Kevin's Watch

Didn't know if this would fall under Vespers or the tech forum but here you go. Interesting study from Johns Hopkins:

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON JAZZ: RESEARCHERS USE MRI TO STUDY SPONTANEITY, CREATIVITY
--Johns Hopkins researcher also trained as a jazz musician

A pair of Johns Hopkins and government scientists have discovered that when jazz musicians improvise, their brains turn off areas linked to self-censoring and inhibition, and turn on those that let self-expression flow.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/ ... 26_08.html

Interesting. Exercise for that part of the brain, it sounds like.

No doubt. I'd imagine any improvisational type of music would access these same brain centers. I don't play jazz but I know I get that same feeling playing jamband-style music.

Based on the title, I was expecting to see a frying-egg video! [no offense to jazz musicians ]

dw

Cool link, Ki! I wonder if there were any differences in the fMRIs between the classically trained pianists and the jazz pianists. It'd be interesting if the different backgrounds showed up in some way.

Speaking as a musician, this reinforces a long held belief of mine that improvisational performers (jazz, Blues, Prog, lead guitar hot dogs, etc) turn off their inhibitions (or to put it another way) turn off the part of their brains that cares whether or not the audience actually likes the seemingly unrelated and nearly unending stream of noises they are making.

I joke of course.

The lead guitar hot dogs, surely!

But speaking as a lead guitarist, I know I do my best playing when I do turn off the analytical part of my brain, and just play. Not trying to impress anyone or show off, just playing what I feel. Which usually then impresses people. (sort of like SRD's "finding the thing you want by not searching for it")

Very interesting and cool.

Relayer wrote:No doubt. I'd imagine any improvisational type of music would access these same brain centers. I don't play jazz but I know I get that same feeling playing jamband-style music.

Yup, in fact I like that feeling so much that jamband type stuff and blues is about all that I play now.

Mortice Root wrote:Cool link, Ki! I wonder if there were any differences in the fMRIs between the classically trained pianists and the jazz pianists. It'd be interesting if the different backgrounds showed up in some way.

Glad you liked it. I come across alot of cool stuff in doing my job. If I ever see anything like this again, I'll be sure to post it.

Sunbaneglasses wrote:

Relayer wrote:No doubt. I'd imagine any improvisational type of music would access these same brain centers. I don't play jazz but I know I get that same feeling playing jamband-style music.

Yup, in fact I like that feeling so much that jamband type stuff and blues is about all that I play now.

Yea, maybe that's why I don't really get into the funk band I'm playing with now.

(actually it's because our singer is, um, mediocre at best)