Inthisgroundbreakingunionofartandscience,rocker-turned-neuroscientistDanielJ.Levitinexplorestheconnectionbetweenmusic—itsperformance,itscomposition,howwelistentoit,whyweenjoyit—andthehumanbrain.DrawingonthelatestresearchandonmusicalexamplesrangingfromMozarttoDukeEllingtontoVanHalen,Levitinreveals:
Howcomposersproducesomeofthemostpleasurableeffectsoflisteningtomusicbyexploitingthewayourbrainsmakesenseoftheworld
Whywearesoemotionallyattachedtothemusicwelistenedtoasteenagers,whetheritwasFleetwoodMac,U2,orDr.Dre
Thatpractice,ratherthantalent,isthedrivingforcebehindmusicalexpertise
Howthoseinsidiouslittlejingles(calledearworms)getstuckinourheads
And,takingonprominentthinkerswhoarguethatmusicisnothingmorethananevolutionaryaccident,Levitinarguesthatmusicisfundamentaltoourspecies,perhapsevenmoresothanlanguage.ThisIsYourBrainonMusicisanunprecedented,eye-openinginvestigationintoanobsessionattheheartofhumannature.
书里解释了我们的思维是如何处理音乐这种信息,而我们的大脑又是如何参与这个信息处理过程的(请注意思维和大脑是完全不一样的概念)。又从音乐的pitch, rhythm, timbre, melody, groove等方面分别阐述了个中变化会给我们带来怎样的感受,或者比较情况下的感受差异。