Neural activity

[UDELBR]

I used to administer EEGs while working my way through college. I'd wager no useful info could be gleaned, as facial muscles when firing produce large amounts of electrical activity, often spoiling EEGs with electrical noise known as 'artifacts'.

[peter birch]

PET scans and functional MRI scans are probably more useful and enlightening than EEGs, not sure how you would get a person and a tuba into the scanner though...

[eupher61]

Open MRI!

I've often wanted to work with a speech pathologist for placement of the tongue for articulations. Years ago, I saw a TV show about a way of "seeing" the tongue work, useful for people with speech impediments, and thought that would be great. For some reason, that technology has become passe', according to some therapists I've known. (Speech, not mental....)

[MaryAnn]

I've thought of working with a Spanish-language speech therapist for flutter tonguing. I just can't do it; tongue is stupid in that way, although it does quite well with double and triple tonguing. I can do the gutteral (uvula) flutter and fake Spanish rolled Rs, but that requires raising the back of the tongue to make contact with the uvula, which doesn't lend itself well to brass playing.

MA

[pierso20]

Has anyone been hooked up to an EEG machine while playing?
Know of any published (or otherwise) examples of someone who has?
Anyone had a culture run on a tuba?
Appreciate the help...

Maybe not on tuba......especially due to the said "facial activity"...however, maybe a piano player??? perhaps?....

[JB]

What intrigues me is the possibility that our playing entrains our minds. Given that we are surrounded by entrainment--our feet tap with a metronome unless we are consciously expending thought and effort to tap at another tempo, we breathe in time, eventually our pulse will match tempo--I want to believe that playing somehow alters our mental functioning in a way that can be consciously manipulated.
Granted, while functioning in a high-demand, or even paying attention in a low-pressure situation, we would likely be in the high beta range. But I certainly know that my consciousness alters while playing longtones or the Beautiful Tone Study. I also know that monks' brainwaves can be measured during meditation, which is, to a certain extent, a conscious manipulation of mental function, and I have a hunch that warmups can be comparably cathartic, but I'm wondering if there's a way to test this idea.

Thoughts?

You should most definitely check out Dr Daniel Levitin Ph.D -- some of his work is in this area and brain function/music in general (in general, meaning in this very specialized area of study).

Here is one of his sites:
http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/levitin.html/

As well, you truly should read his book "Your Brain on Music" -- written by a scholar and a music (same person) but absolutely approachable by the layman as well.
http://www.yourbrainonmusic.com/

Then, read his latest book (much similar subject matter discussed here as well), called The World in Six Songs.
http://www.sixsongs.net/

I find this kind of stuff rather fascinating, and highly advise looking into his work. (Plus who he has worked with in his "other parallel career" as a high end producer -- a lot of very famous names on that resume.)

[Tom Holtz]

Put an EEG on these two. You'll find more neural activity in a dirty diaper.