefit of being able to hear about behind-the-scenes stories from Roger's experience in music producing (especially with Prince) is the icing on the cake of this illuminating book.
I highly recommend to anyone who loves reading about music or neuroscience.
Book from Netgalley
Each section examines a different aspect of a record (authenticity, realism, novelty, melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre) and the different ways they appeal to the human brain and what that means for your musical taste. The authors make the topic easy to understand using a range of musical examples and scientific studies combined with a written tone that makes the topic accessible, and engaging. The authors clear passion for the topic makes the book even more charming.
The extra benefit of being able to hear about behind-the-scenes stories from Roger's experience in music producing (especially with Prince) is the icing on the cake of this illuminating book.
I highly recommend to anyone who loves reading about music or neuroscience.
Book from Netgalley
June 26, 2022
Who better to explain to readers why we love the music we love than a record-producer turned neuroscientist? Reading this book taught me things I've never known, made me hear the music I love in whole new ways. It made my world, and my mind, bigger, which is what a great book should do!
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July 31, 2023
A fascinating look at your personal music profiles.
It was so affirming and validating. I've always felt dumb for not wanting to search out new new new and unheard songs. I know what I like, what my sweet spots in music are. I enjoy Taylor Swift and Broadway musicals, but other kinds of music also tickle my dopamine centers. But I don't actively hunt for new artists and new experiences.
And Rogers does such a great job of showcasing how each person is different, and that doesn't mean that anyone has better taste than others—just that it is different. With science to back it up.
And gave a lot of examples of various genres of music to listen to, from classic to rap to pop to rock to country to folk to jazz to techno. Such a vast and diverse amount of things to listen to, and paired with Netflix's This is Pop I feel so cultured now (and so dumb in the ways of how music works).
So cool!
It was so affirming and validating. I've always felt dumb for not wanting to search out new new new and unheard songs. I know what I like, what my sweet spots in music are. I enjoy Taylor Swift and Broadway musicals, but other kinds of music also tickle my dopamine centers. But I don't actively hunt for new artists and new experiences.
And Rogers does such a great job of showcasing how each person is different, and that doesn't mean that anyone has better taste than others—just that it is different. With science to back it up.
And gave a lot of examples of various genres of music to listen to, from classic to rap to pop to rock to country to folk to jazz to techno. Such a vast and diverse amount of things to listen to, and paired with Netflix's This is Pop I feel so cultured now (and so dumb in the ways of how music works).
So cool!
February 12, 2023
I fall into the category of people who thoroughly enjoyed this book and unlike some others, did not get too caught up on whether or not the title fit the book. I loved the companion guide playlist and listening to the songs as I read through the chapters. The cognitive neuroscience aspect was very interesting to me (then again I'm nerdy😉) and I also appreciated the very accomplished author's personal walk through memory lane. I think this book is probably not for everyone but if you are a musician, are thinking of a career in music production or if like me you are passionate about music you should give this one a try.
November 12, 2022
I love music. You love music. We all love music. But why do we love the music we love?
This book is less about giving you the answer and more about giving you the tools to figure out the answer for yourself. Rogers - the producer of Prince's Purple Rain album, who then later in life became a neuroscientist - takes us through seven characteristics of music. Our responses to these seven characteristics of music make up our "listener" profile, and Rogers walks us through the ways to help us figure out our sweet spots in these seven characteristics, and thus, why we fall in love with music we do.
I learned so much reading this, and it's helped me appreciate music more. Yeah, it can get a bit into the weeds of musical theory here and there, but it's also fun to learn about how a song like "One Week," by Barenaked Ladies gets built from the ground up.
Really interesting, highly recommended for anyone for whom music is a cornerstone of their everyday.
This book is less about giving you the answer and more about giving you the tools to figure out the answer for yourself. Rogers - the producer of Prince's Purple Rain album, who then later in life became a neuroscientist - takes us through seven characteristics of music. Our responses to these seven characteristics of music make up our "listener" profile, and Rogers walks us through the ways to help us figure out our sweet spots in these seven characteristics, and thus, why we fall in love with music we do.
