If You’re Tone Deaf, Science Might Be Able to Help

December 30, 2013 Alan Cross 0 Comments Medical News, Tone Deaf

All through elementary school, I inevitably ended up to the same guy for assemblies that required the singing of “O Canada” and “God Save the Queen.” While many of us just mouthed the words, he belted them out like Celine Dion. And he was completely, utterly tone-deaf. We called him on it, of course, but he didn’t understand what he was talking about. He thought his singing was just fine. We just learned to put up with it.

If this were today, though, science might be able to come to the rescue. New research indicates that it might be possible to fix the part of the brain that involves understanding music. The key is a class of drugs called HDAC inhibitors, a drug that can help stabilize mood and make life easier for epileptics. For some reason, it helps certain people identify tones and pitches that they otherwise couldn’t.

This doesn’t mean a drug can give you perfect pitch, but it could make those school assemblies a little more bearable.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 30+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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