Subject: Re: working memory and melody From: Bruno Repp <repp@xxxxxxxx> Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 12:14:41 -0400Dear Robbin and List: This is also my hypothesis. However, I don't know of any research that addresses it directly. --Bruno >Dear Bruno and List, >I noticed the same thing myself in college: >listening to music did not interfere with math >homework, but I could not read or write while >listening to any type of music. I believe that >this is due to the necessary allocation of some >of the same neural structures for both musical >and linguistic processing. For instance, BA 44 >or Broca's area is thought to be involved in >"syntactic" processing of both music and >language. > >I've listed a few references below. There are >many more relevant papers out there, but these >are some of the ones that first came to mind. > >~Robbin > >Besson M. and Schön D. (2001) Comparison between music and language. Ann N Y >Acad Sci. 930: 232-258. > >Koelsch S., Gunter T.C., v. Cramon Y., Zysset >S., Lohmann G., and Friederici A.D. >(2002) Bach speaks: A cortical >"language-network" serves the processing of >music. NeuroImage. 17: 956-966. > >Maess B., Koelsch S., Gunter T.C., and >Friederici A.D. (2001) Musical syntax is >processed in Broca's area: an MEG study. Nature Neuroscience. 4(5): 540-545. > >Patel A.D., Gibson E., Ratner J., Besson M., and >Holcomb P.J. (1998) Processing >syntactic relations in language and music: An >event-related potential study. Journal of >Cognitive Neuroscience. 10(6): 717-733. > > > > >Robbin Miranda >Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience >Georgetown University >3900 Reservoir Rd., NW >Washington DC 20007 >(202) 687-8449 > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Bruno Repp <repp@xxxxxxxx> >Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 10:17 am >Subject: Re: working memory and melody > >> Dear list members: >> >> Somewhat related to the current discussion, but leading to a >> separate >> question, is an informal observation I have made over a number of >> years. I am an avid music listener and listen to classical music >> practically every morning and evening. Classical music requires >> full >> attention to be appreciated properly. However, because the >> listening >> takes up a lot of time, I have often tried to combine it with >> other >> activities. I soon found out that reading, even of the most >> trivial >> text, is totally disruptive. I feel I have not heard the music at >> all >> while I was reading-a very disheartening experience. Before the >> advent of personal computers, I used to score data or draw graphs >> while listening. That was less distracting but still interfered a >> bit. Lately, I have become addicted to Sudoku. I find that solving >> Sudoku puzzles does not really interfere with music listening at >> all, >> even though I frequently need to keep lists of up to five digits >> in >> verbal working memory. >> >> I would be interested to learn about any references to research >> (or >> any informal comments) that might address why reading interferes >> so >> strongly with music listening but Sudoku doesn't. Although there >> is >> some research on the effect of music on reading (though probably >> not >> on Sudoku), I am not aware of any research that investigated how >> different secondary tasks interfere with music listening. One >> problem >> is surely to find an objective and quantifiable measure of how >> effective the music listening was. >> >> Best, >> >> Bruno >> -- >> Bruno H. Repp >> Haskins Laboratories >> 300 George Street >> New Haven, CT 06511-6624 >> Tel. (203) 865-6163, ext. 236 >> Fax (203) 865-8963 >> http://www.haskins.yale.edu/staff/repp.html >> >> NOTE: I am at Rutgers University, Newark, two days per week, >> usually Tuesday and Wednesday or Friday, and don't read my >> Haskins e-mail on those days. To reach me at Rutgers, send >> e-mail to <repp@xxxxxxxx>. >> -- Bruno H. Repp Haskins Laboratories 300 George Street New Haven, CT 06511-6624 Tel. (203) 865-6163, ext. 236 Fax (203) 865-8963 http://www.haskins.yale.edu/staff/repp.html NOTE: I am at Rutgers University, Newark, two days per week, usually Tuesday and Wednesday or Friday, and don't read my Haskins e-mail on those days. To reach me at Rutgers, send e-mail to <repp@xxxxxxxx>.