I learned so much reading this, and it's helped me appreciate music more. Yeah, it can get a bit into the weeds of musical theory here and there, but it's also fun to learn about how a song like "One Week," by Barenaked Ladies gets built from the ground up.
Really interesting, highly recommended for anyone for whom music is a cornerstone of their everyday.
October 26, 2022
I cannot explain how disappointed I am in this book. I'm not a Music Guy, but I was hoping this book would turn me into one. Instead, it just cemented my opinion that Music Guys are fucking annoying. A "record pull" sounds like my version of socializing hell: a bunch of people sit around and show off their musical taste to each other. And that's what this book felt like. A record producer with a lot of knowledge on how the different parts of music work together to make a whole gives you examples of songs that exemplify those aspects. There was vanishingly little neuroscience and what was included was so shallow you may as well have said "the brain has a few different regions that analyze sound." I didn't get any navel-gazing satisfaction in seeing myself in even one single aspect of a "listener profile." If you're already a Music Guy go ahead and pick this book up, but for the love of god don't try to talk to the rest of us about it.
December 2, 2024
The title is a bit misleading, because I still don't know what the music I love says about me. I found the book interesting at first, but the longer it went on, the less interested I became. I listened to the audio book at the same time (narrated by the author) and that made the experience more bearable.
November 24, 2022
Music + neuroscience + memoir? This book was made for me.
I read this incredibly slowly because the author recommends certain songs for you to listen to as examples to learn more about listener profiles and various aspects of music, and it would always distract me by making me want to listen to more music. But this was great. I learned so much in every chapter. Since starting it, I have listened to music differently. I do think the subtitle of the book is very misleading though; the book doesn't go into "what your music taste says about you" at all. It tells you a lot of interesting information about how to figure out your own music taste and what makes you fall in love with a song. There's also just a lot of cool things about how listening to music works in general.
9/10 because some of the ancedotes and random things the author included were either unnecessary or repetitive.
I read this incredibly slowly because the author recommends certain songs for you to listen to as examples to learn more about listener profiles and various aspects of music, and it would always distract me by making me want to listen to more music. But this was great. I learned so much in every chapter. Since starting it, I have listened to music differently. I do think the subtitle of the book is very misleading though; the book doesn't go into "what your music taste says about you" at all. It tells you a lot of interesting information about how to figure out your own music taste and what makes you fall in love with a song. There's also just a lot of cool things about how listening to music works in general.
9/10 because some of the ancedotes and random things the author included were either unnecessary or repetitive.
February 13, 2023
Largely informative and rather interesting, This Is What It Sounds Like dishes out a good bit of science and research into why music — of all kinds — is so integral to the human experience. While there is a larger component and focus on the science behind why the brain and body responds the way it does to various components of music than what I anticipated (or wanted), I thought the method of teaching the reader about the fundamental correlations made the information surprisingly accessible.
Rogers and Ogas home in on seven independent regions of the brain that are engaged when music is heard. Not only do they thoroughly cover melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre, and provide wonderful examples of these elements in a wide-rang of songs and musical genres, but they go farther with exploring authenticity, realism, and novelty as important in understanding why we humans like the music we do. Additionally, Rogers shares a good bit of her résumé and backstory, which I enjoyed hearing, allowing her to weave in her own experiences with the data supporting it.
I think one mistake with this book is that many people are going to look at this as though it will springboard the reader into really analyzing why they love the music they do as individuals in order to better find other music they will also love. But, despite the fact that this is also angled that way in the text itself (with the Rogers basically alluding to this very fact in several instances — she refers to her co-author as though he is just offscreen, so to speak, rather than himself part of the text), I doubt very much that many readers will be able to suddenly internalize all the information in this book and apply it going forward in hopes of choosing better music for themselves. This Is What It Sounds Like may be able to help someone better understand the science behind why they like the music they already love, but I can't see how this will help truly tap into something beyond the purely analytical for a broader understanding of music and humans.
