Music in the head

From the physics of sound to the concert of neurons. When we like something, it is music to our ears. Those who set the tone play the first violin, and those who are led by the march are whistling at the last hole. The connection between neurobiology, medicine, and psychology with music is ancient. What is new is the fact that music and brain research mutually enrich each other. Learning an instrument involves thousands of hours spent repeating the same or very similar movements. Therefore, studying learning and the brain is hardly better exemplified than in the field of music. While knowledge of the neural machinery is not necessary for listening to, performing, and enjoying music, a musician will understand much better when they are familiar with the physical and psychological foundations of music. We all do this – and most of us do so without thinking much about it.