CHAPTER 1: Taking It from the Top
or “The Hills Are Alive . . .”
Music and poetry. The two uniquely human components of the music brain.
or “War (What Is It Good For)?”
Social bonding, synchronous coordinated movement, the evolution of emotional bonding, protest music for group cohesion.
or “Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut”
The first song. Neurochemical effects of music and music therapy.
or “Before There Was Prozac, There Was You”
Why we listen to sad music when we’re sad. Lullabyes and the blues. (And a short story about depressed restaurant workers pushed to the edge by a happy song.)
Music as an information-bearing medium. Learning, memory, and oral histories.
The role of music and ritual in creating order, reducing ambiguity, and commemorating important times and events.
The sense of hearing and the prefrontal cortex. Tools, musical instruments, and shaping the environment. The evolution of social structure.