Music, Science, and the Rhythmic Brain

This book studies the effects of repetitive musical rhythm on the brain and nervous system, and in doing so integrates diverse fields including ethnomusicology, psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, religious studies, music therapy, and human health. It presents aspects of musical rhythm and biological rhythms, and in particular rhythmic entrainment, in a way that considers cultural context alongside theoretical research and discussions of potential clinical and therapeutic implications. Considering the effects of drumming and other rhythmic music on mental and bodily functioning, the volume hypothesizes that rhythmic music can have a dramatic impact on mental states, sometimes catalyzing profound changes in arousal, mood, and emotional states via the stimulation of changes in physiological functions like the electrical activity in the brain. The experiments presented here make use of electroencephalography (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and subjective measures to gain insight into how these mental states are evoked, what their relationship is to the music and context of the experience, and demonstrate that they are happening in a consistent and reproducible fashion, suggesting clinical applications. This comprehensive volume will appeal to scholars in cognition, ethnomusicology, and music perception who are interested in the therapeutic potential of music.

Jonathan Berger is Professor of Music at Stanford University. Gabe Turow is a Research Associate at The Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics and the Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts at Stanford University. In 2005, he co-founded the Stanford Annual International Symposium Series on Music, Rhythm, and the Brain, and in 2008, established the UCSF Children's Hospital Music Program. Turow is finishing his music therapy licensing process (MT-BC) and Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) certification, both of which he expects to complete by the summer of 2011. He is currently an Artist in Residence at Branson High School, in Ross, CA where he teaches ceramics and music. A professional instrument maker and ceramicist (StoneInstruments.com), his work is currently on display at the Parse gallery in New Orleans.

Contents Acknowledgements Preface Part I: Research on Rhythmic Entrainment in Music 1: Introduction to Entrainment and Cognitive Ethnomusicology, Udo Will and Gabe Turow 2: Entraining the Brain and Body, Emil Jovanov and Melinda Maxfield 3: Rhythmic Entrainment and Evolution, Judith Becker 4: A Scientific View of Musical Rhythm, Matthew Wright 5: EEG Research Methodology and Brainwave Entrainment, Udo Will and Scott Makeig Part II: Clinical Implications of Rhythmic Entrainment Research 6: Using Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation for Rehabilitation, Concetta M. Tomaino 7: Binaural Beat Stimulation: Altering Vigilance and Mood States, Gabe Turow and James Lane 8: Audio-Visual Stimulation: Research and Clinical Practice, Thomas Budzynski, Helen K. Budzynski, Leslie Sherlin, and Hsin Yi Tang 9: Rhythmic Sensory Stimulation of the Brain: The Possible Use of Inexpensive Sensory Stimulation Technologies to Improve IQ Test Scores and Behavior, Harold Russell and Gabe Turow 10: Conclusion, Jonathan Berger