McGill researcher finds where musical genres are mapped in the brain
You don’t often find science and music mixing together. Using neuroscience to research music and how it affects the brain is a taboo topic, but McGill researcher Dr. Daniel J. Levitin manages to do just that. Levitin does research on the plethora of ways that music affects the brain, including memory, the body’s physiology, perceptions of emotional expression, and cognitive abilities. Also a best selling author, Levitin attracts many subjects into his lab, including the prominent frontman of The Police, Sting.
“Levitin does research on the plethora of ways that music affects the brain…”
The case study, co-authored by University of California’s Scott Grafton, presented Sting’s brain as a musical map. The aim of the study was to use an fMRI to map the musician’s brain and locate where certain genres appear in the scan. Levitin also measured how the singer retrieved information about songs and compositions, and how the brain perceived certain compositions. The brain undergoes plasticity—it changes with experience. Trained musicians such as Sting have the expertise of composition and musical attributes that non-musicians do not. The singer-songwriter was chosen for his exceptional musical capabilities, as well as his talent and familiarity with many different genres and styles.
“Trained musicians such as Sting have the expertise of composition and musical attributes that non-musicians do not.”
During the experiment, Levitin asked Sting to imagine a brand new composition; he asked him to imagine the melody and the rhythm. He then asked Sting to imagine a visual construct of paint on canvas. For the next experiment, Levitin listed songs and instructed him to imagine the songs in his head. Directly after, he played the same song. For the last experiment Sting listened to a multitude of songs from different genres, and the results were recorded.
The results of the study found that the act of composing and the act of listening to songs activated the same regions of the brain. Levitin also found that the act of visualizing art activated dissimilar regions compared to the regions activated when listening to songs. Further, the study showed that different genres were represented in different areas of the brain. Pop and tango activated different areas, as did classical and reggae.
“…the act of composing and the act of listening to songs activated the same regions of the brain.”
This is a case study, meaning it only represents an exceptional individual. Case studies like this are used to compare the results to the general population—in this case, those who are not as musically capable as long-time well-respected musicians such as Sting.
For anyone who is passionate about music and interested in neuroscience, Daniel J. Levitin is a Holy Grail. Combining topics on two opposite sides of the spectrum—music and science—he works on ground-breaking neuroscience research. His findings can be applied to musicians, mental health advancements, and to the general public for enhancement of psychological advancements.
Photo courtesy of Ars Electronica CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0.