Nonetheless, it was an enlightening way along — and I really enjoyed the eclectic playlist included.
Audiobook, as narrated by the author: Having the author also narrate a book, nonfiction or not, is always a risky move. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't. I think it's the latter more here. From the beginning it was difficult to not be distracted by the author's reedy, breathy voice. At 1x speed, her speech is rather slow and deliberate, suggesting a voice unpracticed with narration. As I went along, pushed ahead, and sped it up, I kept thinking it was something to which I'd grown accustomed. But after having picked up the audiobook after setting it aside for a bit during the day, I'd instead grown increasingly tired of it.
Also, while I loved the playlist that accompanies the book (found online here), much like a map in the front of fantasy books, I'm marginally disappointed the songs weren't simply part of the audiobook experience — in smaller, educational-length snippets so as to avoid huge copyright and licensing issues — given that this is more editorializing than simply sampling.
Rogers and Ogas home in on seven independent regions of the brain that are engaged when music is heard. Not only do they thoroughly cover melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre, and provide wonderful examples of these elements in a wide-rang of songs and musical genres, but they go farther with exploring authenticity, realism, and novelty as important in understanding why we humans like the music we do. Additionally, Rogers shares a good bit of her résumé and backstory, which I enjoyed hearing, allowing her to weave in her own experiences with the data supporting it.
I think one mistake with this book is that many people are going to look at this as though it will springboard the reader into really analyzing why they love the music they do as individuals in order to better find other music they will also love. But, despite the fact that this is also angled that way in the text itself (with the Rogers basically alluding to this very fact in several instances — she refers to her co-author as though he is just offscreen, so to speak, rather than himself part of the text), I doubt very much that many readers will be able to suddenly internalize all the information in this book and apply it going forward in hopes of choosing better music for themselves. This Is What It Sounds Like may be able to help someone better understand the science behind why they like the music they already love, but I can't see how this will help truly tap into something beyond the purely analytical for a broader understanding of music and humans.
Nonetheless, it was an enlightening way along — and I really enjoyed the eclectic playlist included.
Audiobook, as narrated by the author: Having the author also narrate a book, nonfiction or not, is always a risky move. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't. I think it's the latter more here. From the beginning it was difficult to not be distracted by the author's reedy, breathy voice. At 1x speed, her speech is rather slow and deliberate, suggesting a voice unpracticed with narration. As I went along, pushed ahead, and sped it up, I kept thinking it was something to which I'd grown accustomed. But after having picked up the audiobook after setting it aside for a bit during the day, I'd instead grown increasingly tired of it.
Also, while I loved the playlist that accompanies the book (found online here), much like a map in the front of fantasy books, I'm marginally disappointed the songs weren't simply part of the audiobook experience — in smaller, educational-length snippets so as to avoid huge copyright and licensing issues — given that this is more editorializing than simply sampling.
November 16, 2024
Fun read for introspective music fans.
Rogers presents a way to analyze records based on musical and nonmusical terms, with the idea that where your favorite tunes fall on these spectrums will give you an idea and vocabulary to describe what you like and maybe find more of it. Things like melody, rhythm, and timbre are analyzed as are concepts like “realism vs. abstract” and novelty vs. familiarity.
Some of her concepts felt a bit forced. Realistic vs. abstract for instance didn’t work for me. Abstract in music seemed like it would mean random sounds. That’s not what she means though and I’m still not sure I understand what she was getting at.
Throughout, she gives examples and suggests you stop reading and play them on the music streaming app of your choice. That was a cool, interactive touch.
This is a similar book to This is Your Brain on Music, and Rogers was a student of Levitin. She is far more subjective. She doesn’t talk about what makes a song appealing or well performed or produced generally. More like what possibility could appeal to one person more than another, depending on experience, age, memories and so on.
You never really learn “what music says about you” as the title implies, but more like she’s giving you some tools to think that through for yourself. She points out how personal musical taste is and yet it is also very much for sharing.
