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This book explains music for non-specialists, what it is, and how it works. In shops, during TV adverts, or as the plane taxis prior to take-off - music is there to influence the way we think, feel and behave. Why? Because, as every film maker knows, music is unique in its power for stirring the emotions, without listeners even needing to be aware of its presence. The sheer beauty of music can make grown men and women weep. Some even think that music brings them closer to their God.
There is music to be born to, music to get married to, music to work to, and music to dance to. There is music to help you get high, chill out and make love. And yet just how music works has largely remained a mystery - until now. Recent advances in music psychology mean that we are now closer than ever before to knowing how music functions. Of course, there is still much more to learn. But at least we can begin to answer some of the questions that have tantalised us over the years ...
- What's the point of music? Is it nothing more than 'auditory cheesecake'?
- Can babies in the womb really tell one piece from another?
- Does music sound the same to everyone? Why do people have different preferences?
- What makes a musical genius - a Beethoven or a Stevie Wonder? Are they born or made (or both)?
- Can listening to Mozart really make children smarter? How?
- What does the future for music hold? Will we ever run out of new tunes to write?
Answering these questions will take us on a fascinating journey from the world of physical sound, through the ear and into the mind, across different cultures and down different generations. Readers will find that getting to grips with the mystery of music won't spoil its magic - quite the reverse: by the end of the book they'll be in a position to enjoy it more ... and perhaps even consider taking up that long-abandoned instrument again!
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