Articles tagged with Music
Researchers found that listening to self-selected motivational music improved interval running capacity and 5km time-trial performances in mentally fatigued fitness enthusiasts. The positive effects may be due to altered perception of effort when listening to tunes.
The current research highlights the risk of noise-induced hearing loss among children and young adults due to prolonged exposure to high volumes from personal audio systems. The need for public health hearing conservation policies and education on safe volume levels is emphasized by experts.
A team of neuroscientists discovered five key brain functions that enable social connection through music, including empathy circuits, oxytocin secretion, and dopamine release. Music can strengthen cohesion and mutual trust between people by signaling shared values.
Improv pedagogy enhances musical learning and social skills, fostering cooperation and uncertainty-faciling
Engineers at MIT have developed the first digital fiber that can store, analyze, and infer physical activity, revolutionizing textiles for performance monitoring, medical inference, and disease detection. The fiber is thin, flexible, and can be sewn into fabrics without breaking down, opening up new possibilities for fabrics.
A study from the University of Kansas found that the speech-to-song illusion occurs in adults 55 and older at similar rates as younger people, with no difference in perception or intensity. The findings suggest that older adults may not experience a decline in cognitive abilities related to this phenomenon.
A new study reveals that creating serendipity in the marketplace increases consumer satisfaction and enjoyment. Marketers can capitalize on this effect by providing positive, unexpected, and chance encounters, but educating consumers about products can eliminate the serendipity effect.
An analysis of nine studies found that active music-making can provide significant cognitive benefits to older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Music-based interventions have the potential to support millions of older adults in their emotional, social, and well-being needs.
A study by Tel-Aviv University found that 80-100% of participants could correctly identify each other based on a 3-song playlist, regardless of prior knowledge. This has significant implications for commercial companies' ability to infer user information.
Laura Miettinen's research highlights the importance of self-reflection and collective discussions in developing music teachers' intercultural competence. Her study recommends strengthening music teacher education programmes to foster critical thinking and collaboration among educators.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that listening to calming music at bedtime can help older adults sleep better. Calming music improves sleep quality more than rhythmic music, and longer exposure (more than four weeks) is associated with greater benefits.
Listening to music before bed significantly improves sleep quality among older adults. Longer listening periods yield the most effective results. Music therapy is an easy-to-administer strategy that may become a first-line treatment option.
A study by researchers from the Music Technology research group found that a widely used music recommendation algorithm is biased towards male artists, resulting in less exposure for female artists. The algorithm's ranking system perpetuates this bias, with female artist recommendations often appearing later in the list.
A study using non-invasive brain stimulation found that exciting the brain's reward circuit before listening to music increased pleasure, while inhibiting it decreased it. The researchers also discovered that synchronized activity between auditory and reward regions was linked to the pleasure experienced.
PhD candidate Rebecca Poulsen designed a speaker system to study brain networks and hearing in baby fish, finding they can hear high-frequency sounds. Whole-brain imaging revealed how larvae process different types of sounds, raising questions about their brain's interpretation.
A Universitat Oberta de Catalunya study analyzes 71 Billboard year-end charts from 1946 to 2016 to explore changes in conceptions of love. Metaphors represent over 70% of figurative language used to express feelings of romantic love in popular music.
Research finds musicians have stronger brain connections compared to non-musicians, with younger start dates showing more significant differences. Musicians with absolute pitch also exhibit enhanced auditory region activity and white matter connections.
A pooled data analysis of available evidence suggests that listening to music can reduce anxiety and pain after major heart surgery. The study found that the first postoperative music session was associated with significant reductions in anxiety (4 points) and pain (1.26 points).
Research supports early start to musical training, but underlying reasons are more complex. Familial influences, such as genetic factors and encouraging family environment, play a significant role.
A recent study by a researcher at the University of Kansas found statistically significant associations between music achievement and reading/math achievement in over 1,000 middle-school students. The findings suggest that there may be general learning processes underlying all academic achievement, regardless of the subject.
Researchers used EEG to study how music affects the brain's reward system, finding increased activity in regions involved in emotional processing, movement control, and auditory processing. Chills induced by favorite songs release dopamine, triggering a physiological response that indicates greater cortical connectivity.