She’s an interesting person based on the bio given, a music producer who worked with Prince and many others and later went back to school to become a neuroscience professor.
I like the way she discussed the importance of the role of the active listener.
Rogers presents a way to analyze records based on musical and nonmusical terms, with the idea that where your favorite tunes fall on these spectrums will give you an idea and vocabulary to describe what you like and maybe find more of it. Things like melody, rhythm, and timbre are analyzed as are concepts like “realism vs. abstract” and novelty vs. familiarity.
Some of her concepts felt a bit forced. Realistic vs. abstract for instance didn’t work for me. Abstract in music seemed like it would mean random sounds. That’s not what she means though and I’m still not sure I understand what she was getting at.
Throughout, she gives examples and suggests you stop reading and play them on the music streaming app of your choice. That was a cool, interactive touch.
This is a similar book to This is Your Brain on Music, and Rogers was a student of Levitin. She is far more subjective. She doesn’t talk about what makes a song appealing or well performed or produced generally. More like what possibility could appeal to one person more than another, depending on experience, age, memories and so on.
You never really learn “what music says about you” as the title implies, but more like she’s giving you some tools to think that through for yourself. She points out how personal musical taste is and yet it is also very much for sharing.
She’s an interesting person based on the bio given, a music producer who worked with Prince and many others and later went back to school to become a neuroscience professor.
I like the way she discussed the importance of the role of the active listener.
December 25, 2022
Susan Rogers, one of the authors of This is What it Sounds Like, is the sound engineer and record producer behind some of Prince’s biggest hits. So how did she come up with the book’s title? I’m embarrassed to say how long it took me to get it. What I didn’t get was the reason behind the subtitle, ‘What the Music You Love Says About You’, because it doesn’t do a very good job of describing the book. I think a better one would have been this quote, “...understand why you fall in love with a record...by understanding your listener profile". The listener profile it refers to is each person's unique response to seven key elements of music, such as melody, lyrics, timbre, authenticity, and more, that shapes their musical taste.
Since the website ThisisWhatitSoundsLike.com explains all of this far better than I can I’m not going to try. Also, I’m not going to spill the tea on which of the artists the author worked with recorded one song on every album in the buff. (Hint: it wasn’t Prince) 4½ stars
Since the website ThisisWhatitSoundsLike.com explains all of this far better than I can I’m not going to try. Also, I’m not going to spill the tea on which of the artists the author worked with recorded one song on every album in the buff. (Hint: it wasn’t Prince) 4½ stars
July 7, 2024
i admit that i got lost when it came to the very sciencey parts of this book, but i resonated so deeply with everything rogers said about the intertwining of music and identity—my outlook on why i love the music i do has shifted for good (folk is the street i live on✨)
May 3, 2023
Reading reviews of this book, most folks’ issue appears to be that the book promises to prescribe a “listening profile” to the reader, yet the resulting book is deeply specific to the author. Hedging my expectations as I progressed through this book, I actually found myself most annoyed by the prescriptive angle.
Rogers and Ogas (though the book is entirely in Rogers’ voice and Ogas is barely mentioned) present seven dimensions which dictate a person’s musical preferences. These are broadly split into three binaries: authenticity, realism (begin divining the difference between authenticity and realism and you’ll smell burnt toast), and novelty; and four more complex dimensions: melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre. Starting with the three binaries may have been a mistake, as most readers will start realizing they don’t always favor a specific level of authenticity or realism in music. Of course we all have our preferences, and maybe I’m lying to myself to say my taste isn’t limited, but I don’t believe I have a “goldilocks point” (author’s phrase) for authenticity in music, nor do I think authenticity boils down to a Taylor-Swift-vs-The-Shaggs spectrum. I am not always craving the familiar, nor am I always pursuing the novel.
