Duality is concept that was crucial — and somewhat magical — in my training as an economist. I first encountered it when I learned linear programming, and then in my microeconomic theory classes, with the duality at the heart of the theory of optimizing behavior by both individuals and firms. So now I’m kicking myself [...]
There’s a story on “Snap Judgment” on NPR about Derek Amato, who on his 40th birthday dove into shallow end of a pool, hit his head, had a concussion. Afterwards, he could suddenly play the piano, at a very high level, after never playing before. Amato was diagnosed with “acquired musical savant syndrome”, and with [...]
From Scientific American: Scientific evidence suggests that even a little music training when we’re young can shape how brains develop, improving the ability to differentiate sounds and speech. Christie Wilcox, “Even a few years of music training benefits the brain“, 21 August 2012
Based on a recent scholarly article, “Should People Pursue Feelings That Feel Good or Feelings That Do Good? Emotional Preferences and Well-Being,” an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education that discusses whether angry moods are sometimes good for us, and how music that induces different moods might affect our performance (in non-musical activities) in [...]
Various podcasts (60 mins total) from Radiolab, addressing music as language: “What is music? Why does it move us? How does the brain process sound, and why are some people better at it than others?” http://www.radiolab.org/2007/sep/24/
“I think there’s enough evidence to say that musical experience, musical exposure, musical training, all of those things change your brain,” says Dr. Charles Limb, associate professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Johns Hopkins University. “It allows you to think in a way that you used to not think, and it also [...]
There’s been interesting work for several years on the importance of expectation — and foiling expectation — in musical expression. This article in the New York Times seems to think the idea is newer than it is, but it does a reasonable job of making the point, including interviews and examples from significant musicians and [...]
Tagged emotion, expression, performance