Predictable unpredictability. The brain is a pattern-recognition machine. We like repetition and symmetry because they engage our pattern-recognizers. But we only like patterns up to a point. Once we’ve recognized and memorized the pattern, we get bored and stop paying attention. If the pattern changes or breaks, it grabs our attention again. And if the …
Continue reading “What does the human brain find exciting about syncopated rhythm and breakbeats?”
Anna and I caught one of the best performances we’ve seen in years the other night by Tune-Yards. My friend Andrew, who was at the show, said this afterwards: “I can’t decide whether hearing the president say ‘This is not class warfare, it’s math’ or the fact that this band could become popular makes me …
Imagine you’re a parent with a young kid, and you’re hearing all these stories about vaccines and autism. Who do you trust?
Oh my, yes. From Rick Santorum’s Wikipedia entry: A controversy arose following Santorum’s statements about homosexuality in an interview with the Associated Press that was published on April 20, 2003. In response to a question about how to prevent sexual abuse of children by priests, Santorum said the priests were engaged in “a basic homosexual relationship”, …
Continue reading “Is Dan Savage’s internet campaign against Rick Santorum moral?”
This is a melancholy topic for me. There was a time when my Delicious network feed was the first site I looked at in the morning, my favorite source of news and serendipitous new knowledge, and the primary repository for my short-form writing. Now I barely ever use it. I started out using Delicious for …
Continue reading “What are some possible innovations for Delicious going forward?”
Good bets in general: De La Soul Biz Markie Eric B and Rakim DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince Everything before 1985 (Sugarhill Gang, Spoonie G, Treacherous 3, Grandmaster Flash, Fab Five Freddy) Current pop radio hits aimed at pre-teens are usually fine for little kids too, ie Willow Smith, Black Eyed Peas etc, …
I’ve been lucky enough to experience heightened and altered consciousness from music making, listening and dancing. Chasing that feeling motivates me to keep making and studying music, in spite of the lousy pay. I’m reading a wonderful book right now by William Benzon called Beethoven’s Anvil. Benzon looks at the state of brain research and …
Continue reading “Why does listening to music sometimes make you feel high?”
If you had to name the most influential drummer in contemporary music, who would you pick? If you’re a rock fan, you might go with Ringo Starr, John Bonham, or Keith Moon. A jazz fan might choose Max Roach, Elvin Jones, or Tony Williams. You probably wouldn’t think to name Gregory Cylvester Coleman. But he’s …
The phenomenon of annoyingly persistent earworms is a great introduction to the meme theory: the idea that songs (and all other forms of cultural expression) are self-replicating informational “viruses” that use the mind as their host, the way DNA viruses use living cells and software viruses use computers. The best overview of this theory is …
Continue reading “What goes on neurologically when a song gets stuck in your head?”
Why does folk music collector Alan Lomax have a copyright interest in “Takeover” by Jay-Z? I learned the answer from Creative License: The Law And Culture Of Digital Sampling by Kembrew McLeod and Peter DiCola. It’s a companion book to the invaluable documentary Copyright Criminals. The story of Jay-Z and Alan Lomax isn’t quite as …