And now I get into the real point of no return for me: the false binary of realism. Rogers defines realism as a record’s fidelity to “real” sound produced by instruments, basically drawing a line in the sand at the late 80s (funny, that’s when the author was most active in the music industry!) and the introduction of digital recording and production. For one, Rogers completely elides any discussion of electronic sound manipulation previous to this; between electric organs, electric guitar distortion, the use of the studio as instrument as exemplified by the Beatles, the introduction of programmable synthesizers, the development of ambient music, etc etc etc, people have been synthetically generating music for more than a century. Furthermore, Rogers posits electronic music is always straining to reproduce organic sound, which just isn’t true. And while Rogers makes the occasional point to say there isn’t any “good” or “bad” within these binary spectrums, there’s certainly air time given to grievances about how in the “good old days” they were trying to make “the real thing,” a bias exemplified in the author’s instruction to directly compare a classic Creedence cut with a brief interstitial track from Daft Punk’s Tron soundtrack.
Maybe I’m listening to too much If Books Could Kill, but I was acutely aware of the gap between the conclusions the author is presenting as fact, and the facts that buttress those conclusions; genericized “case studies” where the author makes up a set of acquaintances which conveniently fit the pigeonholes they’ve established; and a healthy sprinkling of “students these days do things I don’t understand” (this is most often followed by a reminder that she worked with Prince, the “I saved latin” of this book). Especially as Rogers presents broad binaries we’re meant to find an exact spot within for ourselves, there’s a deep strain between the argument they’re trying to build and its ability to stand up to reality.
So, unlike a lot of reviewers here, I actually wish the book hewed more towards the author personally. Rogers was a recording engineer turned record producer turned college professor; there’s a story in here about someone who turned a career of “feeling” music into a career of thinking about it. Obviously the version written was more marketable, as I bought this off the shelf unseen, which I don’t do much.
To distill my feelings to a personalized “Reader Profile,” I find I’m more interested in “Science” than “Pop.”
Rogers and Ogas (though the book is entirely in Rogers’ voice and Ogas is barely mentioned) present seven dimensions which dictate a person’s musical preferences. These are broadly split into three binaries: authenticity, realism (begin divining the difference between authenticity and realism and you’ll smell burnt toast), and novelty; and four more complex dimensions: melody, lyrics, rhythm, and timbre. Starting with the three binaries may have been a mistake, as most readers will start realizing they don’t always favor a specific level of authenticity or realism in music. Of course we all have our preferences, and maybe I’m lying to myself to say my taste isn’t limited, but I don’t believe I have a “goldilocks point” (author’s phrase) for authenticity in music, nor do I think authenticity boils down to a Taylor-Swift-vs-The-Shaggs spectrum. I am not always craving the familiar, nor am I always pursuing the novel.
And now I get into the real point of no return for me: the false binary of realism. Rogers defines realism as a record’s fidelity to “real” sound produced by instruments, basically drawing a line in the sand at the late 80s (funny, that’s when the author was most active in the music industry!) and the introduction of digital recording and production. For one, Rogers completely elides any discussion of electronic sound manipulation previous to this; between electric organs, electric guitar distortion, the use of the studio as instrument as exemplified by the Beatles, the introduction of programmable synthesizers, the development of ambient music, etc etc etc, people have been synthetically generating music for more than a century. Furthermore, Rogers posits electronic music is always straining to reproduce organic sound, which just isn’t true. And while Rogers makes the occasional point to say there isn’t any “good” or “bad” within these binary spectrums, there’s certainly air time given to grievances about how in the “good old days” they were trying to make “the real thing,” a bias exemplified in the author’s instruction to directly compare a classic Creedence cut with a brief interstitial track from Daft Punk’s Tron soundtrack.
Maybe I’m listening to too much If Books Could Kill, but I was acutely aware of the gap between the conclusions the author is presenting as fact, and the facts that buttress those conclusions; genericized “case studies” where the author makes up a set of acquaintances which conveniently fit the pigeonholes they’ve established; and a healthy sprinkling of “students these days do things I don’t understand” (this is most often followed by a reminder that she worked with Prince, the “I saved latin” of this book). Especially as Rogers presents broad binaries we’re meant to find an exact spot within for ourselves, there’s a deep strain between the argument they’re trying to build and its ability to stand up to reality.
