Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

oh yes, it's good...

Music responseMusic that triggers some kind of responseI have what you want, I have what you need

So sang the Chemical Brothers with what was the entire vocal and lyric content of their song Music: Response. With those three lines sang over and over again to a heavy dance laden beat they make a good soundtrack for the content of this good read on music and the brain. Author Oliver Sacks, I suspect, would not have known who The Chemical Brothers were but I think he would have understood the meaning considering the depth of subject.

Music has played a huge part of my life. Not as a player, very poor 3 chord thrash as a youth was about it, but as a huge consumer. My parents had a diverse mix of classical and jazz for me to devour as a young boy. My mum's sister was a Beatles fan and my dad's brother was a musician of some ability who played Sax and Clarinet and even made it onto TV talent shows. My first recording purchased with my own pocket money was a 7” single, Coz I Luv You by Slade. I must have been 11 or 12. It has been a long journey to now paying via download my latest purchase (Sarah Mary Chadwick) such is the way we now procure music. As I say to anyone that asks, over the years my tastes have been truly eclectic, I listen to all genres and all artists, Abba to Zorn one might say.

When I purchased this book back on 24/2/2009 (the receipt was found tucked into the back page on finishing) I was ready to devour it. The trouble was I read Sacks' more famous “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” first, a book I also had at that time. I did not enjoy Hat at all! It was dense in terminology, lacking in focus and with uninspiring writing did little to hold my attention. Hence this read was placed way back of the reading pack. So now started and finished I have to say that I have enjoyed this a little bit more than I expected to. The writing can still be a little uninspiring though the focus is obvious, a focus that is no bad thing for the likes of me.

Sacks' covers a lot of territory. Why we may like, dislike or even be indifferent to music. Amnesia and Dementia and why those that suffer may have an affinity with music. Why at some gigs/concerts some musicians spend an inordinate amount of time tuning their instruments between just about every song. There are many interesting anecdotes. Clive Wearing suffered herpes encephalitis of the brain causing amnesia. Clive has been the subject of a documentary called “The Man With the Seven Second Memory”. I recommend looking at a youtube of Clive who has as little as 30 seconds memory at best, can hardly recall the subject of a sentence in discussion but then can still play the piano at a remarkable ability. Sacks thought that Clive had semantic memory as apposed in the absence of explicit and episodic memory but was not that sure. William's Syndrome was another. I had to admit that I had never heard of this affliction but Sacks discussion and explanation was first rate.

In the end though, this will be my 2nd and last book by Sacks. As much as I have enjoyed this one I know it was the subject matter that was attractive. When getting into his own field of Neurology in explanation of his thoughts on the subject of music and the brain his writing was a little too dense for me. I understand that the subject matter needs certain scientific explanation but as a lay reader I did need to reread sentences a couple of times and internet search medical terms. The bibliography would be useful to the specialist in the field but not so much the layman such as I. Footnoted galore but then some of them are half a page long and as interesting as they can be at times it seemed more like he had footnoted an event he was keen to include in the narrative but knew not how. I do recommend this very interesting book though. If one is curious as to why music and the brain can work together in mysterious ways this will be more than useful.

My Personal Musical Extras.

As I wrote this review I was on forced leave due to the company I work for having its income collapse due to Corvid -19. Time will tell if I return. I hope I do as I enjoy my work. I have my own small office and have a 30 year old battered boom box in the corner to play CD's on as background. Yes I could go digital but the monstrosity still works and I have so many CD's from the old day. I packed up about 100 as I left work and then reflected on them, a mix of Classical from Beethoven and Mussorgsky to modern composers such as Glass and Nyman. Jazz was covered too with The Atlantic Years by John Coltrane through to a crazy set of compilation CD's that I got in the 90's for jazz in all its subvarieties. When I was in the mood for a certain genre I was covered. The very good Underworld got a serious play in the last week as they seemed perfect for the times, repetitious experimental beats that hit the mark while our office staff discussed our futures.

I work for a printing company and we have a few old Heidelberg cylinders. Whenever I had to go to the production factory they were clunking away in a never ending rhythm that had my brain singing along to whatever suited its 4/4 time. “I need it I don't want it I need it I don't want it I need it I don't want it I need it I don't want it I need it I don't want it I need it I don't want it” was the sound it sang to me on my last visit, a cadence for Mortiis black metal ambient tune called This Absolution. It seemed just right considering the circumstances.

Each evening after work I had always gone for a 30 minute walk. Headphones on, the music of choice had always had an atmospheric bent, Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil are just a couple of examples. Now with lockdown there are few reasons to leave the house though excuse is engaging alone for physical exercise. I now get out in the morning and walk for a couple of hours in a local forest. I have found that I do not want to listen to music. That is a strange feeling. I have realised that I needed the sound of the forest, the birds singing and the crunch of the path under my feet. No music seems to suit the present circumstances. This may be the first time in my life that I have felt like this.

There was so much in this... I might also look into the audiobook so that I might be exposed to the material again.

I highly enjoyed the parts specific to those with Autism, Williams Syndrome, and Tourettes. I have witnessed a young boy become alight through music when he might otherwise be (nearly) nonverbal. I suspect him to possess perfect pitch and look forward to more of his milestones.

Additionally, I liked the tales about those with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and dementia having some alleviation via music.

As always I love Sack's writing and material. It feeds curiosity and often brings hope. It more than just interesting.

The book explores various music-related conditions linking them with our brains. You don't learn much about the ‘how', but more about the ‘what', through cases that Sacks has researched and encountered