Bad singer
Subtitle: the surprising science of tone deafness and how we hear music
By: Tim Falconer
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 325
ISBN-13: 9781770894457
Subjects: Creative Ability; PSYCHOLOGY; Acoustics & Sound; Deafness; Musical perception; Hearing; Instruction & Study; Music; SCIENCE; BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY; MUSIC; Voice; Composers & Musicians; Physiological aspects
Description: Author and journalist Tim Falconer--a self-confessed "bad singer"--is one of only 2.5 percent of the population that has been afflicted with amusia, ie: he is scientifically tone-deaf. Bad Singer chronicles his quest to understand the brain science behind tone-deafness and to search for ways to retrain the adult brain. He is tested by numerous scientists who are as fascinated with him as he is with them. He also investigates why we love music and deconstructs what we are really hearing when we listen to it. Throughout this journey of scientific and psychological discovery, he puts theory to practice by taking voice and breathing lessons with a voice coach in order to achieve his personal goal: a public display of his singing abilities. A work of scientific discovery, musicology, and personal odyssey, Bad Singer is a fascinating, insightful, and highly entertaining account from an award-winning journalist and author [Publisher description]
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.

Issued also in electronic format.
Table of contents: title: Side one: Music and human evolution; title: "Sweet dreams (are made of this)"; title: "It's only rock 'n' roll (but I like it)"; title: "For the sake of the song"; title: "The harder they come"; title: Side two: The science of tone deafness; title: "I've got news for you"; title: "Tell it like it is"; title: "Can you hear the music"; title: "Blue highways"; title: Side three: How we hear music; title: "Cum on feel the noize"; title: "Wordy rappinghood"; title: "Small change"; title: "Come undone"; title: Side four: Unlocking a surprising secret of music; title: "Teacher teacher"; title: "If I only had a brain"; title: "Smells like teen spirit"; title: "Higher ground"; title: Bonus track: "Silver and gold."