Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Esther (class of 2025) and features a book about the connections between music and biology. Thanks, Esther!
Music As Biology: The Tones We Like and Why by Dale Purves
The innate attraction we have towards music as humans have always fascinated me. Nicknamed the “universal language,” music seems to be so deeply embedded into society. The way it evokes certain emotions within us feels like a concept too abstract to be explained. Why do we enjoy certain combinations of tones over others? How does music remain the same or change over time and cultures? Why do different scales induce different emotions? Music as Biology by Dale Purves was an interesting read that helped me formulate concrete ideas about some of these questions through a biological perspective.
Dale Purves is a highly accomplished neuroscientist who is currently a professor at Duke University. His lab studies the neurobiological underpinnings of our perception to different stimuli, including sound. Dr. Purves takes an empirical approach to music, incorporating data and research from biology to support his arguments on how we react to music. He provides additional links to more information on certain questions throughout the book if you were interested in further research as well. Overlapping music theory and biology offered a refreshing insight into how we perceive music. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in music or science!
