QuoteProject
There's an ancient connection between movement and music. Most languages don't make a distinction between the words 'music' and 'dance.' And we can see that in the brain. When people are lying perfectly still but listening to music, the neurons in the motor cortex are firing.
Daniel Levitin
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the intrinsic link between music and movement, suggesting they are deeply interconnected in human experience.

Daniel Levitin's quote emphasizes the profound relationship between music and movement, indicating that the two forms of expression are intertwined. He points out that many languages treat 'music' and 'dance' as one, reflecting their unity in culture. Furthermore, the scientific observation that the brain's motor cortex activates even when one is at rest while listening to music underscores how deeply music can influence our physical responses, suggesting that rhythm and melody inherently promote an instinctive movement in humans.

Themes

MusicDanceMovementBrainConnectionRhythm

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could inspire a dance workshop to show how music influences movement.

More from Daniel Levitin

As soon as you hear a proposition, the creative brain in humans assumes for the moment that it's true, and starts trying to find evidence. It's what computer scientists in the old days used to call 'Fifo:' first in, first out. The first piece of information that gets in has a privileged position, even if it's misinformation.
Daniel LevitinRead
What music is better able to do than language is to represent the complexity of human emotional states.
Daniel LevitinRead
Information overload refers to the notion that we're trying to take in more than the brain can handle.
Daniel LevitinRead
That walk around the block, that fresh air, is going to help you work more quickly and effectively when you get back.
Daniel LevitinRead
There are a lot of books about how to get organized and a lot of books about how to be better and more productive at business, but I don't know of one that grounds any of these in the science.
Daniel LevitinRead
Unfortunately, often found next to things that are true are an enormous number of things that are not - in websites, videos, books and on social media.
Daniel LevitinRead

Similar quotes

A good design is not a democratic consensus.
Edward De BonoRead
The main thing I love about street photography is that you find the answers you don't see at the fashion shows. You find information for readers so they can visualize themselves.
Bill CunninghamRead
But what is art other than revealing human nature?
Marina AbramovicRead
At present I absolutely want to paint a starry sky. It often seems to me that night is still more richly coloured than the day; having hues of the most intense violets, blues and greens. If only you pay attention to it you will see that certain stars are lemon-yellow, others pink or a green, blue and forget-me-not brilliance. And without my expatiating on this theme it is obvious that putting little white dots on the blue-black is not enough to paint a starry sky.
Vincent Van GoghRead
To make music means to express human intelligence by sonic means. This is intelligence in its broadest sense, which includes not only the peregrinations of pure logic but also the "logic" of emotions and intuition. My musical techniques, although often rigorous in their internal structure, leave many openings through which the most complex and mysterious factors of the intelligence may penetrate.
Iannis XenakisRead
Just like a comedian has a certain joke or a jazz musician has a riff that they know will get the crowd, a tap dancer always has a step.
Savion GloverRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.