Ep84 "Why do brains love music?"

In 'The Singing Neanderthals', Steven Mithen argues that musicality is an innate and ancient part of human nature, predating language and playing a crucial role in human evolution. The book integrates evidence from archaeology, neuroscience, psychology, and musicology to explain why humans are compelled to make and hear music. Mithen proposes that a holistic protolanguage of musical and emotive expression was a precursor to modern language and was essential for the social and emotional development of early humans. He explores the evolutionary history of music and language, from early hominids to Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, highlighting the importance of music in human communication, social bonding, and emotional expression[1][4][5].

In this book, Daniel J. Levitin delves into the relationship between music and the human brain. He argues that music is fundamental to human nature, possibly even more so than language. Levitin draws on the latest research and uses musical examples from Mozart to Van Halen to explain how composers create pleasurable effects, why we are emotionally attached to the music of our youth, and the role of practice in musical expertise. He also explores why certain jingles get stuck in our heads and how music coordinates various parts of the brain. The book is an insightful investigation into the science behind our obsession with music.