Music and the Brain & Mind – Article 3

The Mystery of Sustained Happiness – Part XV

Music and the Brain & Mind – Article 3

Some ‘routinised’ musicians pursuing ‘Indian Classical Music (ICM)’ do wonder: “I’m giving so much to my audience, but why don’t I get that much from them?” These musicians are DRIVEN obviously by the ‘Monomaya Kosha’ of the ‘Pancha Kosha’ model. They have chosen a career to be ‘Musical Entertainers’ – hungry for rewards in terms of appreciation from their listeners.

Have they ever been exposed to some bio-scientific facts that I’m going to discuss now briefly. An African looks different from an Arab, who also has a different appearance than an Indian, a Pakistani or a Bangladeshi – who also are different in looks from the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and Malaysians. The whites of the West, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are different not only in skin colour but also in features.

These are the differences that are visible outside. There are differences in the invisible features also hidden between the two ears – the FIRST BRAIN and the integrated organ system that extends from our mouth to the anus – the SECOND BRAIN – the ‘Enteric Nervous System (ENS)’. If we take only the FIRST BRAIN, then the white Westerners are more active generally on the ‘Left Brain (LB)’ which is logical-analytical-calculating while the coloured Africans and Asians are more ‘Right Brained (RB)’ – guided more by imagination and emotions. You don’t have to travel too far to find examples in practice. Most of the main religions (are religions not products of the RB?) have originated from the Middle & South East Asia. Majority of the Nobel Prize winners in Science & Applied Sciences have been white Westerners. This LB-RB divide of races is an outcome of the impact of thousands of years of climate, geographical terrain, diet, culture, customs & habits.

‘Western Classical Music (WCM)’ had been created to release happiness chemicals in the Western brains whereas ‘Indian Classical Music (ICM)’ was conceived by its creators for pleasing the brains of the listeners from the Indian sub-continent. Are these biological facts discussed in the corridors of any musical conservatory anywhere in the world? I shall be grateful if any reader lets me know.

The 1723-1790 Glasgow University moral philosophy professor whose statue in stone I used to pass by daily at the University’s Gilmorehill campus, when I was a research scholar there, was Adam Smith – the founding father of the entire domain of ECONOMICS. His soul tweeted into my right inner ear (function: language perception): “Man actually desires, not only to be ‘loved’, but also to be ‘lovely’”. By the cute word ‘lovely’, Smith meant ‘being lovable’. He goes on to tweet: To be ‘loved’ without being ‘lovely’ – to be ‘praised’ without being ‘praiseworthy’, is a temptation for the weak and foolish person, not the wise one!’ [Quotation from Adam Smith’s ‘The Theory of Moral Sentiments’ first published in 1759.]

If, as a musician, I feel unloved, uncared for, unpraised, unappreciated (instead – criticized, adversely commented, showered with negative feedback), I should immediately analyse – without getting sentimental, whether I am meeting the ‘Requirements’ [all generally measurable & quantifiable, related to the Left Brain (LB)] & ‘Expectations’ [all generally non-measurable & non-quantifiable – related to the Right Brain] of my audience. ‘Requirements’: giving maximum ‘happiness’ at minimum time and at minimum cost – can be evaluated by measuring ‘heart rate’, ‘breathing rate’, ‘ECG’, ‘galvanic skin response’, ‘blood pressure’, EEG (brain wave pattern). ‘Expectations’: positive disposition, behaviour & conduct reflected through communication – both verbal & non-verbal. If there is any gap or any lapse anywhere, then I’d not be graduated to the ‘lovable’ and ‘praiseworthy’ cadre.

If your music has a lyric (‘Vani’ in Sanskrit’, and ‘Bandish’ in Hindi meaning ‘binding together’), its sound receptors are there in your ‘Left Brain (LB)’ – entering through the right ear; whereas if it is only ‘Melody’ (‘Swar ki Madhurata’ in Hindi), it is received by the ‘Right Brain (RB) – entering through the left ear – as the two halves of the brain are cross-laterally wired up. What does your audience want? Are they LB more active or RB more active, or they are balanced in both. The ‘Beats (Rhythm)’ – ‘Tal’ in Hindi are processed in the Pre-frontal Cortex, Motor Cortex & Cerebella. We in the East and people in the West both have brains – but the two are differently wired up. In the East, we appreciate melody much more as they carry emotions, whereas the westerners appreciate lyrics and beats much more – and positive emotions. This discriminating knowledge every musician must be taught right from their internship stage so that from the very early days of their stage performance, they can judge the audience, their likes & dislikes and tailor-make their concerts accordingly by choosing the right compositions and also by bringing about alterations in the Raga structure. In that case the musician would upgrade himself (no gender bias) to the ‘non-routinised’ category and will earn kudos after every concert.

Amongst ICM practitioners, Pt. Ravi Shankar was the only one who spent a few of his teenage years in the West – in Paris & London and could acquire knowledge about the likes & dislikes of the Western audience. That created a base in his brain for his future outstanding success in the West. Before each concert, he will explain, in a very brief yet lucid manner, the significance of the Raga, the reason for his choosing it and to which family does it belong to, what kind of beats will be played, why percussion is needed – all these apart from introducing his team members. He endeavoured to put his musical presentations on a professional basis – in a much more organised fashion in a musical industry – the ICM, which as I’ve already told you is an ‘Unorganised’ sector.

Now let me jump to Bob Dylan! Why he is so successful (link has been provided to one of his latest 2021 concerts where he is so much full of gusto & energy)? He has great taste – his body is so much in good shape & fit – his body language so magnetic – the words that he sings, his mannerisms, his tonal quality, his voice modulations so much full of charisma, that we get convinced that HE IS MARRIED TO MUSIC. He doesn’t put his guitar down ever. He is continuously CREATING and enjoying the activity of CREATION. He provides ‘SMART’ & ‘SHORT-lived/SHORT’ Happiness to his listeners always and earns SUSTAINED HAPPINESS himself with ‘Anandamide’ & ‘DMT’ being released inside his brain most of the time.

Does Dylan not have ‘Dry Brain’ phases ever? Yes, of course, he does. He is not a SAGE, or a PROPHET. When he is deprived of the blessings of the Goddess of Creativity at times, he extends his hands to get hold of externally available weeds, LSD, Cannabis, magic mushrooms & Ayahuasca (I really don’t know about his narcotic habits) and spend some time with those to get back his creative powers. I’ve no experience of how it works, but I’ve learnt from one of my fabulously talented British painter friends who becomes dependent on weeds and Cannabis during his ‘Dry Brain’ phases. When he is at the peak of his creativity, he does not need it. And not all drugs suit him. He is most compatible & comfortable with Cannabis.

Nevertheless, don’t you think that I’m trying to promote narcotics. On the contrary, I am recommending a totally stress-free ‘Wet Brain’ (‘wet’ with never-ending incessant creativity – however small it may be) lifestyle so that you are happy with your endogenous ‘Anandamide’ and ‘DMT’ supplies.

Link has been provided to: one outstanding musical presentation by Pt. Ravi Shankar (his final concert in India in Bangalore in 2011); and a 2021 concert by Bob Dylan in New York City.

https://youtu.be/VG5ds6R10rk

https://youtu.be/I6wtC59-YUs

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