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) 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) 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 relieve 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? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) When former Congresswomen[br]Gabrielle Giffords 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 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 (narrator) That word that she'd been[br]struggling to say, "light," 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 came easily 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[br]controls language, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and there are many[br]other parts of the brain 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 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[br]those other pathways to regain language. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Sometimes I compare it[br]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[br]like that feeder road 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the new destination. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (narrator) Like a detour. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So we know that music[br]can help us relearn things like speech 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by accessing alternative[br]pathways in the brain 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that learning to play music[br]can help 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 someone[br]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,[br]better known as Fantastic Negrito. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We brought him to UCSF[br]to meet Charles Limb, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a neuroscientist[br]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[br]how Fantastic Negrito's brain works 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 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 (narrator) So how did his brain respond? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The areas that process sensory[br]and motor skills, along with sounds, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 lit up. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You can see them here in red and yellow. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 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 Stop! 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (laughter) 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, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the ones that deal[br]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 But 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[br]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 a perspective of survival. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If human beings only could do[br]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[br]and speak and feel. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But is there a limit[br]to what science can tell us about music? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Just when I discovered[br]the answer to one thing, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 five new questions pop up[br]that are more interesting than the first, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I've gained an appreciation 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for how complex the music-making[br]and music-listening system is. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's not demystified for 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 (singing) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (applause)