Artscape
VocalEssence on tour in Mexico; Peter Lorre series at the Trylon
ALSO: Books & Bars: Frank Herbert’s “Dune” at the Amsterdam; “The Wizard of Oz Movie Sing-Along” at Lake Harriet Bandshell; and more.
music
MinnPost Picks
MinnPost Picks: on climate change, North Dakota, and ‘This Little Light of Mine’ as a resistance song
Our weekly roundup of great stories from around the web, as recommended by MinnPost staff and contributing journalists.
Second Opinion
Did Beethoven have an irregular heartbeat? Medical historians look to his music for diagnostic clues
As far back as 1980, Dr. Samuel Vaisrub, a physician and JAMA editor, suggested that Beethoven’s arrhythmia can be detected in his compositions.
Second Opinion
Singing in groups helps some people recover from depression, British study finds
The benefits appear to result not just from the making of music, but also from the socializing that occurs when people get together regularly to sing.
Second Opinion
Music’s meaning crosses cultural boundaries, study finds
The study’s participants were particularly good at identifying dance songs and lullabies. They were a bit less adept at recognizing love songs and healing songs.
Second Opinion
The brains of jazz and classical musicians work differently, research suggests
The neural differences may explain why jazz and classically trained musicians tend to excel in their own style of music, and why it’s rare to find someone who has mastered both, researchers say.
Second Opinion
Listening to happy music may boost creativity, say researchers
Interestingly, the study also found that music — of any kind — has no effect on people’s ability to perform problem-solving cognitive tasks.
Second Opinion
Chimps’ indifference to Beethoven and Bieber underscores the ‘humanness’ of music
Playing music — whether Beethoven or Bieber — to chimpanzees has no effect on the animals’ behavior or wellbeing, according to a new study.
Second Opinion
Musical training may boost reaction times, study suggests
Musicians react faster to sensory stimuli — specifically, sound and touch — than nonmusicians, a recent study of university students found.
Second Opinion
Why some songs become ‘earworms’ and get stuck in our heads
“Our findings show that you can to some extent predict which songs are going to get stuck in people’s heads based on the song’s melodic content,” said Kelly Jakubowski, the study’s lead author.