9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ♪ (music) ♪ 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) These days, [br]you hear music all the time. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It wakes us up, motivates our workouts, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 keeps us company on our commutes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It doesn't matter[br]what kind of music it is, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 music itself has the ability[br]to affect our moods and our bodies 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in all sorts of ways. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We nod our heads, we sway, dance. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Music can give us chills, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 even make us cry. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Music activates every area[br]of the brain that we have so far mapped. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In fact, there's no area[br]of the brain we know about 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that music doesn't touch in some way. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what's behind all that? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What exactly does music do to us? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 To find out, I went to a whole series of tests 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 designed to measure my responses to music. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I met some kids whose brains[br]may actually be changing, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 thanks to those hours[br]of learning, practice, and performing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I spoke with a therapist who used music 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to help former congresswoman[br]Gabrielle Giffords 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 learn to speak again, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and got a glimpse inside the brain 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of a two-time winning artist[br]while he played... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ( ) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ...all to find out how music affects us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ♪ (music) ♪ 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So what's going on[br]when we listen to music? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We visited the USC Brain[br]and Creativity Institute, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where I had my head examined, literally, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to try to figure it out. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm going to go into this [FMRI] machine, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a tiny tube will surround me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We'll get a baseline reading of my brain, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then I'm going to listen[br]to some music. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We're going to see how my brain responds. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Just close your eyes, relax, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and try and get into the music[br]as best you can, okay? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ♪ (music) ♪ 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And here's what we saw. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 These are scans of my brain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The areas in red are where[br]my activity is above average; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in blue, below average. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As you can see, [br]there is red activity all over my brain, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 not just in one specific area. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Twenty-five years ago, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the idea was that language[br]is on the left side of the brain 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and music is in[br]the right side of the brain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But now that we've got[br]better quality tools, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 higher resolution neuro-imaging[br]and better experimental methods, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we've discovered that's not at all right. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How does that play out[br]in different regions of the brain? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When music enters[br]and then gets shuttled off 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to different parts of the brain, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it stops at specialized processing units[br]in auditory cortex, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they track loudness and pitch and rhythm 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and [tambour] and things like that. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There's visual cortex activation[br]when you're reading music as a musician 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or watching music, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 motor cortex[br]when you're tapping your feet, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 snapping your fingers, clapping you hands; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and cerebellum which mediates[br]the emotional responses; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the memory and the hippocampus, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 hearing a familiar passage, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 finding it somewhere in your memory banks. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Music is going on[br]in both halves of your brain, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the left and the right, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the front and the back, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the inside and the outside. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ♪ (music) ♪ 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So what about a musicians's brain? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 To play a piece of music[br]engages so many things: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 motor systems, timing systems, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 memory systems, hearing systems. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There's all sorts[br]of brain activity happening. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a very robust thing to play music. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ♪ (music) ♪ 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm Alex Jacob Robertson. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm Nathan Glenn Robertson. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We asked these 11-year old musicians 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to tell us what's going through[br]their minds when they play. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Some of the most important things[br]are I think good postures, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 getting the note right, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 legato, staccato. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [violin playing] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For the violin, you need to hold[br]your hand at the right place, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and you need to be in tune, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then you also have to have[br]not only the right intonation 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but the right sound, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then you also need[br]to have great vibrato. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There's lot of things to think about. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [violin playing] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) Back at USC, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 researchers have been studying kids[br]who play music over the past five years 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to see how it affects their development. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The multi-tasking areas of their brains[br]understandable lit up, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but they've seen other results too. