is music magic? - PaleoHacks.com

is music magic?

2011-04-23T05:37:40Z

sometimes when i listen to certain music, it can give me a bigger energy boost than a food meal, and a lasting multiple hour one at that. When I am down or bored I invariably reach for my walkman (no wait, its an ipod) and take a walk. It sends me off to my imagination and i feel rejuvenated. what gives? a lot of us endorse fat or protein or whatnot for energy, but really, what gives with music?

as a subnote to my question, many eastern techniques relying on "mantra' employ vibration and sound to create an effect upon the physical body. While I'm not sure the Buddha was listening to Ministry and Dubstep Radio on Pandora, I do feel there is a connection. What is happening in our biology listening to music?

Answer by JoeBranca at paleoplusone.com for is music magic?

2011-04-23T06:39:40Z

In the mid 90's my music tastes took a left turn when I discovered this "electronic" artist named BT. I traditionally avoided the whole techno thing, but something about his music invigorated me like I've never experienced. He seemed to understand the subtleties of bringing the listener through emotional peaks and valleys, working on levels I couldn't quite grasp sometimes.

Some time later I found out not only was he classically trained but that he would geek out on things like using an electroencephalograph to get an idea of brain states in relation to frequencies and certain sound designs. He explains a little in this clip from a doc on electronica (briefly connecting it to phenomena common among indigenous music):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc9xOvk0AIw

Here's an example of his approach... hypnotic, unique energy, builds and releases

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve8WaGmyhfI

something that apparently took 6 months to write in code (CSound), basically like building a sandcastle one grain at a time, but it came out like a lullaby. The underlying layers of glitch and noise seem psychologically inviting rather than irritating. Completely written and executed via binary operations, yet it can near bring me to tears. Definitely from someone who recognizes the psycho-neuro-emotional responses to sound and noise.

Answer by andrew for is music magic?

2011-04-23T06:50:34Z

Music is such a wide term - Chopin does it for me, Mozart, Puccini, Vaughan Williams, ELgar, Scarlatti - loads of different things, for different times. And sometimes - silence can be more effective than anything (silence except for the sounds of nature - birdsong, wind inn the trees, water running etc)

Answer by DudleyP for is music magic?

2011-04-23T08:28:21Z

There is an interesting correlation between the beat of music and one's pulse rate

Answer by Lavendergrits for is music magic?

2011-04-23T10:54:29Z

The human body is about 70% water in adults. Dr. Masaro Emoto researched the changes to water when exposed to varied genres of music, and words. His theory was if water crystals changed in response to this exposure then they would change in humans. Check out Messages from Water and Hidden Messages from Water by Dr. Masaro Emoto.

Answer by Thumper for is music magic?

2011-04-23T15:58:21Z

I notice an almost instant clam in my toddler as soon as I play some classical music - and the exact opposite if we play some rock and roll or dance music. It's neat watching him- I really think that he has a real 'primal' response to so many things!

Answer by Stabby for is music magic?

2011-04-24T04:40:20Z

Of course as a skeptic I don't believe in "magic", we can probably come up with a good rationale as to why music does what it does, although we may call it "magic" insofar as it has a powerful effect that is observable but has a mysterious cause - that's what magic is and to any phenomenon you can possibly imagine it is far more likely that you simply don't know what is going on than it is an exception in physics...always remember that.

The tribal chant thins fits. Music undeniably creates a sort of unity and bonding but we must ask ourselves if such a warrior bond would necessarily be stronger in the case of a musical ritual in a world of music than it would normally be in a world without appreciation of music. Perhaps music just creates a higher standard that isn't so meaningful if the standard that is required for the standard is taken away. There is good evidence for an entirely conscience-based and empathetic tribal and warrior unity that doesn't need music.

Still, something so apparently insignificant to evolution, yet that still produces such an effect could be described as "miraculous" in the loose sense of the word. I tend to subscribe to Steven Pinker's account of music as simply "auditory cheesecake" in the sense that the love of fat and sugar are adaptive, but cheesecake is not really and not particularly useful in itself, just as the modern manifestation of music isn't any more adaptive than any other talent that impresses people, except it combines impressiveness with ascetics. Nothing says that music is adaptive, but it is powerful, just like cheesecake.

But I'm inclined to call it "miraculous" in a loose sense of the word. if a true accident can produce this kind of unity and purpose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zklqr1xj32Q then that is worthy of "magic" in as mystical a sense as I am willing to use the word.