Main content

Amusia

This week Peter Evans meets people with amusia and finds out what's happening in their brains, and asks whether the cause is nature or nurture.

When we listen to music, do we all hear the same thing? The answer, according to some neuroscientists and psychologists, is no. Amusia is a little-known phenomenon that changes people's perception of music and affects up to one in 20 people.

'It's been compared to colourblindess,' says Lauren Stewart, a psychologist from Goldsmith's College. 'Just as people with colourblindness might see reds, pinks and oranges as the same, amusic people have a very coarse representation of the notes of the musical scale.'

This week Peter Evans meets people with amusia and finds out what's happening in their brains, and asks whether the cause is nature or nurture.

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Wed 13 Dec 2006 21:00

Broadcast

  • Wed 13 Dec 2006 21:00

Podcast