So, unlike a lot of reviewers here, I actually wish the book hewed more towards the author personally. Rogers was a recording engineer turned record producer turned college professor; there’s a story in here about someone who turned a career of “feeling” music into a career of thinking about it. Obviously the version written was more marketable, as I bought this off the shelf unseen, which I don’t do much.
To distill my feelings to a personalized “Reader Profile,” I find I’m more interested in “Science” than “Pop.”
November 5, 2022
In This Is What It Sounds Like, record producer and music professor Susan Rogers explores the various musical dimensions that define a person's musical tastes. Along the way, she uses the concept of a "record pull" to share some of her favorite songs.
I'm a huge fan of pop music and came in prepared to enjoy this book, but somehow, it landed really flat with me. Even at a mere 250 pages, it was strangely plodding in its pace. The book really doesn't deliver on its subtitle. After finishing, I have no better idea of what the music I love says about me than I did before picking it up. I think it told me my tastes reflect when I was born, but that's about it. That said, Rogers' passion for music comes through loud and clear, and I definitely could relate to that. I wasn't able to listen to every song she mentions as I read, so I'm eager to go check out the This Is What It Sounds Like web site to catch up on what I missed.
I'm a huge fan of pop music and came in prepared to enjoy this book, but somehow, it landed really flat with me. Even at a mere 250 pages, it was strangely plodding in its pace. The book really doesn't deliver on its subtitle. After finishing, I have no better idea of what the music I love says about me than I did before picking it up. I think it told me my tastes reflect when I was born, but that's about it. That said, Rogers' passion for music comes through loud and clear, and I definitely could relate to that. I wasn't able to listen to every song she mentions as I read, so I'm eager to go check out the This Is What It Sounds Like web site to catch up on what I missed.
March 3, 2023
Obwohl ich viele Jahre Gitarre gespielt habe und praktisch täglich Musik höre, sehe ich mich selbst nicht als musikalischen Menschen. Ich kann keine Noten lesen und verstehe auch die Mechanismen hinter Rhythmus, Klängen etc. nicht.
Dennoch war ich sofort interessiert, als ich die ersten positiven Rezensionen zu diesem Titel las. Denn schon immer war ich fasziniert von der Frage, weshalb ich jenes mag, aber dieses nicht, eine andere Person wiederum eine Vorliebe für etwas völlig anderes hat.
Genau dies thematisieren Susan Rogers und Ogi Ogas in diesem Buch. Sie analysieren, was in unserem Gehirn passiert, wenn wir Musik hören, welche Empfindungen dabei geweckt werden und wieso das so ist. Gleichzeitig spricht Rogers sehr viel über das faszinierende Gebiet der Musik und dessen Produktion. Wieso klingt dieses Stück, wie es klingt? Welche Überlegungen stecken dahinter? Dabei erfährt die Leserschaft auch einiges darüber, wie es ist, im Musikgeschäft zu arbeiten.
Und natürlich bekommt mensch sehr viel Musik zu hören. Aus den unterschiedlichsten Gebieten zieht Rogers Beispiele heran, um ihre Punkte zu erklären. Das macht das Beschriebene greifbar und mensch hat direkt ein Beispiel. Natürlich kann die lesende Person so auch das eigene Spektrum des Musikgeschmacks erweitern.
Durch diese Lektüre habe ich unheimlich viel gelernt und ich höre Musik nun ganz anders als noch zuvor. Nein, ich bin noch immer kein musikalischer Mensch, ich habe noch immer kein Rhythmusgefühl und singen kann ich erst recht nicht. Aber das abendliche Musikhören ist zu einem ganz neuen Genuss geworden, ich habe ein neues Verständnis für diese Kunst und auch dafür, weshalb ich die Lieder mag, die ich eben mag.
