Music Education

Absolute (perfect) pitch is inherited, but needs early musical training to develop

2 Comments / Absolute Pitch, Genetics, Music Education / By

Title of paper under discussion Absolute Pitch: An Approach for Identification of Genetic and Nongenetic Components Authors Siamak Baharloo, Paul A. Johnston, Susan K. Service, Jane Gitschier and Nelson B. Freimer Journal American Journal of Human Genetics, vol 62, pp 224–231, 1998 Link to paper (free access) (with thanks to The Institute for Music and Brain Science for …

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A stronger triceps might improve pianistic virtuosity

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Title of paper under discussion Secrets of virtuoso: neuromuscular attributes of motor virtuosity in expert musicians Authors Shinichi Furuya, Takanori Oku, Fumio Miyazaki & Hiroshi Kinoshita Journal Nature, Scientific Reports 5, 15750 (2015) Link to paper (free access) Overview Numerous studies have investigated the ‘superior motor skill’ of musicians compared with non-musicians. But how about musicians as a …

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Expert violinists have learnt to ‘freeze’ certain actions

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Title of paper under discussion Learning to Play the Violin: Motor Control by Freezing, Not Freeing Degrees of Freedom Authors Jürgen Konczak, Heidi van der Velden, Lukas Jaeger Journal Journal of Motor Behavior, 2009, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp243–252 Link to paper (free access) Overview Do beginner violinists start with restricted movement in all aspects …

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Professional musicians display more focussed brain activation than amateurs during performance (real or imaginary)

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Title of paper under discussion The musician’s brain: functional imaging of amateurs and professionals during performance and imagery Authors M. Lotze, G. Scheler, H.-R.M. Tan, C. Braun and N. Birbaumera Journal NeuroImage, Volume 20, Issue 3, November 2003, Pages 1817-1829 Link to original paper (open access) Overview In order to investigate the differences that a musical training …

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Music lessons help language abilities in eight-year-olds

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Title of paper under discussion Musical Training Influences Linguistic Abilities in 8-Year-Old Children: More Evidence for Brain Plasticity Authors Sylvain Moreno,  Carlos Marques,  Andreia Santos,  Manuela Santos,  São Luís Castro, Mireille Besson Journal Cerebral Cortex, Volume 19, Issue 3, March 2009, Pages 712–723 Link to original paper (open access) Overview The idea that passively listening to music can improve your …

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