Researchers are testing a digital therapeutic device that uses music and sensors to help individuals recover from stroke-induced mobility loss. The study aims to improve walking speed and community ambulation in participants, offering new hope for those affected by stroke.
A study by McGill University researchers has identified neural markers related to beat synchronization in musicians' brains, revealing that it takes more than just moving or listening well to keep the beat. The findings suggest that practice can improve one's ability to synchronize and that around 2-3% of the population are 'beat deaf',
Researchers created a musical ensemble of violinists to study human network dynamics. They found that humans can change their inner structure to reach better solutions, exhibiting unique characteristics like flexibility and filtering inputs.
Researchers at the Institute for Basic Science found that audible sound can control chemical reactions in solution by supplying energy sources into the air-liquid interface. The study created aesthetically pleasing patterns on the surface and bulk of the solution, exhibiting life-like behavior in synthetic molecules.
A meta-analysis of 54 studies found no significant effect of music training on non-music cognitive skills and academic achievement in children. However, certain elements of music instruction may be beneficial for social skills and self-esteem.
Researchers at Harvard SEAS create device that can shape near-field light into various forms using waveguide reflectors. The resulting shapes can be used for ultra-high-resolution microscopy, particle manipulation and sensing applications.
Researchers found that trained musicians showed greater powers of rhythmic prediction compared to nonmusicians, with subtle differences between those trained in Japanese or Western classical music. The study also reveals that different cultural upbringings can have a tangible effect on brain development.
Researchers found that music from this period connects individuals to significant people and places in their identity. Half of all musical choices made by Desert Island Discs guests were from this age range, which was previously known as the 'reminiscence bump'.
A new study found that listeners' musical preferences are driven by the similarity between their personality and that of famous musicians. The 'self-congruity effect of music' suggests that people prefer music from artists with similar public personas, which can evoke feelings of pride and belonging.
Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School found that Ultra Music Festival was stressful for toadfish, causing a significant stress response and elevated cortisol levels. The study showed a 4-5 fold increase in blood cortisol levels in toadfish during the festival.
A new study found that moving together in time with music increases social closeness between individuals, regardless of their cultural familiarity with the music. The study showed that people who enjoy the music they move to experience stronger social bonds than those who do not.
Researchers found that six-month-old infants could discriminate between major and minor musical tones with eye movements and visual stimuli. This capacity is similar to adults, with approximately 30% of infants able to distinguish the difference and 70% unable to.
A study at Bar-Ilan University found that group drumming fosters both behavioral and physiological synchronization among participants. This synchronization enhances cohesion, predicts a heightened sense of group bonding, and even improves performance in subsequent group tasks.
A new digital archive co-created by University of Warwick researcher Dr Nicola Pratt gathers art, music, and film created during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The archive includes over 200 items, many translated into English, to help users discover the significance of the uprising and its aftermath.
A study using a cappella recordings revealed that humans have complementary neural systems for speech and music processing. The research found that temporal information is crucial for speech perception, while spectral information is key to music perception. This suggests that hemispheric specialization may be the nervous system's way o...
Researchers at the 2020 APS March Meeting in Denver are exploring the physics of the brain, including brain connectivity networks, the organization of the brain's wiring probability, and the shaping of the cerebellum. Music therapy is also being investigated for its potential benefits for patients with mild cognitive impairment.
Researchers created a collection of unique songs with manipulated acoustic information, demonstrating the left and right hemispheres handle speech and melody differently. fMRI scans revealed asymmetrical neural activity, with speech content primarily processed in the left auditory cortex and melodic content in the right.
A study found that a 15-month-old boy attempted to sing along to 'Happy Birthday' after hearing it played on a toy. The research suggests that babies learn music patterns and rhythms through spontaneous imitation.
A pooled analysis of 14 studies found that text messaging was associated with significantly lower rates of looking left and right before crossing, as well as moderately increased rates of collisions and close calls. Listening to music was not linked to any heightened risk of pedestrian behaviours.
A new study found that listening to high-tempo music while exercising increases physical fitness benefits and reduces perceived exertion, especially during endurance activities like walking. The researchers hope their findings can help people improve and increase exercise habits.
