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Music to my ears How does your
favorite song get from your ears to your brain? Here are the basics: Sound waves from an instrument or a sound system reach the outer ear. In the middle ear, the sound waves cause the eardrum and tiny bones to vibrate. The middle ear passes these vibrations to the inner ear. The inner ear includes the snail-shaped cochlea. Inside the fluid-filled cochlea are 20,000–30,000 tiny hair cells. These hair cells are of different sizes that react to different tones and pitches. The inner ear translates vibrations into electrical signals. The electronic signals are carried into the brain by nerve cells called neurons via the cochlear nerve system. The signals travel along the cochlear nerve system to the brain’s cerebral cortex., this part of the brain is like a supercomputer. Other areas of the brain add their power to analyze different elements within the music, such as rhythm, pitch, and dynamics.
Music to my Brain? How the brain understands music is super cool! Scientists have learned that the brain doesn ‛ t have just one special spot to figure out music. Instead, different parts of your brain work together to understand different parts of a song. For example, one part of your brain listens for the beat (rhythm), and another part listens for the sounds, like how high or low the notes are (pitch and loudness). The most amazing thing scientists found is that music also makes the parts of your brain that handle feelings light up. That means music is connected to your emotions! Music and feelings have always been a team, and now science is helping us understand how it works. Music makes us feel different things because it talks to our brain and body! • It makes us happy by releasing a feel-good chemical in our brain. • It connects to our feelings, like joy, calm, or even sadness. • It changes our bodies: Fast music can make our hearts race, and slow music can help us relax. • It helps us remember special times and share feelings without words. Music is like magic for our hearts and minds!
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