This way of listening to music has a greater impact on our brain!

Music is a powerful vector of emotions and triggers brain mechanisms linked to emotion. However, our brain reacts differently to music listened to in streamingstreaming (continuously) or live (live): According to a new study from the University of Zurich, nothing could replace the emotional experience of music live ! The concert experience elicits stronger, more regular activity in the amygdala – the area of ​​the brain that regulates our emotions – than recorded music, corresponding to more intense emotional responses.

Is a sense of music innate? Let’s see what the animals say in this INFRA report, hosted by Emma Hollen. © Futura

Live, artists adapt their music to the audience

The researchers conducted an experiment in which a pianist played music alongside 27 volunteers. They listened to 12 different pieces twice: a first time live, then a second time through a recording. During the experiment, the researchers used theMagnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance imaging to measure in real time the activity in the amygdala of the listeners and the performer. Based on these measurements, the pianist would adapt his performance to further intensify the audience’s emotions, which was impossible with recording. “ Recorded music does not adapt to the listener’s reaction, but live pianists often adapt the music to the audience to get the best response from them », explained to New Scientist Sascha Frühholz, professor of cognitive and affective neuroscience.

“ Strong synchronization between subjective emotional experience and the auditory brain system, which evaluates music based on its acoustic quality, was only observed when the audience listened to the performance live », Specifies a press release. Concerts connect artists to their audiences, which may be related to evolving factors regarding social experience.