A study finds that music samples evoke similar feelings in both Chinese and US participants, suggesting that specific emotions are more universal than broader evaluations. The research suggests that cultural differences may not be as significant in subjective experiences associated with music.
Researchers found that country music songwriters employ two strategies to co-write songs with less talented but more famous artists: bespoke facilitation, where they take a backseat, and the manipulation dance, where they pre-write most of the song. This approach helps create good songs while avoiding alienating their partner.
Scientists investigate how architectural aspects of workplace design change the way sound, including music and conversation, affect workers. Researchers found that 50 dBA of conversation or music coming from behind bothered individuals less than 60 dBA of similar noise coming from the side.
The Acoustical Society of America and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health launched a campaign to improve Wikipedia content on sound, acoustics, and hearing topics. The Wiki4YearOfSound2020 platform provides guidance and invites users to edit Wikipedia articles and donate images.
Researchers created a system to convert light waves into sound waves by correlating bright lines within atomic spectra to audible tones. This allows for the creation of individual atom notes and even entire songs, enabling listeners to experience an 'atomic world' through sound.
Renée Fleming, acclaimed soprano and neuroscience research advocate, will receive the Isadore Rosenfeld Award for her commitment to research advocacy at the intersection of music, brain function, and wellness. Her work with the Sound Health Initiative enhances public awareness about how the brain interacts with music.
Musicians are at serious risk of developing tinnitus and hearing difficulties primarily due to prolonged exposure to loud noises. The study's findings support industry insiders' long-held concerns about the impact of workplace noise on musicians' hearing.
Researchers analyzed 80,000 chords in 745 classic U.S. Billboard pop songs to find the right combination of uncertainty and surprise that makes music pleasing. The study suggests that musical pleasure depends on the dynamic interplay between prospective and retrospective states of expectation.
A new $1.96 million NIH grant funds a study to curb state of confusion linked to dementia in older adults with mechanical ventilation in ICUs. Researchers will evaluate the effectiveness of slow-tempo classical music in reducing delirium, a form of acute brain failure, in mechanically-ventilated ICU patients age 65 and older.
Listeners prefer songs with balanced uncertain expectations, suggesting a 'reward for learning'. Medium complexity musical fragments with counterbalancing uncertain and predictable events yield the highest preference ratings.
A recent study published in eNeuro has shown that our auditory system and brain can make predictions about words in complex, uncertain, and noisy situations. The study used electroencephalography to analyze the brain waves of volunteers listening to unknown syllables, revealing a phenomenal ability to detect errors in predictions.
Research by Juan Manuel Toro and Carlota Pagès Portabella finds that musical training alters how humans perceive music. Brain scans reveal trained musicians distinguish between different types of musical irregularities, while untrained listeners do not.
A new algorithm, DJ-MC, uses sequence modeling and Monte Carlo search to create personalized music playlists that change according to each individual's shifts in emotion. The program adapts to the listener's mood, considering not only which songs they will enjoy but also the order in which they are played.
Scientific research reveals that music is essential for expressing and enforcing relationships between humans, other beings, and ecosystems. Traditional music-making systems are being eroded due to globalization, but they continue to be honoured and celebrated.
Researchers at Michigan Technological University discovered a long-lost parody of Gilbert and Sullivan's 'The Mikado' that pokes fun at the rigors of math class in Victorian college culture. The parody, titled 'The Mathematikado,' offers insights into student experiences and gender dynamics.
A new study reveals that listening to music involves activity in sensory regions, while recalling melodies activates frontal regions. The findings suggest a complex network of brain regions involved in music processing.
Researchers found that music chart statistics have changed significantly since the 1990s, with albums now having shorter lifetimes. The diversity of charts has doubled or tripled, and albums either reach the top immediately or never make it.
A preschool program using rhythm and movement activities boosts children's self-regulation skills and improves school readiness. The program, which involves group sessions twice a week for eight weeks, has been shown to produce significant changes in attentional and emotional development.
New research from Penn State suggests that freedom songs sung by Black women helped empower them to lead others when formal leadership positions were unavailable. These songs, which originated in the 1920s or earlier, were altered to reflect the struggles of the time and became a powerful form of resistance.