Musicians talk about subjective experiences, playing "in the groove" or "in the pocket." Latest research from the BioMedical Neuroscience website from the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the University of Salzburg verifies a substantive physical phenomenon. Eight pairs of guitarists playing while hooked up to an electroencephalograph machine measured brain electrical activity demonstrated synchronization, the frontal and central regions of the brain showing strongest synch.

Music does bring us together emotionally and according to these studies, physiolgoically. "In everyday life, people often need to coordinate their actions with that of others," the authors wrote. "Some common examples are walking with someone at a set pace, playing collective sports or fighting, dancing, playing music in a duet or group, and a wide range of social bonding behaviors."

We'll spare you any disparaging jokes about brains and banjo players; you can use your own imagination on that.

Read articles:
LA Times columnist, Shari Roan: People really do get in tune
BioMedical Neuroscience website: Brains swinging in concert: cortical phase synchronization while playing guitar
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Posted by Ted at March 29, 2009 1:20 PM