He unceremoniously links the auditory cortex, frontal regions and mesolimbic system, including the nucleus accumbens, likening the addictive nature of music to the dependence of a drug addict. A lesson in pitch, rhythm, tempo and harmony sets the scene for understanding the cascade of brain region activation which is triggered by listening to music. Levitin, a musician and record producer turned neuroscientist, offers an explanation of the science and experience of music with a multitude of classical and popular examples. As a musician, I found it a satisfying response to the Keatsian concern that refracting arts through the sciences risks ‘unweaving the rainbow’. This book is an engaging investigation of the interface of psychiatry and music, unearthing harmony in the dissonant worlds of art and science. Many doctors have studied music and continue to play, as enthusiastic amateurs or in a professional capacity, alongside their medical practice. The healing properties of music, particularly for mental illness, have been recognised for centuries and music therapy is now established as a psychotherapeutic method to aid communication and expression. Music is integral to our lives and, from Elgar to Elvis, provides familiarity and pleasure.
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