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Music training[br]over the course of five years 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 has had benefits in cognitive skills[br]and decision making, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 also had some benefits in social behavior, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we've also seen changes[br]in the associated brain structures. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) Did you hear that? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Changes in brain structures! 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They found that the brains of children[br]who have studied music 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 have stronger connections[br]between the left and right hemispheres, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that can make them better,[br]more creative problem solvers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And then there's emotion. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [emotional music] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When you hear a piece like this, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's easy to understand why emotions[br]play such a big part in music. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This song by Camille Saint-Saëns is known[br]as the music for the dying swan in ballet. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 While it might move ballerinas to dance,[br]it inspires different reactions in others. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ( ) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Some people get goosebumps, chills. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That weird tingly sensation that you get 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when a great piece of music[br]just hits you in the right way? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's called frisson, [br]and not everyone gets it, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but it turns out I do. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now we're going to have you listen[br]to some pieces of music. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Okay. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When you experience a chill, if you do, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I want you to just press this space bar 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so we have an indication 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of when those peak moments[br]of enjoyment are happening. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Okay. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Matt Sachs, a PhD candidate at USC, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 wired me up to measure[br]my physiological response. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So when I'm feeling[br]that emotional connection 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that has a physical manifestation, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we'll see what my body is actually doing? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Exactly. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [dramatic music] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Alright, how was that? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That was-- that had a lot of them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We got them all. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now full disclosure: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Back in the day, I played the cello, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which might have something to do[br]with why that particular song affected me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Nice hair! 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it turns out the brain[br]is at work here too. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We processed the difference[br]between this pathway 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that connects the auditory regions[br]is on the side of the brain here, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the emotional regions, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we showed that the tract[br]actually that connects those two regions 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is stronger, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 there's more fibers in that region[br]in the people who get chills. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) Which means[br]that some people's brains 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 might have better communication 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 between what they hear and how they feel. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The music itself also plays[br]a role in frisson. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sachs uses different songs in his lectures[br]to see if students get it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'll say raise your hand[br]when you get a chill 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I'll play a piece of music, [br]a classical piece, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and maybe half the people will get it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) Then he plays this.. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ( ) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Rolling Stone's Give me Shelter. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Have you ever seen the movie[br]20 Feet from Stardom? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The documentary about back up singers? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Yeah. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There's a part where they isolate[br]the vocals from Give me Shelter. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ♪ ( ) ♪ 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I play that, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and 90% of the people experience chills, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 sort of independent of where I go. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I have to tell you, bringing that up[br]made me think about it 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I got that little kind of thing[br]at the back of my neck. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) But why would that happen? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The high pitched notes that she hit[br]almost sounds like a scream 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it's very important ancestrally for us 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to be able to pay attention to a scream, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 figure out what's going on, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and either run or fight, [br]whatever we need to do. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) So how come[br]that manifests as pleasure? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Well it's because our pre-frontal cortex, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the more rational, thinking part[br]of the brain kicks in. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So you realize very quickly, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 after you have[br]this really quick startle reflex, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that there's nothing actually threatening[br]about the piece of music, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that you're sitting in a safe space[br]with your headphones on, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it's in that reappraisal 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that we tend to think[br]of the pleasure responses emerging. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And whether you find listening to music[br]so pleasurable you get chills 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or you absolutely despise a song, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it can produce absolutely[br]fascinating effects in the brain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 According to [Levitan], music we enjoy 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 triggers the brain's[br]internal opioid system, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 yes, opioid system. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And just like the opioids[br]that come in pill form 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 these chemicals make you feel good[br]and help relive pain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And music you don't like? [br]Well, that releases cortisol, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the notorious stress hormone. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But that's not even the half of what music[br]can do in the brain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Can you turn on the lights?[br][Narrator] When former Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords[br]was shot in 2011 the left side of her brain[br]was severely damaged leaving her struggling[br]to speak, a condition called aphasia.[br]Gabby are you frustrated?[br][Narrator] But to get an idea of just how[br]powerful music's effect on the brain can be[br]watch this video.[br]You ready?[br][Together] This little light of mine[br]I'm gonna let it shine.[br]That words that she'd been[br]struggling to say, light, can easily be in song.[br]Why would she be able to sing a word[br]when she's unable to say it?[br]What we know about the brain is that[br]the left hemisphere controls language[br]and there are many other parts of the brain[br]that have music access.[br]Music therapist Maegan Morrow's job[br]is to help patients use those other[br]pathways to regain language.[br]Sometimes I compare it to[br]being in traffic and you can't move[br]any further but you might need to exit[br]and take the feeder road to get you to your destination.[br]So music is basically like that feeder road[br]to the new destination.[br]Like a detour, so we know that music[br]can help us relearn things like speech[br]by accessing alternative pathways in the brain[br]and that learning to play music can help[br]strengthen brain connections.[br]But what about making music?[br]To make music is like, it's the language[br]of humanity, no matter where I go in the world,[br]if I'm playing something, it doesn't matter if[br]someone can't speak the language, if they're[br]into it they're into it.[br][Narrator] This is Xavier Dphrepaulezz better known as[br]Fantastic Negrito.[br]We brought him to UCSF to meet Charles Limb[br]a neuroscientist who studies musical creativity.[br]The Duffler's up next.[br][Narrator] To understand how Fantastic Negrito's brain[br]works when making music Dr. Limb had him[br]play on of his songs while going[br]through the fMRI.[br][Fantastic Negrito singing][br]so how did his brain respond?[br]The areas that process sensory and motor skills[br]along with sounds lit up, you can see them here.[br]Red and yellow, makes sense right?[br]But here's the really interesting part,[br]Limb asked him to improvise[br]to see what happens when he's creating[br]something totally original.[br][Fantastic Negrito singing][br]now watch what happens to his brain.[br]The areas that were active before[br]the ones that deal with motor skills[br]and sounds are even more active.[br]And see how there's way more blue[br]in the front of his brain?[br]That's the pre-frontal cortex[br]and it's associated with effortful planning[br]and conscience self-monitoring[br]and it's blue because it's less active.[br]We see that the pre-frontal cortex appears to be[br]really shutting down in these moments[br]of high creativity kind of like letting of[br]of these conscious self-censoring or self-monitoring[br]areas that normally are there to help control our output.[br][Narrator] And Limb says it's about[br]more than just letting go.[br]You view it from perspective of survival[br]if human beings only could do memorized route responses[br]we'd be long gone.[br]It is not just the thing that happens in clubs[br]and in jazz bars, it's actually maybe[br]the most fundamental form of what it means to be human[br]to come up with new ideas.[br][singing][br][Narrator] So music is so much more than notes[br]on a page, it can change the way we[br]think and speak and feel but is there[br]a limit to what science can tell us about music?[br]Just when I discover the answer to one thing[br]five new questions pop up that are more[br]interesting than the first and I've gained[br]an appreciation for how complex the music making[br]and music listening system is.[br]It's not demystified to me at all.[br]It's more mysterious than ever.[br][signing][br][clapping]Some of the most important things are[br]I think good posture, getting the note right,[br]legato, staccato.[br][violin playing][br]For the violin you need to hold your hand[br]at the right place and you need to be in tune[br]and then you also have to have not only[br]the right intonation but the right sound[br]and then you also need to have great vibrato.[br]There's lot of things to think about.[br][violin playing][br][Narrator] Back at USC researchers have been studying[br]kids who play music over the past five years[br]to see how it effects their development.[br]The multi-tasking areas of their brains[br]understandable lit up but they've seen other results too.[br]Music training over the course of five years[br]has had benefits in cognitive skills and decision[br]making, also had some benefits in social behavior[br]and we've also seen changes in the associated[br]brain structures.[br]Did you hear that?[br]Changes in brain structures.[br]They found that the brains of children[br]who have studied music cast stronger connections[br]between the left and right hemispheres[br]and that can make them better,[br]more creative problem solvers.[br]And then there's emotion.[br][emotional music][br]When you hear a piece like this[br]it's easy to understand why emotions[br]play such a big part in music.[br]This song by Camille Saint-Saëns is known[br]as the music for the dying swan in ballet.[br]Well it might move ballerinas to dance[br]it inspires different reactions in others.[br]Some people get goosebumps, chills,[br]that weird tingly sensation that you get when[br]a great piece of music just hits you in the right way.[br]It's called frisson and not everyone gets it[br]but it turns out I do.[br]Now we're gonna have you listen[br]to some pieces of music.[br]Okay[br]When you experience a chill,[br]if you do, I want you to just press[br]this space bar so we have an indication of[br]when those sort of peak moments of[br]enjoyment are happening.[br]Okay.[br]Max Sachs, a PhD candidate at USC wired me up[br]to measure my physiological response.[br]So when I'm feeling that kind of emotional connection[br]that has a physical manifestation[br]we'll see what my body is actually doing?[br]Exactly.[br][dramatic music][br]Alright, how was that?[br]That was, that had a lot of them.[br]We got them all.[br]Now full disclosure back in the day[br]I played the cello which might have something[br]to do with why that particular song effected me.[br]Nice hair.[br]But it turns out the brain is at work here too.[br]We processed the difference between[br]this pathway that connects the auditory regions[br]on the side of the brain here, to the emotional regions[br]and we showed that the tract actually that connects those[br]two regions is stronger, there's more fibers,[br]in that region in the people who get chills.[br]Which means that some people's brains[br]might have better communication[br]between what they hear and how they feel.[br]The music itself also plays a role in frisson.[br]Sachs uses different songs in his lectures[br]to see if students get it.[br]I'll say raise your hand when you get a chill[br]and I'll play a piece of music, a classical piece,[br]and maybe half the people will get it.[br][Narrator] Then he plays this..[br]Rolling Stone's Give me Shelter.[br]Have you ever seen the movie 20 Feet from Stardom,[br]the documentary?[br]Oh about back up singers?[br]Yeah, there's a part Where They Isolate[br]the vocals from Give me Shelter.[br]♪from murder yeah ♪[br]♪It's just a shot away ♪[br]♪It's just a shot away ♪[br]and I play that and 90% of the people[br]experience chills sort of independent of where I go.[br]I have to tell you, bringing that up[br]made me think about it and I got that little[br]kind of thing at the back of neck.[br]But why would that happen? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The high pitched notes that she hits[br]almost sounds like a scream and[br]it's very important ancestrally for us[br]to be able to pay attention[br]to a scream, figure out what's going on[br]and either run or fight, whatever we need to do. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Narrator] So how come[br]that manifests as pleasure? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Well it's because our pre-frontal cortex 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the more rational, thinking part of the brain kicks in. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So you realize very quickly after you have[br]this really quick startle reflex 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that there's nothing actually threatening[br]about the piece of music 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that you're sitting in a safe space[br]with your headphones on 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it's in that reappraisal that we tend to think 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of the pleasure responses emerging. