The playwright William Congreve famously observed that “music has charms to sooth a savage breast.” In fact, experts say, music may have much more than charms: There may be an actual scientific connection between music and its effect on the mind.

Vincent deLuise, a distinguished visiting scholar in medical humanities at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, addressed a Zoom audience in a recent Grand Rounds lecture titled “Music and the Mind: Linking Melody and the Mind.”

“We’ve been mapping the brain for decades,” said deLuise, who is also assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at Yale University School of Medicine. “We have an extraordinarily deep, profound and broad understanding of what’s going on in our brains. Music usually brings an uplifting nature with it, although music can certainly make us sad or even cry as much as it can make us laugh and be unbelievably joyful. This is your brain on music.”

DeLuise discussed muses in Greek mythology — the sisters Aoide, the muse of voice and song; Melete, the muse of thought and meditation; and Mneme, the muse of memory. Together, the sisters form the complete picture of the preconditions of poetic art.

“All cultures have music, all have the octave, and all sing,” said deLuise. “All cultures also have songs that they associate with certain meanings and certain emotions, and all children love to be sung to.

He said that babies preferentially turn their gaze to happy music and away from sad music.

“Music therapy is being used to teach patients with Parkinson disease how to walk again by teaching them how to dance,” said deLuise. “It’s used to teach patients with Alzheimer’s disease or post-ischemic stroke how to speak again by teaching them how to sing.

Melodic phrasing and rhythmic vocalization and rhythmic movement to music is very powerful and increases communication skills and neuromuscular control. This helps the cerebellum and improves a patient’s gait and balance. So teaching them mute melodic phrasing and dancing can actually help them walk better.”

DeLuise explained that music evokes emotions that recall memories pairing music with everyday activities — a useful treatment tool.

“Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music,” said deLuise. “Humans are hardwired to be musical. Music activates brain activities that are ancient and foundational. It’s a form of language. Music activates areas in our brains related to emotion. Music is therapeutic. Music feels.”

Read the full story: https://news.stonybrook.edu/featuredpost/grand-rounds-lecture-explores-relationship-between-mind-and-melody/

A Year Like No Other Comes To A Close

Not much more needs to be said about 2020. No one is sad to see it leave.

As we reflect on the many memorable moments of this year, we are mindful that the only

constant is change. We wish you and your family happy holidays, and look for a brighter 2021.