The Music of Patterns
In Proust Was a Neuroscientist, Jonah Lehrer describes how artists of the past foretold the neuroscience discoveries of the future. The composer Igor Stravinsky deconstructed classical music, introducing dissonance with his ballet The Rite of Spring. Stravinsky was a modernist before his time; and, like its creator, The Rite did not conform to the audiences’ expectations, rather it pushed the boundaries of music. He realized music had never been a creation of nature, it had always been made by a/the human mind, and the human mind can learn almost anything.
The Rite of Spring’s debut was far from approving. Beginning with a sweet, lilting tone, the music quickly builds into a mass of incomprehensible sound. Expecting …show more content…
He realized that human brains loathe the idea of anything new, and so are instinctively attracted to patterns. It enjoys listening to patterns it knows, patterns it can make predictions and connections to. But the beautiful, soothing harmonies of classical music are not the natural form of the world. Music is noise, nothing “but a sliver of sound that we have learned how to hear.” (123) Stravinsky destroys the brains link to structure and form, leaving us to grasp at the discordant patterns within the music, but finding the only form of order or steadiness to be within ourselves. The Rite of Spring ballet has no real pattern. It relies on the human brain to try and find that pattern, letting the “ear choose what to hear.” (128) Within the auditory network is the corticofugal network, which is responsible for the memorization of patterns. Once our brains learn these patterns, we become attuned to their assorted variations. For example, when a musical pattern is changed or otherwise violated, dopamine (responsible for intense emotions) is released to help reorganize the auditory cortex. Amidst the cacophony that is music, the auditory cortex selectively tunes out assorted notes, binding them together to create a
In Proust Was a Neuroscientist, Jonah Lehrer describes how artists of the past foretold the neuroscience discoveries of the future. The composer Igor Stravinsky deconstructed classical music, introducing dissonance with his ballet The Rite of Spring. Stravinsky was a modernist before his time; and, like its creator, The Rite did not conform to the audiences’ expectations, rather it pushed the boundaries of music. He realized music had never been a creation of nature, it had always been made by a/the human mind, and the human mind can learn almost anything.
The Rite of Spring’s debut was far from approving. Beginning with a sweet, lilting tone, the music quickly builds into a mass of incomprehensible sound. Expecting …show more content…
He realized that human brains loathe the idea of anything new, and so are instinctively attracted to patterns. It enjoys listening to patterns it knows, patterns it can make predictions and connections to. But the beautiful, soothing harmonies of classical music are not the natural form of the world. Music is noise, nothing “but a sliver of sound that we have learned how to hear.” (123) Stravinsky destroys the brains link to structure and form, leaving us to grasp at the discordant patterns within the music, but finding the only form of order or steadiness to be within ourselves. The Rite of Spring ballet has no real pattern. It relies on the human brain to try and find that pattern, letting the “ear choose what to hear.” (128) Within the auditory network is the corticofugal network, which is responsible for the memorization of patterns. Once our brains learn these patterns, we become attuned to their assorted variations. For example, when a musical pattern is changed or otherwise violated, dopamine (responsible for intense emotions) is released to help reorganize the auditory cortex. Amidst the cacophony that is music, the auditory cortex selectively tunes out assorted notes, binding them together to create a