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And whether you find listening to music[br]so pleasurable that you get chills 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or you absolutely despise a song 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it can produce absolutely fascinating[br]effects in the brain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 According to Levitan music we enjoy triggers[br]the brain's internal opiod system, yes, opiod system. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And just like the opioids that come in pill form 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 these chemicals make you feel good and help relive pain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And music you don't like well that releases cortisol, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the notorious stress hormone. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But that's not even the half of what music[br]can do in the brain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Can you turn on the lights? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Narrator] When former Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords[br]was shot in 2011 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the left side of her brain[br]was severely damaged 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 leaving her struggling to speak, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a condition called aphasia. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Gabby are you frustrated? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Narrator] But to get an idea 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of just how powerful[br]music's effect on the brain can be 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 watch this video. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You ready? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Together] This little light of mine[br]I'm gonna let it shine. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That words that she'd been[br]struggling to say, light, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 can easily be in song. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Why would she be able to sing a word[br]when she's unable to say it? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What we know about the brain 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is that the left hemisphere controls language 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and there are many other parts of the brain[br]that have music access. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Music therapist Maegan Morrow's job 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is to help patients use those other[br]pathways to regain language. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sometimes I compare it to being in traffic 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and you can't move any further 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but you might need to exit[br]and take the feeder road 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to get you to your destination. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So music is basically like that feeder road 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the new destination. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Like a detour, so we know that music[br]can help us relearn things like speech 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by accessing alternative pathways in the brain 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that learning to play music can help[br]strengthen brain connections. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what about making music? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 To make music is like, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's the language of humanity, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 no matter where I go in the world, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if I'm playing something, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it doesn't matter if[br]someone can't speak the language, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if they're into it they're into it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Narrator] This is Xavier Dphrepaulezz better known as Fantastic Negrito. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We brought him to UCSF to meet Charles Limb 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a neuroscientist who studies musical creativity. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Duffler's up next. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Narrator] To understand how Fantastic Negrito's brain works when making music 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Dr. Limb had him play on of his songs[br]while going through the fMRI. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Fantastic Negrito singing] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so how did his brain respond? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The areas that process sensory and motor skills[br]along with sounds lit up, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you can see them here. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Red and yellow, makes sense right? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But here's the really interesting part, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Limb asked him to improvise 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to see what happens when he's creating[br]something totally original. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Fantastic Negrito singing] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 now watch what happens to his brain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The areas that were active before[br]the ones that deal with motor skills and sounds 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are even more active. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And see how there's way more blue[br]in the front of his brain? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's the pre-frontal cortex 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it's associated with effortful planning[br]and conscience self-monitoring 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it's blue because it's less active. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We see that the pre-frontal cortex 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 appears to be really shutting down[br]in these moments of high creativity 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 kind of like letting of of these conscious[br]self-censoring or self-monitoring areas 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that normally are there to help control our output. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Narrator] And Limb says[br]it's about more than just letting go. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You view it from perspective of survival 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if human beings only could do memorized route responses, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we'd be long gone. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It is not just the thing that happens[br]in clubs and in jazz bars, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's actually maybe[br]the most fundamental form 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of what it means to be human 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to come up with new ideas. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [singing] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Narrator] So music is so much more[br]than notes on a page, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it can change the way we think and speak and feel 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but is there a limit to what science can tell us about music? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Just when I discover the answer to one thing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 five new questions pop up that are more 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 interesting than the first and I've gained 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 an appreciation for how complex the music making 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and music listening system is. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's not demystified to me at all. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's more mysterious than ever. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [signing] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [clapping]