The Science of Musical Embodiment (part 1)

Embodied Cognition turns out to be a powerful lens for musicians to refine their practice, performance, and well-being within music.
Join me for the upcoming HYBRID class 'Embodied Anatomy for Musicians'. You can join in person (in Seattle) OR online. Details: bit.ly/2GvJDKH
In part 2 of this video, we'll discuss some key brain systems and how we might be able to 'prime' them in conjunction with musical practice.
MORE INFO and other classes at: bodyworkeducation.com/
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How does the felt sense of rhythm allow us to sync up with other humans?
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27774...
Researchers have maintained that language emerged in response to the sophisticated relational needs of human communal life, providing a finely-tuned medium through which to coordinate collective behavior and mediate relationships. Less focus has been given to the embodied and pre-linguistic roots of human communication: namely, the evolutionarily ancient gift of rhythmic expression through music and dance.
The precocity of beat induction already observed in newborns, the ability to stratify musical beats into tactus and meters, the efficacy of rocking, the unintentional movements to rhythm, the pre-attentive characteristic of beat processing, and the intensity of the emotional impact of [rhythm and dance] on humans, support our view that in human evolution communication through [rhythm and dance] preceded verbal and melodic communication.
This study explores the significance of rhythmic perception on the evolutionary development of human communication. Our instincts for rhythmic expression is revealed in early life, when, prior to their grasp of language, infants can anticipate and engage with beats through spontaneous bodily movement. Early rhythmic expression is similarly displayed by the rocking motions through which caregivers soothe their babies, a kind of relational dance that entrains respiration, supports neuromuscular growth, and nurtures attachment bonds. As musicians and somatic practitioners, how do we deepen our embodied attunement to self and other through rhythmic sound and movement?
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Brain GIFs in this video were lovingly created by Danielsabinasz commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...