More than a feeling
Emotionally evocative, yes, but music goes much deeper
By Susan Gaidos
Anyone who has felt the sting of tears while listening to a bugler play “Taps,” swooned to a love song or cringed with irritation as a neighbor cranked the heavy metal knows that music can exert a powerful emotive effect.
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And you don’t need a neuroscientist to tell you that manipulating a melody’s pace, tone and intensity can stir the emotions. Composers of symphonies, pop tunes, movie sound tracks and TV ads all know how to tune an audience’s mood along a dial ranging from sad and glum to cheerful and chipper.
But neuroscientists might have something to say about how music orchestrates such profound emotional effects on the brain. And understanding the how may offer a hint as to why music affects humans so powerfully.