Imagine... How Music Makes Us Feel (BBC1)

[Nick Armstrong]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01p3c8w/imagine..._Winter_2012_How_Music_Makes_Us_Feel/

Just made a start on this... Jessye Norman, George Benjamin so far... Will have to watch the rest later. Will be interested to see others' reactions here.

I have to comment on the clip of Jessye Norman's concert performance of 'Summertime' - evidently a recent performance (with microphone) - from about 7 mins 20 secs into the programme.

My comment alas has to be:

[johncorrigan]

My difficulty is 'how Yentob makes me feel', Caliban. 'Where did I put the remote?

[Nick Armstrong]

My difficulty is 'how Yentob makes me feel', Caliban. 'Where did I put the remote?

I know what you mean. I went to bed after 10 minutes - another option!

[Pikaia]

I have to comment on the clip of Jessye Norman's concert performance of 'Summertime' - evidently a recent performance (with microphone) - from about 7 mins 20 secs into the programme.

My comment alas has to be:

My thoughts exactly.

The question of why music has a psychological effect on us is an interesting one, but I have never seen an explanation, so I didn't expect to learn the answer from the programme. And I didn't.
The programme rambled all over the place without getting anywhere.

[Thropplenoggin]

My thoughts exactly.

The question of why music has a psychological effect on us is an interesting one, but I have never seen an explanation, so I didn't expect to learn the answer from the programme. And I didn't.
The programme rambled all over the place without getting anywhere.

Probably best of with recent books on the topic:

This Is Your Brain On Music

The Music Instinct: how music works and why we can't do without it

I haven't read either but perhaps other members have and could commend their merits, if any!

[MrGongGong]

The Classic text used to be (I think there is a new edition ?)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Musical-Mind-Cognitive-Psychology/dp/0198521286/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354107508&sr=8-3

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

speaking as an erstwhile psychologist i found most of the references to the psychology of music pretty dire, outmoded experimental psychophysics and 'naming' conceived as explanation ... e. g. contagion but nothing from the revolution in brain sciences, no reference to evolution etc etc

the prog and Yentob were predictably slipshod and disappointing except for the nice chap explaining tears at the keyboard, he captured exactly the monotone dreariness of Adele

the Swedish Prof was a waste of space, imagine 45 minutes of that after meatballs and Swedish central heating zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Thropplenoggin]

speaking as an erstwhile psychologist i found most of the references to the psychology of music pretty dire, outmoded experimental psychophysics and 'naming' conceived as explanation ... e. g. contagion but nothing from the revolution in brain sciences, no reference to evolution etc etc

The revolution in brain science has been highly overrated. Everyone has leaped on the bandwagon thinking that MRI scanners can show how the mind functions by revealing brain activity. Another gravy train, if you ask me.

Neuroscience is the new evolutionary psychology which was the new social biology which was the new neo-Darwinism...ad nauseum.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

..inclined to agree Thropplenoggin but it is more interesting for a while ....

[gamba]

My difficulty is 'how Yentob makes me feel', Caliban. 'Where did I put the remote?

In order to avoid a third period in hospital, this time with the dreaded yentobitis, I avoided viewing the programme. I still have memories of how things were in the late 50's & early 60's whilst in contact with people with talent working on a programme called ' Monitor.' Seems like having inhabited another world !

[jayne lee wilson]

The revolution in brain science has been highly overrated. Everyone has leaped on the bandwagon thinking that MRI scanners can show how the mind functions by revealing brain activity. Another gravy train, if you ask me.

Neuroscience is the new evolutionary psychology which was the new social biology which was the new neo-Darwinism...ad nauseum.

Don't knock brain science! Saved my life a few years ago. Pity they can't regenerate the missing brain cells in the motor cortex, but at least with MRI you can see a pretty picture of the cavity! Operating on me they had real-time 3D computer images to remove the monstrous alien thing in my head. Isn't that beautiful?

But yes, even if we can analyse what makes us react physiologically to a given piece of music, it scarcely changes anything does it? It's THIS part of your brain and it reacts like THAT. Ah. Thanks. Right. My life is now changed.

[Flay]

So glad you are still here with us to enlighten our lives, Jayne.

I am just finishing watching the programme. The scenes at the end where the music therapist brings some brief joy to the elderly mentally infirm are touching. As he says: "we learn to be human beings with music. It's the first thing that we start using as language, so it's one of the last things that goes. Music is deep deep deep down inside."

[Thropplenoggin]

Don't knock brain science! Saved my life a few years ago. Pity they can't regenerate the missing brain cells in the motor cortex, but at least with MRI you can see a pretty picture of the cavity! Operating on me they had real-time 3D computer images to remove the monstrous alien thing in my head. Isn't that beautiful?

But yes, even if we can analyse what makes us react physiologically to a given piece of music, it scarcely changes anything does it? It's THIS part of your brain and it reacts like THAT. Ah. Thanks. Right. My life is now changed.

Glad the brain surgeons could help you, JLW.

You got the gist of my beef anyway regarding neuroscience's sudden application to everything under the sun including literary theory!

[EdgeleyRob]

Don't knock brain science! Saved my life a few years ago. .

I'm so glad you came through that Jayne.

We all know how music makes us feel don't we ?

(I didn't see the programme btw,don't really watch telly,unless there's footy on).

[MrGongGong]

We all know how music makes us feel don't we ?

errrr I would say the answer to that is ..........no we don't