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The Brain Divides and Conquers
Dr. Robert Zatorre, a psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist at McGill University�s Montreal Neurologist Institute in Canada, has discovered a new way to understand the science behind the brain�s response to music and language. It appears it�s a left brain/right brain thing.
Evidence shows that the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for processing speech, while the right hemisphere processes music. Some researchers believe that the two parts of the brain process language and music separately since humans make such an exact distinction between whether or not what they are hearing is speech or music.
Zatorre explains that the brain uses both hemispheres as a way to more efficiently handle interpretation of the complex world. For instance, timing is a crucial part of speech, given how fast some humans talk. But while timing is important in music, pitch is a more crucial element. Zatorre believes it is impossible for our brains to comprehend both ways of processing audible information, so the right and left parts of the brain divide the work.
Source: As seen in Making Music Magazine's September/October 2006 issue.
http://www.makingmusicmag.com
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