Dennoch war ich sofort interessiert, als ich die ersten positiven Rezensionen zu diesem Titel las. Denn schon immer war ich fasziniert von der Frage, weshalb ich jenes mag, aber dieses nicht, eine andere Person wiederum eine Vorliebe für etwas völlig anderes hat.
Genau dies thematisieren Susan Rogers und Ogi Ogas in diesem Buch. Sie analysieren, was in unserem Gehirn passiert, wenn wir Musik hören, welche Empfindungen dabei geweckt werden und wieso das so ist. Gleichzeitig spricht Rogers sehr viel über das faszinierende Gebiet der Musik und dessen Produktion. Wieso klingt dieses Stück, wie es klingt? Welche Überlegungen stecken dahinter? Dabei erfährt die Leserschaft auch einiges darüber, wie es ist, im Musikgeschäft zu arbeiten.
Und natürlich bekommt mensch sehr viel Musik zu hören. Aus den unterschiedlichsten Gebieten zieht Rogers Beispiele heran, um ihre Punkte zu erklären. Das macht das Beschriebene greifbar und mensch hat direkt ein Beispiel. Natürlich kann die lesende Person so auch das eigene Spektrum des Musikgeschmacks erweitern.
Durch diese Lektüre habe ich unheimlich viel gelernt und ich höre Musik nun ganz anders als noch zuvor. Nein, ich bin noch immer kein musikalischer Mensch, ich habe noch immer kein Rhythmusgefühl und singen kann ich erst recht nicht. Aber das abendliche Musikhören ist zu einem ganz neuen Genuss geworden, ich habe ein neues Verständnis für diese Kunst und auch dafür, weshalb ich die Lieder mag, die ich eben mag.
November 4, 2022
This Is What It Sounds Like is a study of music, by Dr Susan Rogers who worked with such musical luminaries as Prince, and who has written this alongside Ogi Ogas, a neuroscientist (as Rogers now is too). This gives this a very science-based view of music, and though that line may make it sound dry, this book is anything but. Warmth and love for music radiate from every page.
Each chapter of this work focuses on a different aspect of music, and this gives the work a great structure with something interesting to glean on each page.
Best of all, if you love music, this book will introduce you to even more great music and even reshape the way you listen to favourites. The authors at times ask you to listen to a track before continuing to read, and these moments really help inform what you read whilst listening to great music.
This was a great read and highly recommended.
Each chapter of this work focuses on a different aspect of music, and this gives the work a great structure with something interesting to glean on each page.
Best of all, if you love music, this book will introduce you to even more great music and even reshape the way you listen to favourites. The authors at times ask you to listen to a track before continuing to read, and these moments really help inform what you read whilst listening to great music.
This was a great read and highly recommended.
June 17, 2024
I may be biased, but this book was one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever read. It definitely confirmed that I’m pursuing the right field, and provided me with information on studies I’ve been curious about for years. It was fun to take a step back and look at the records I listen to and discern why they provide me with the feelings they do. I highly recommend!
July 13, 2023
So, I am a generally nonmusical person who is married to a drummer.
I appreciate listening to music especially when I can sing along in the car, but when given the option to listen to something, I’ll usually opt for a podcast or an audiobook. And I generally don’t enjoy music that I can’t sing along to, which rules out genres that make me feel silly or self conscious (country and rap and metal) and leaves instrumental music as background music only. I have a pretty narrow range of taste and find listening to new music that I’m unfamiliar with to be a bit of a chore because I know I won’t like it until I know it well enough to sing along.
In contrast, my spouse is an actual musician with a really wide variety of taste who listens to music basically anytime they’re alone or working with their hands. They can play multiple instruments and will point out little tricks and motifs and interesting sounds that I can barely hear. I know that a lot of this is a combination of training and passion, but the difference between how we listen to music and what enjoyment we seem to get out of it has always puzzled me.
So this book is honestly exactly the topic I wanted it to be about. I think the title was a mistake because it makes the book sound like a BuzzFeed personality quiz. But I actually found it to be really helpful. The author has a fascinating blended background of neuroscience and music production, and beyond having tantalizing snippets of personal history, including working directly with Prince also has experience teaching and is great at breaking down concepts for a student reader.
