Music can soothe the savage breast much better if played by musicians rather than clever computers, according to a new University of Sussex-led study.
Neuroscientists looked at the brain's response to piano sonatas played either by a computer or a musician and found that, while the computerised music elicited an emotional response -- particularly to unexpected chord changes - it was not as strong as listening to the same piece played by a professional pianist.
Senior research fellow in psychology Dr Stefan Koelsch, who carried out the study with colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, played excerpts from classical piano sonatas to twenty non-musicians and recorded electric brain responses and skin conductance responses (which vary with sweat production as a result of an emotional response).
Although the participants did not play instruments and considered themselves unmusical, their brains showed clear electric activity in response to musical changes (unexpected chords and changes in tonal key), which indicated that the brain was understanding the "musical grammar". This response was enhanced, however, when the sonatas were played by musicians rather than a computer.
Dr Koelsch said: "It was interesting for us that the emotional reactions to the unexpected chords were stronger when played with musical expression. This shows us how musicians can enhance the emotional response to particular chords due to their performance, and it shows us how our brains react to the performance of other individuals."
The study also revealed that the brain was more likely to look for musical meaning when the music was played by a pianist.
"This is similar to the response we see when the brain is responding to language and working out what the words mean," says Dr Koelsch. "Our results suggest that musicians actually tell us something when they play The brain responses show that when a pianist plays a piece with emotional expression, the piece is actually perceived as meaningful by listeners, even if they have not received any formal musical training."
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
become a stylist
Becoming a stylist demands a broad interest in fashion and a real eye for style. If you have what it takes, training can help you understand more about the body, colour, clothing and fashion trends – and how to bring everything together. To succeed, you'll need to be extremely passionate, hardworking and enthusiastic, with a warm personality and tactful manner that enables you to provide constructive criticism without giving offence. Being a stylist can be glamorous and exciting, as you work with fascinating people and regularly travel abroad. But it’s also hard, involving long hours and carrying heavy bags, so it’s not for the fainthearted! You don't need a degree or diploma but it provides a good grounding and gives you a much better understanding of clothing and the industry. There are many fashion degrees and Higher National Diplomas currently available in the UK but I would recommend doing a course that combines design and business is a good option – the design to help you understand the fundamental make-up of clothing and the business element helps you to understand promotion and how to run a business. To start your search, try UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) at www.ucas.com. Try to also get as much work experience as possible. Contact magazines and offer your services as an intern in the fashion department or assist a freelance stylist – try The Fashion Monitor (£45) for contact numbers. You could also try work experience at a PR office to understand fashion from another perspective and even in a boutique or clothing shop to help your understanding of shapes and colours. It is also important to keep a watchful eye on the fashion world – stay up to date with catwalk shows, magazines and maintain a general interest in clothing, fashion and design. Inspiration for styles, colour and shape can come from many different sources outside of fashion – e.g. the arts, culture, nature, the movies and architecture – keep your eyes peeled. The most important attributes for someone wanting to go into styling is enthusiasm, determination and a strong desire to work with clothing, fashion and people. It’s very competitive so you need to really want it! Zoe has worked on the BBC's What Not To Wear and has styled celebrities such as Robbie Williams, Cat Deeley, Sara Cox and Ant & Dec as well as doing shoots for magazines and advertisers. She hosts an ‘Introduction to Personal Styling’ event that teaches all the basic skills of styling to people interested in improving their own image and those wanting a career in styling.
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