Humans Not The Only Animal to Respond Emotionally to Music

2. September 2009 by John Schinnerer.

‘(PhysOrg.com) — Music is one of the surest ways to influence human emotions; most people unconsciously recognize and respond to music that is happy, sad, fearful or mellow. But psychologists who have tried to trace the evolutionary roots of these responses usually hit a dead end. Nonhuman primates scarcely respond to human music, and instead prefer silence.

A new report by Charles Snowdon, a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and musician David Teie of the University of Maryland shows that a monkey called the cotton-top tamarin indeed responds to music. The catch? These South American monkeys are essentially immune to human music, but they respond appropriately to “monkey music,” 30-second clips composed by Teie on the basis of actual monkey calls.

The music was inspired by sounds the tamarins make to convey two opposite emotions: threats and/or fear, and affiliation, a friendly, safe and happy condition.’

For full article and a short clip of what the ‘monkey music’ sounds like, click link below

http://www.physorg.com/news171052183.html

Keep smiling!

John Schinnerer, Ph.D.

Guide To Self, Inc.

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