"Even the anticipation of a pleasurable musical crescendo results in the release of dopamine"
I wish I could have seen the sales pitch for funding this research project…
Man with Money: “So your theory is that music is pleasurable?”
Researcher: “Yes.”
MM: [quizzical look] “And we need to prove this?”
R: “Yes.”
MM: “Do you have a song you really like?”
R: “Yeah, sure. I like [insert obscure, nerdy song].”
MM: “Does it make you happy to hear [said obscure, nerdy song]?”
R: “Yes.”
MM: [puzzled look]
R: “We need 2 million bucks.”
MM: “Sounds like a good investment to me!”
Man with Money: “So your theory is that music is pleasurable?”
Researcher: “Yes.”
MM: [quizzical look] “And we need to prove this?”
R: “Yes.”
MM: “Do you have a song you really like?”
R: “Yeah, sure. I like [insert obscure, nerdy song].”
MM: “Does it make you happy to hear [said obscure, nerdy song]?”
R: “Yes.”
MM: [puzzled look]
R: “We need 2 million bucks.”
MM: “Sounds like a good investment to me!”
Forrest Berry
the full text of the study is freely available:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726
and there’s a lot more to it than just “music makes people happy”.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726
and there’s a lot more to it than just “music makes people happy”.
Yeah, I skimmed thru their full study. Its actually pretty interesting stuff. They also have samples of some of the music they used as well.
It’s more of a Brain study than a music study tho. They use music as a pretext to explore how the brain functions under pleasure.
It’s more of a Brain study than a music study tho. They use music as a pretext to explore how the brain functions under pleasure.
Forrest Berry
I think it’s interesting as an angle on how music brings pleasure… and the similarities to other sources of “thrills.” And implications for what people are really producing when they gin up the sensation they now routinely call “worship.”
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
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