Like yourself, I have the ability to parse music into its component parts (I call it "analysis" :-D ), and in fact this ability is at the core of my professional life. The problem is that, for me anyway, it is involuntary and impossible to turn off. If I'm hearing music, my brain is analyzing it - which makes this both a blessing and a curse.
There was a neurological study done 15-20 years ago wherein the subjects - all proficient musicians - were wired up and brain-scanned while listening to music. Then the same again while playing music. Long story short - the areas of the brain and the activity detected while playing and listening to music were identical and indistinguishable from each other. I take this to mean that when I listen to music, I am actually playing it in my head, in real time - and to do that, ya gotta know all the parts!
I wish I could remember the name and provenance of the study - Gilbert turned me onto it, and he may know. Unfortunately, he isn't doing well (terminal cancer diagnosis), but we speak nearly every day, so I may be able to track it down.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear about Gilbert. Please send him my best. And I completely get what you're saying about listening and playing. Thankfully, I'm also (sometimes) able to listen to some music for what it is - or as a product of its time (80's production, for example) without hating it for that. (But I still can't abide 80's funk with drum machines)
Outstanding assessment. Thank you.
Wow - what a great post 💙
Like yourself, I have the ability to parse music into its component parts (I call it "analysis" :-D ), and in fact this ability is at the core of my professional life. The problem is that, for me anyway, it is involuntary and impossible to turn off. If I'm hearing music, my brain is analyzing it - which makes this both a blessing and a curse.
There was a neurological study done 15-20 years ago wherein the subjects - all proficient musicians - were wired up and brain-scanned while listening to music. Then the same again while playing music. Long story short - the areas of the brain and the activity detected while playing and listening to music were identical and indistinguishable from each other. I take this to mean that when I listen to music, I am actually playing it in my head, in real time - and to do that, ya gotta know all the parts!
I wish I could remember the name and provenance of the study - Gilbert turned me onto it, and he may know. Unfortunately, he isn't doing well (terminal cancer diagnosis), but we speak nearly every day, so I may be able to track it down.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear about Gilbert. Please send him my best. And I completely get what you're saying about listening and playing. Thankfully, I'm also (sometimes) able to listen to some music for what it is - or as a product of its time (80's production, for example) without hating it for that. (But I still can't abide 80's funk with drum machines)