Putting the Culture into Music
Yesterday our daughter Clara asked to hear the song “Xylorimba” on the Renewal CD over and over again.
After an hour of this – and my earphones on, so I could compose - I told her a story about the instruments used in this joyful music.
The Kalimba is of Bantu origin. The marimba may be too, though some say the marimba originated in Southeast Asia in the 14th century. The Xylophone comes from Greece, Africa or Indonesia, depending on whom you ask. The glockenspiel is from Germany. And gongs are known to have existed in China from the Han dynasty - 200BC to 224AD.
So I wove many cultures into my story for her. As I was creating the plot, I wondered whether all people respond the same way, no matter what music they listen to.
What I found out is fascinating.
I discovered some very interesting research on how our brain responds to music from other cultures.
An MRI was used to observe subjects while they listened to music from various cultures. Results showed the brain activation was the Same, regardless of where the listener came from.
All people showed similar brain activity when exposed to Western classical or traditional Chinese musical excerpts. Significant parts of the brain were activated on both hemispheres. However, when musicians from various cultures were compared with non-musicians, differences did emerge.
Musicians showed far greater activity in the right superior temporal gyrus and middle of the brain when listening to both types of music. Plus, when musicians listened to Western classical music, they showed significant brain activity in the right middle frontal gyrus.
Whether those areas of the brain are on your radar screen or not, doesn’t matter. They’re activated nonetheless.
When languages were used as a contrast, brain activity was similar among all subjects listening to either English speech or Cantonese.
What this means is – when you turn on music, no matter where you are from – your brain will respond in a similar fashion to all other human beings. If you’re a musician, the response is heightened.
The key word here is – respond. You have no choice in the matter. If music’s playing, your brain is internalizing the signals.
If you eat too much sugar, you’ll eventually get very sick. If you listen to too much negatively charged music, your brain-cells will begin to die from starvation.
Why not give your most valuable organ the best ‘sound food’ possible. Every cell in your body will be instantly affected. There’s no doubt, the value of uplifting sounds is a big key to your happiness. Begin the season of Spring with joy.
Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French
P.S. Daffodils and crocuses are out and beginning to share their exquisite colors. Spring is a great time to clear away the old, the no-longer useful, and clutter. Add rejuvenating sounds wafting through the air, and suddenly work turns to play. Enter a world of lightness and joy by plugging into these 5 CDs of positively charged music.
After an hour of this – and my earphones on, so I could compose - I told her a story about the instruments used in this joyful music.
The Kalimba is of Bantu origin. The marimba may be too, though some say the marimba originated in Southeast Asia in the 14th century. The Xylophone comes from Greece, Africa or Indonesia, depending on whom you ask. The glockenspiel is from Germany. And gongs are known to have existed in China from the Han dynasty - 200BC to 224AD.
So I wove many cultures into my story for her. As I was creating the plot, I wondered whether all people respond the same way, no matter what music they listen to.
What I found out is fascinating.
I discovered some very interesting research on how our brain responds to music from other cultures.
An MRI was used to observe subjects while they listened to music from various cultures. Results showed the brain activation was the Same, regardless of where the listener came from.
All people showed similar brain activity when exposed to Western classical or traditional Chinese musical excerpts. Significant parts of the brain were activated on both hemispheres. However, when musicians from various cultures were compared with non-musicians, differences did emerge.
Musicians showed far greater activity in the right superior temporal gyrus and middle of the brain when listening to both types of music. Plus, when musicians listened to Western classical music, they showed significant brain activity in the right middle frontal gyrus.
Whether those areas of the brain are on your radar screen or not, doesn’t matter. They’re activated nonetheless.
When languages were used as a contrast, brain activity was similar among all subjects listening to either English speech or Cantonese.
What this means is – when you turn on music, no matter where you are from – your brain will respond in a similar fashion to all other human beings. If you’re a musician, the response is heightened.
The key word here is – respond. You have no choice in the matter. If music’s playing, your brain is internalizing the signals.
If you eat too much sugar, you’ll eventually get very sick. If you listen to too much negatively charged music, your brain-cells will begin to die from starvation.
Why not give your most valuable organ the best ‘sound food’ possible. Every cell in your body will be instantly affected. There’s no doubt, the value of uplifting sounds is a big key to your happiness. Begin the season of Spring with joy.
Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French
P.S. Daffodils and crocuses are out and beginning to share their exquisite colors. Spring is a great time to clear away the old, the no-longer useful, and clutter. Add rejuvenating sounds wafting through the air, and suddenly work turns to play. Enter a world of lightness and joy by plugging into these 5 CDs of positively charged music.
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home