Comments on: Improvisation in Music is Independent of Central Brain Functions http://anthropology.net/2008/03/03/improvisation-in-music-is-independent-of-central-brain-functions/ Beyond bones & stones Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:03:54 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Used to Map the Structural Core of Human Cerebral Cortex « Anthropology.net http://anthropology.net/2008/03/03/improvisation-in-music-is-independent-of-central-brain-functions/#comment-11558 Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Used to Map the Structural Core of Human Cerebral Cortex « Anthropology.net Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:30:21 +0000 http://anthropologynet.wordpress.com/?p=721#comment-11558 [...] which parts of the brain become active during some stimulus. Several months ago, our very own Alex told us of an example of how fMRI was used on musicians to track their improvisational [...] [...] which parts of the brain become active during some stimulus. Several months ago, our very own Alex told us of an example of how fMRI was used on musicians to track their improvisational [...]

]]> By: Victor http://anthropology.net/2008/03/03/improvisation-in-music-is-independent-of-central-brain-functions/#comment-9889 Victor Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:34:18 +0000 http://anthropologynet.wordpress.com/?p=721#comment-9889 Thanks for citing this very interesting report, which could provide some real insights on the relation between musical performance and aspects of language. It's important to understand, however, that most jazz musicians do NOT improvise collectively. Typically one will "take a solo" while the others provide a relatively standard backup of chords, bass lines and drum patterns. They are not necessarily "talking" to one another, so the analogy with the conversational aspect of language shouldn't be assumed. Of course, in certain types of jazz improv, such as New Orleans style and also certain types of "avant-garde" jazz, improvisation does have a "conversational" quality, so it would be useful to know more about the context of the improvisation being studied. Presumably this is made clear in the paper, which I have not yet had a chance to read. The relation between music and (verbal) language is often misundersood, by the way. In most cases, in the great majority of societies, linguistic "performance" is far more "improvisational" and far more "creative" than musical performance, which is very often almost completely predetermined and even stereotyped, with only very limited opportunities for the performer to be "creative" in the usual sense. Thanks for citing this very interesting report, which could provide some real insights on the relation between musical performance and aspects of language. It’s important to understand, however, that most jazz musicians do NOT improvise collectively. Typically one will “take a solo” while the others provide a relatively standard backup of chords, bass lines and drum patterns. They are not necessarily “talking” to one another, so the analogy with the conversational aspect of language shouldn’t be assumed. Of course, in certain types of jazz improv, such as New Orleans style and also certain types of “avant-garde” jazz, improvisation does have a “conversational” quality, so it would be useful to know more about the context of the improvisation being studied. Presumably this is made clear in the paper, which I have not yet had a chance to read.

The relation between music and (verbal) language is often misundersood, by the way. In most cases, in the great majority of societies, linguistic “performance” is far more “improvisational” and far more “creative” than musical performance, which is very often almost completely predetermined and even stereotyped, with only very limited opportunities for the performer to be “creative” in the usual sense.

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