You Are What You Hear: How Music and Territory Make Us Who We Are

Harry Witchel
online access from ProQuest Ebook Central
check holdings in CityU LibraryFind

Have you ever wondered why music makes you feel so good? Why did we evolve to have music, and what does music do to us? You Are What You Hear is a bit of a romp compared to the usual science book. Dr. Witchel, a specialist in music, pleasure and the brain, explains how the body and the brain are influenced by different kinds of music, why some music makes us joyous, while other music makes us sad, or angry, or anxious, and how the brain interprets this music. He also shows how music plays with your mind what you think, how you decide what to buy, and even how smart you are.

Pondering the musicality of everything from bird songs to the language he calls "motherese," Dr. Witchel illustrates the power of music and addresses the questions:
- Why do we listen to music?
- Why does music make sex better?
- Why do some people love Beethoven and others rap music?
- Is musical taste 100% nurture, or is there a role for nature?
- Why do aggressive young men blare out booming music from their cars?
- Why do we listen to sad music?
- Does violent music lead to violent behavior?
- Does listening to Mozart make you smarter or just happier?
- Does music make the brain grow larger?
- Can music surreptitiously influence what we decide to buy in shops?
- Can music cure?

Dr. Witchel's interests run the gamut from music, dating and laughter to the body language of the British Prime Minister, which he has analyzed on the BBC. he shows that, like birds, we use music to establish and reinforce territory, for ourselves and for our social groups. In this way, music defines who we are.

You Are What You Hear is an erudite and entertaining study that is unique in many ways. No other book has thoroughly elaborated the connection between music and social territory in humans, although in other music-making species scientists have shown this connection to be clear-cut. Given the wealth of scientific evidence and historical narratives presented in You Are What You Hear, an intellectual investigation of this avenue is long overdue. Written by a psychobiologist, the work straddles hard science and psychology, approaching music from a unique interdisciplinary perspective. Successfully bridging these strands of evidence, You Are What You Hear elucidates the significance of territory not only in music but in daily life. This lively and engaging book will have a broad appeal not only to the general public, but to students interested in the relationship between music and culture. Anyone from seventeen to seventy will have the potential to gain something from this book.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)