Ongoing History Daily: Atonal music
Most of the music that’s been made has focused on combining notes into pleasant-sounding combinations and sequences. But there is something to be said for atonal and dissonant songs in
Read MoreNeuroscience
Can we use AI + neuroscience to predict which songs will be hits? Maybe.
[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca. – AC] There’s a scene in the biopic Creation Stories where Ewan Brenner, channelling Creation Records founder Alan McGee in a scene with his therapist,
Read MoreOngoing History Daily: Sounds that come from the left
When you go into a music venue—and it doesn’t matter what kind—on which side do you prefer to sit or stand? If you gravitate towards the left, you’re not alone.
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Can’t dance? Maybe it’s the fault of your genes.
There are some of us–me included–that should never dance. Oh, I’ve tried, but people keep asking me if I’m all right and if I need someone to call an ambulance.
Read MoreScientists have narrowed down where music lives in the brain even more
Scientists have known for a while that music has its own special repository in our brains. Musical memories are stored in a completely different area than what we remember from
Read MoreThis piece of music could be the “anti-epilepsy” genre scientists have been looking for.
The brain is a mysterious gooey thing. Taken out of the skull and laid on a table, the thing just falls apart unless it’s stabilized with special chemicals. But this
Read MoreNew study: What happens to your brain when you make music with other people
Scientists love to study the effect of music on the brain. For evolutionary reasons unknown, our brains seem to be hardwired for music. We process it differently than other sounds
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Stressed? Science says these are the 10 happiest songs of all time
This has been a hugely crappy year and the pandemic is going to make for a miserable winter. No wonder people are stressed, despressed, and anxious. Fortunately, though, we always
Read MoreThere are scientific benefits to listening to new music.
[Stuck listening to the same old songs over and over? You might want to treat your brain to music you’ve never heard before. It’s good for you. Check out this
Read MoreThere’s new information on how the brain processes music
For reasons that are still very unclear from an evolutionary and neurological point of view, the human brain is hardwired to deal with music. (I have an Ongoing History program
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Does listening to music give you chills? Then you may have a special brain.
I believe that The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is the greatest rock song ever conceived. When Roger hits that scream towards the end–again, the greatest scream ever recorded–a shiver
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