The University of Zurich conducted a study on how live music affects the emotional center of our brain. The study found that live performances evoke a stronger emotional response compared to listening to music from a device. This connection between performers and audience may also be linked to evolutionary factors.
Research has shown that music has a powerful impact on our emotions, with recorded music stimulating emotional and imaginative processes in the brain. But what happens when we listen to music in a live setting, such as at a concert or music festival? Does our brain respond differently to live music compared to recorded music?
A team of researchers at the University of Zurich led by Sascha Frühholz, a professor of cognitive and affective neuroscience, explored this question. They conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of live music and recorded music on emotional processes in the brain. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to measure the activity in the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain, of both the performer and 27 listeners in real time. The pianist adjusted their performance based on these measurements to intensify the emotional reactions in the audience.
The study revealed that live music elicited stronger and more consistent emotional responses in the amygdala compared to recorded music. Live performances also led to a more active exchange of information in the brain, indicating strong emotional processing in both the affective and cognitive parts of the brain.
In addition, the researchers found that there was a strong synchronization between the audience’s subjective emotional experience and the auditory brain system only when listening to live music. Live performances also showed a positive coupling between the musical performance and brain activity in the listeners.
Live music has been a part of human culture for centuries, with people using tools and instruments to create music. Despite technological advances allowing for recorded music, the social experience of attending a live concert remains irreplaceable. This desire for the emotional journey of live music may be rooted in the evolution of music as a form of expression.