I did originally follow along with the playlist, provided and listened to each song that was mentioned in full, but honestly that added so many hours to my audiobook experience that I couldn’t keep up with it. Plus, it was messing up my Spotify recommendations and I did mention above that I sometimes find listening to unfamiliar music to be a chore. I would dip in and out for snippets and the occasional whole, depending on how much I thought I needed a concept illustrated. I do really recommend having that playlist on hand while you’re reading, even if you don’t listen to every single song. Because it really does make the experience richer.
My only real complaint with the book was that it sometimes gets a bit repetitive, and there’s a lot of structural redundancy about “your personal listener profile” that I feel like could’ve been left as understood. But maybe that is just the professor within the author, coming out, and desperately wanting to provide us with a syllabus. I found the entire thing very informative, and it did offer insight into the different ways that my spouse and I encounter music.
I highly recommend this, for anyone, even remotely interested in the premise, and I especially double recommend it for anyone who find themselves wanting to talk about music or feeling introspective about their habits, and wanting more tools to analyze and discuss their preferences .
I appreciate listening to music especially when I can sing along in the car, but when given the option to listen to something, I’ll usually opt for a podcast or an audiobook. And I generally don’t enjoy music that I can’t sing along to, which rules out genres that make me feel silly or self conscious (country and rap and metal) and leaves instrumental music as background music only. I have a pretty narrow range of taste and find listening to new music that I’m unfamiliar with to be a bit of a chore because I know I won’t like it until I know it well enough to sing along.
In contrast, my spouse is an actual musician with a really wide variety of taste who listens to music basically anytime they’re alone or working with their hands. They can play multiple instruments and will point out little tricks and motifs and interesting sounds that I can barely hear. I know that a lot of this is a combination of training and passion, but the difference between how we listen to music and what enjoyment we seem to get out of it has always puzzled me.
So this book is honestly exactly the topic I wanted it to be about. I think the title was a mistake because it makes the book sound like a BuzzFeed personality quiz. But I actually found it to be really helpful. The author has a fascinating blended background of neuroscience and music production, and beyond having tantalizing snippets of personal history, including working directly with Prince also has experience teaching and is great at breaking down concepts for a student reader.
I did originally follow along with the playlist, provided and listened to each song that was mentioned in full, but honestly that added so many hours to my audiobook experience that I couldn’t keep up with it. Plus, it was messing up my Spotify recommendations and I did mention above that I sometimes find listening to unfamiliar music to be a chore. I would dip in and out for snippets and the occasional whole, depending on how much I thought I needed a concept illustrated. I do really recommend having that playlist on hand while you’re reading, even if you don’t listen to every single song. Because it really does make the experience richer.
My only real complaint with the book was that it sometimes gets a bit repetitive, and there’s a lot of structural redundancy about “your personal listener profile” that I feel like could’ve been left as understood. But maybe that is just the professor within the author, coming out, and desperately wanting to provide us with a syllabus. I found the entire thing very informative, and it did offer insight into the different ways that my spouse and I encounter music.
I highly recommend this, for anyone, even remotely interested in the premise, and I especially double recommend it for anyone who find themselves wanting to talk about music or feeling introspective about their habits, and wanting more tools to analyze and discuss their preferences .
December 13, 2023
This wasn’t my favorite book but it led to interesting discussions in my bookclub. We listened to music selections that corresponded with the book. It felt a bit like a textbook for a college music class.
February 19, 2024
This book has quite a few interesting facts and it is very cool that there is a Spotify playlist of all the songs they reference. However, it was more about what music is and the different aspects of music and less about why some people like certain types of music. Still very fascinating if you like any kind of music and psychology
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December 27, 2023I just really liked Susan’s voice.
April 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this. It's fascinating how our brains work, especially when it comes to music. Highly recommend if you want to have a better understanding of the brain and music!
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