While I was on vacation in the Rockies last week, I happened into the Macdonald Book Shop in Estes Park, CO. As usual, I was looking for something interesting to read about the local history of this magical area.
On the magazine rack an image on the cover of Science News caught my eye:
On this trip, my wife, Connie, and I were joined by our daughter Jenny and her husband, Shawn, as well as our first grandchild; six month old Caden. So the image of an infant dressed as a philharmonic conductor definitely caught this grand parent’s eye.
When I picked up the magazine I was intrigued to find that not only was the cover great but that nearly the entire magazine was devoted to “A Mind For Music.”
While music is probably the most important of human arts — as with Caden, I may be a tad biased — it has also been the subject of much discussion by scientists. The recent laboratory interest has been, as the UCLA neuroscientist Istvan Molnar-Szakacs says in the quote that I used to headline this blog entry, focused on the quite remarkable effect that music has on the human brain.
If you are interested in music, this is an absolutely must read issue.
Here are the article titles from the Science News web site to further whet your interest:
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 Birth of the beatBy Bruce Bower Music’s roots may lie in melodic exchanges between mothers and babies. |
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 More than a feelingBy Susan Gaidos Emotionally evocative, yes, but music goes much deeper. |
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 Music of the hemispheres By Rachel Ehrenberg Playing instruments gives brains a boost. |
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 Seeking a definition By Elizabeth Quill Whether strummed by a guitarist who has gone platinum or sung by a mom who is playing with her child, music at its most basic level is a sequence of notes that can vary in a number of ways. |
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 Not just a pleasant soundBy Elizabeth Quill SIDEBAR: When people use music to share stories, comfort peers or worship gods, it takes on new meaning. Music’s roles vary depending on time and place. |
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 Music on your brain By Science News Staff Music lights up almost every area of the brain, which shouldn’t be a surprise since it makes people tap their feet, encourages the recollection of vivid memories and has the potential to lighten the mood. |
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 Evidence of ancient roots By Elizabeth Quill Though early hominids may have made sweet sounds by banging sticks and stones together, the oldest distinguishable instrument dates to 40,000 years ago. |
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 Moody Tunes By Science News Staff To explore the effect that music has on the mind, Science News asked researchers to share a song they enjoy and the emotion it evokes. |
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| Songs from the Stone Age By Bruce Bower No one knows for sure whether music played a key role in human evolution or came about as a kind of ear candy. But there are several scientifically inspired proposals for the origins of music |
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 Take two stanzas and call me in the morning By Rachel Ehrenberg From poets to politicians, people have long described music as medicine for the heart and soul. Now scientists are taking a literal look at such musings, investigating music as a means to alleviate pain and enhance recovery. Though some studies are still in the early stages, your favorite soundtrack may one day accompany a prescription. |
