Â鶹´«Ã½

I am a big fan of classical music. Why does some music evoke certain emotions in the brain, even if it doesn’t have any lyrics? (cont’d)

David Myers, Commugny, Switzerland

In a previous response (9 April) I see that Talia Morris thinks that people can be trained to associate certain emotions with particular types of music, which is certainly not the whole story.

At the age of 8, when radiograms (a radio/record player combo) came on the market, the first recording my father bought was of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. When I should have been in bed, I hid downstairs and listened to the music, spellbound. It seemed beautiful beyond anything I had imagined – and still does. No training was involved.

Alex Jones, Sydney, Australia

I have never experienced any emotional reaction to music other than boredom and a desire for it to stop.

Sam Edge, Ringwood, Hampshire, UK

In previous responses to this question, I saw no reference to the associative power of music.

Like aromas, a sound – especially a melody – can remind us of an emotionally charged event in our past, leading to a positive feedback effect that reinforces such connections when we hear the piece again.

Ìý

To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.

Questions should be scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena, and both questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a postal address, daytime telephone number and email address.

Â鶹´«Ã½ retains total editorial control over the published content and reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material that has been submitted by readers in any medium or in any format.

Terms and conditions apply.