Random Musings

Watch This!: Map The Music

Posted on by Kristen

I met “accidental filmmaker” Samantha Hale at The Hotel Cafe’s annual Christmas party. We started talking music. We bonded. She is one of those people that “gets it”…that gets me. Like me, she’s a live music addict. Also, like me, she’s a researcher. After the loss of her father, she turned to music as a way to survive. Her personal experience lead her to explore the impact music has on people in the form of a documentary film.

Map The Music takes Samantha on the road, interviewing fans and artists, asking questions about what music means to them and why they do what they do. The film features some of my favorite musicians (Imogen Heap, Charlotte Martin, Cary Brothers, Rachel Yamagata, Jim Bianco, etc.) and really gets to the root of why music is so important. Any film that makes the argument that all of us who go a bit “crazy” when it comes to going to shows are really the normal ones…well, that’s a film I want to watch!

I’ve already watched the film twice today and I’m contemplating throwing a viewing party. People need to see this film! It’s not just a film about Samantha and her personal journey; it’s a film about all of us…all of us who live show by show, to whom music means…everything!  

 What does it explore?

Music as addiction. Music as religion. Music as hope. Music as life. Music as medicine. Music as connection. Music as home.

To learn more go here. To follow on tumbler go here.  DVD available at insound.com.

For a preview, check this out:

~ Kristen

Read This!: The Brain’s Response to Music…

Posted on by Kristen

Came across this article in my daily Pub Med search. It links the two facets of my life (brain imaging and music), so I thought I’d share.

For a more palatable summation, check out this news article entitled “music rewards brain like sex and drugs”

Basically, it indicates that music we experience as pleasurable (they actually measured the sensation of getting chills), can lead to dopamine release in the brain. This dopamine is part of a reward circuit. An interesting point brought up in the discussion section is that this reward circuit is often linked to activities that are highly adaptive (sex, eating), but it is also associated with drug use, smoking, and other activities that might be associated with addiction.

My question is, can we look at music as something that is culturally adaptive or would it be more lumped in the addiction category? On the one hand, music can be seen as an imperative part of human survival. It brings people together, keeps them going through more difficult times, and can create and/or augment feels of euphoria. On the other hand, I’ve always speculated that I have a chemical addiction to music. I use it to get me though the day. I suffer from withdrawal if I don’t get it. Music can also be incredibly manipulative.

I suppose I would hypothesize that reward properties of music would be similar to that of say food, a substance that we need to survive, but that can also be abused. Then, my question would be, is there a “type” of person who would be more prone to this “music addition”? What would distinguish this person, physiologically?

Anyway, those are my initial thoughts on the article. I’d love to take the research a step further and look at the addictive properties of music…perhaps someday I’ll get the opportunity…

~ Kristen  

I’m fairly confident that my nucleus accumbens is going crazy right around the bridge of this song:

It’s Raining!

Posted on by Kristen

I love when it rains in Los Angeles! I guess if we can’t have snow, it’s the next best thing, signaling some sort of seasonal change. On my drive into work this morning, this song came on my Ipod. I felt it wholly appropriate for the day.

~ Kristen

Pepper’s Ghost Countdown: 7 Weeks!

Posted on by Kristen

I’m more than a little excited to tell you that my first favorite band (you know, the one that got me into…well every other band I’ve ever fallen in love with) is playing a reunion show January 22nd at The Grape Room in Philadelphia.

Pepper’s Ghost is a rocky/poppy/Beatles-esque band from Philadelphia, PA. The group centers around two brothers, Anthony and Michael Montesano, who share in the singing, specializing in catchy choruses and hypnotic harmonizing. Joining Anthony and Michael is Zil (Pawnshop Roses) on drums, Dave Hartley (War on Drugs, Nightlands) on bass, and Rob Bennett (Automatic Fire) on everything else (keys, guitar, mandolin, saw).

They released their first album, Opening Night, back in 2001. This recording was taken from a live show at The Trocadero and features a horn section and back up choir.  This was followed by an EP in 2002 (Bang) which offers one of my favorite, but rarely performed Pepper’s Ghost songs “Addiction.” In 2005, the band released their record label debut, Shake the Hand that Shook the World. This CD is full of fun poppy sing-along friendly tunes, including my college anthem, “Friday Night in Philadelphia.”

Shake the Hand that Shook the World got Pepper’s Ghost their first big national tour. It also got the band a number one hit on the singles chart in Canada with “You’re In My Heart (Little Pretty).” In the aftermath of this release, the band seemed to take a turn to an edgier, more rockin’ sound exemplified in their 2006 The Vet EP with songs like “Dirty Bomb” and “4 Letter Friend”. The following year they released their most recent CD, Let The Players Have the Ball. This CD was also a live recording featuring some old favorites, a few new tunes, and even a Bowie cover (“Cracked Actor”).

And now you know a tiny bit more about my favorite band. Only 7 weeks until I get to see them again. Let’s get excited!

~ Kristen

for last week’s countdown post