Music and the Brain

What is the secret of music's strange power? Seeking an answer, scientists are piecing together a picture of what happens in the brains of listeners and musicians

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

00

The Origins of Music. Edited by Nils L. Wallin, Bj¿rn Merker and Steven Brown. MIT Press, 1999.

The Psychology of Music. Second edition. Edited by Diana Deutsch. Academic Press, 1999.

Music and Emotion: Theory and Research. Edited by Patrik N. Juslin and John A. Sloboda. Oxford University Press, 2001.

The Cognitive Neuroscience of Music. Edited by Isabelle Peretz and Robert J. Zatorre. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Singing in the Brain

Retuning the Brain

Scientific American Magazine Vol 291 Issue 5This article was published with the title “Music and the Brain” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 291 No. 5 ()
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican112004-1sGjmQpAM86k6xPfKaIdGg

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe