Inquiry: Daniel J. Levitin - The World in Six Songs: HOW THE MUSICAL BRAIN CREATED HUMAN NATURE

PROFESSOR DANIEL J. LEVITIN, who runs the LABORATORY FOR MUSIC PERCEPTION, COGNITION AND EXPERTISE at McGill University returns to Inquiry to talk about his latest wild and fascinating book THE WORLD IN SIX SONGS: HOW THE MUSICAL BRAIN CREATED HUMAN NATURE. It is Professor Levitin’s belief that music and song may have come before human language, and that song passes down information in human society. Levitin believes that there are 6 kinds of songs that do this: songs of FRIENDSHIP, JOY, COMFORT, KNOWLEDGE, RELIGION and LOVE. Tune in tonight for a far reaching and free-wheeling discussion about how the musical brain made human society possible, why music is the perfect mnemonic tool and why listening to “Boulder to Birmingham” by Emmylou Harris makes me cry.