S4.22 Wired for sound: The genetics of music
Kat: Hello, and welcome to Genetics Unzipped - the Genetics Society podcast, with me, Dr Kat Arney. In this episode we’re getting in harmony with the science of music. Is there a music gene? Does musical talent really run in families? And how does the inability to perceive music impact on daily life?
Kat: Music is a deeply human characteristic - whether it’s clapping, tapping, singing or playing, most of us love to listen - and maybe move - to good tune or a funky beat, and there are plenty of music makers in the world, from schoolkids playing the recorder or making beats on a laptop to virtuoso concert pianist and global pop stars. But where does our musical urge come from? And is it in our genes?
I’m one of three sisters, all of us playing at least two instruments, from several generations of a musical family. So I’ve often wondered whether there was something in our genes that helped to make us musical - or maybe it was just being forced to go to piano lessons as soon as we could reach the keys, and being privileged enough to have parents who were prepared to fork out the money for a violin, clarinet, guitar, oboe, trumpet and - sorry mum - a concert harp. It turns out I’m not the only one to have wondered this.
Reyna Gordon: In search of the ‘music gene’
Reyna Gordon is an associate professor and director of the Music Cognition Lab in the Department of Otolaryngology and the Genetics Institute at Vanderbilt university in Tennessee. She’s the recipient of a prestigious NIH Director’s New Innovator Award for her work looking at the underlying biology of why rhythm means so much to us. Click here to find out what we discovered when we sat down for a chat about music, our brains and our genes.
Jasmin Pfeifer: Studying congenital amusia - hereditary tone-deafness
Jasmin Pfeifer, from Heinrich-Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany, is a linguist by training, who’s found herself involved in the world of genetics through her studies of a condition called congenital amusia, or hereditary tone-deafness. So, what is amusia? Click here to learn more about the condition and how it just might be the reason your partner doesn’t understand your irony.
That’s all for now. Thanks to my fascinating guests, Jasmin Pfeifer, and also Reyna Gordon.
We’ll be back next time taking a look at cancer across the animal kingdom, from capybaras to elephants, plus that fan favourite, the naked mole rat.
For more information about this podcast including show notes, transcripts, links, references, music credits and everything else head over to geneticsunzipped.com You can find us on Twitter @geneticsunzip and please do take a moment to rate and review us on Apple podcasts - it really makes a difference and helps more people discover the show.
Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by me, Kat Arney. It is produced by First Create the Media for The Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. You can find out more and apply to join at genetics.org.uk. Our theme music was composed by Dan Pollard, and the logo was designed by James Mayall, and audio production was by Hannah Varrall. Thanks for listening, and until next time, goodbye.
Music and sound effects licensed from Epidemic Sound and Envato
Image credits:
Reyna Gordon, Image courtesy of Reyna Gordon
Jasmin Pfeifer, Image courtesy of Jasmin Pfeifer
