Blog URL

Hello everyone,

I just realized that since our Blog is not searchable that you probably never actually see it, but just get the posts. I've opened up the blog to make it easier for you to see any videos I might post and so that you can look at the topics sent through the Feeds I've subscribed to.

The URL is:  http://musicculturescience.blogspot.com

WGP

Update

Hello everyone.


I realize that I have been very remiss in not keeping everyone up to date on the progress of the research since Phase I of the grant was disbursed.


However, the lack of communication was not due to a lack of interesting developments.


I am currently looking at a slightly different strategy through which to approach the experiment side of the project. I'm waiting to hear from an expert on his opinion concerning this strategy and the tools I'm looking at.


My continuing survey in the fields of music and neurology, and music therapy, is further convincing me that there is indeed a gap in the research within both those fields that can be addressed by our experiment. I'm currently preparing a report for Dr. Anand on both of those subjects: (a) the need for such a study/experiment, and (b) the best way to approach it as I presently see it.


I will also be presenting some potential funding sources for further experimentation along the current lines I am pursuing, as well as a few other related inquiries that also have not been investigated.


The above video is something interesting that I came across and that I thought you might find interesting. If you watch it through you'll notice that narratives (story-telling) is the key means though which the researchers track the emergence of a theory of mind among children. But there is evidence that suggests that music may have played a critical role in that development in terms of evolution. Since communal music making is for all practical purposes not a feature of our society any more, we might wonder at whether or not theories of mind would emerge in different ways, or at different rates among children that participate in communal music making as a normal social function.


The issue I am looking at is this: If musical processing can stimulate and enhance the plasticity of the brain, that is, its self re-organizing processes, and since the emergence of a theory of mind co-occurs with structural changes within a specific part of the brain, could communal music making among the young have an affect on those same changes: the emergent theory of mind, and the co-occurring structural changes in the brain. It is clear that music making does change brain structure, and it is also clear that communal music making demands a theory of mind among participants (just as game playing does).


Well anyway, that's all for now,


Gerard
ps The above is an aside, its not actually the focus of the project.