My Life as a Musician

This neuroscience of music page is the product of my independent research project as a sophomore in high school.

Music is Unlike any Other Art Form

When I was three years old, my favorite song was the Rolling Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil, which I affectionately called the ‘Woo-Hoo’ song. At the same age, I started my first eurythmics class, which I would continue for four years at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA. This experience marks the first time I was introduced to the relationship between movement and music. Students danced and created phrases with their bodies that were inspired by the phrases in a piece of music. In terms of sound and the relationships between individual instruments and an ensemble or orchestra, I learned about rhythm, the differences in tone, pitch, and playing of the wind instruments, the strings, and the piano. Following this learning, when I was ten years old, I rented my first viola and learned how to hold the bow. Within a few months, I could hold the instrument and the bow, as well as play several variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star from memory. How could my brain learn a new skill so quickly at ten years old? Many adults do not have the capacity to learn a new instrument in several weeks and so how was I different? How could I memorize a song, which is after all a series of musical phrases that when played together create a melody? All of these questions I would come to answer six years later, during this independent study.

I have been playing classical viola for almost seven years and I am currently learning several different pieces which include: Sergei Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights from the ballet, Romeo and Juliet, as well as the third movement of the J.C. Bach / Henri Casadesus Concerto in C Minor, and the Brahms Sonata for Viola. How is it possible that I am able to play these pieces over the course of several months and only six years ago I was learning Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? These are the questions, both in this paragraph and those above that drove my independent study.

In a previous research paper, I focused on learning about neuroplasticity, which is considered among several scientific circles to be a new and revolutionary concept. I studied neuroplasticity in relation to music. My research paper, titled ‘Exploring the Connection Between Neuroplasticity and the Structure of Trained Musicians Brains in Comparison With the Brains of People Who Enjoy Music, and Finding the Connection Between Thoughts, Music, and Neuroplasticity’ is linked here. Researching for this paper and writing my findings as well as explanations of each concept lead me to several answers for my questions and widened my scope of understanding regarding the neuroscience of music subject area. A second research paper I have recently written, titled Title Here, furthered my appreciation for the human brain and inspired me to create this website.

I have witnessed firsthand the power of music to unite and heal communities of people from across the world. It is believed by many musicologists and those who love music and music history that music is one of, if not the earliest form of communication. It is disputed whether this form is language or music, but regardless many species including humans use music to communicate and have for thousands of years. Additionally, in a later section of this website, I cover the coevolution of music and the brain, as well as briefly touch on the evolution of music and language.

Music is a form of communication that all can understand, regardless of language, cultural background, and individual identifiers. Some posit that to try to understand music, which is an integral aspect life, through the application of neuroscience is to destroy the mysterious beauty of a piece. I argue that an education in music, music history, or the neuroscience of music is one of the most important educations an individual could possess. This is because it widens the mind and teaches the student how to connect through different cultures, time periods, and places through an experience such as listening to or composing music. Studying the neuroscience of music is a strategy to understand why music affects every living being in the world, has for centuries, and will for many years to come. Music is unlike any other art form because “listening to, playing, reading and creating music involves practically every part of the brain.” Following this, my website is created with the mission to engage readers from different backgrounds and to inspire creativity, as well as interest in this developing field. Through this focus, we can all better appreciate the influence and timelessness of music as an art form.