How listening to music performed live affects the brain – a study by specialists from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, found that live performances evoke a stronger emotional response than listening to music from a device. Concerts connect the performers with the audience, which is probably influenced by evolutionary factors, reported the electronic edition “MedicalExpress”.
Researchers at the University of Zurich, led by Sascha Freuchholz, professor of cognitive and affective neuroscience, have studied the effect of live and recorded music on emotional processes in the human brain. They performed a complex experiment in which a pianist modified his live performance to enhance emotional responses to the amygdala. During the experiment, scientists used nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to measure amygdala activity in 27 people, as well as the musician, in real time.
“Our study showed that live musical performances elicited much higher activity in the amygdala than recorded music. “Live music also stimulates a much more active exchange of information throughout the brain, which points to strong emotional activity in the affective and cognitive parts of the brain,” Frueholz said.
According to him, people want the emotional experience that live performance can bring. We want the musicians to take us on an emotional journey with their performances, said Fruecholz. The results of the study were published in the Journal of the National Academy of Sciences.
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