Listening to a sequence of sounds has no obvious survival value for humans. Yet according to a 2001 study by neuroscientists at the University of Montreal, music has the same effect on our brains as sex and good food. Why?
It could be because with music we get whatever emotion we seek through it – be that happiness, sadness, anger or peace – and having our expectations met is reassuring. It could be that music connects cultures, or because it brings personal memories and experiences to mind, or because it simply generates some necessary adrenal responses.
The result is of course the same no matter what the reason – humans love music! It’s something instinctive, something we’re born to enjoy, as this boy happily shows:
We’ve always loved music and we always will. So it’s been fascinating to listen to so many different styles of music in this blog series about authors and the music that inspires them. We’ve had everything from pop music to violin trance, epic melancholy 17-minute tracks, rock, metal, 80s nostalgia, instrumental and classical. Thank you, fabulous authors – all 57 of you – for taking part and sharing your musical taste with us.
Here’s the full list so you can browse and be inspired yourself, perhaps by something you haven’t heard before:
Alan Baxter
AJ Spedding
Amanda Bridgeman
Amanda Pillar
Andrew McKiernan
Ben Peek
Bruce Lyman
Cat Sparks
Charlotte Wood
Claire Corbett
David Henley
David McDonald
Deb Kalin
Dionne Lister
Donna Maree Hanson
Duncan Lay
Felicity Pulman
Graham Storrs
Greg Barron
Ian Irvine
Ian McHugh
James Bradley
Jason Nahrung
Jenn J McLeod
Joanne Anderton
Kaaron Warren
Karen Miller
Kate Forsyth
Keith Stevenson
Kimberley Gaal
Kim Falconer
Kirsten Krauth
Kylie Scott
Lee Battersby
Leife Shallcross
Lisa Hannett
Marianne de Pierres
Mark T Barnes
Mark Timmony
Martin Livings
Michael Hearle
Michael Pryor
Nansi Kunze
Nina D’Aleo
Pamela Hart / Freeman
Pip Harry
Richard Harland
Robert Easterbrook
Sean Williams
Shauna O’Meara
Sophie Masson
Stephanie Gunn
Steve Cameron
Susanne Gervay
Terry Dowling
Thoraiya Dyer
Trent Jamieson
Zena Shapter (scroll to the bottom)
Enjoy!
