Music might be quintessentially human, but does it serve a purpose?
‘Music doesn’t mean anything – it just is…’
Like language, music is organised, human-made sound that sprang up independently across early human cultures. Unlike language, however, music serves no obvious evolutionary purpose. So then why do we love it? And why is it so entwined with our emotions? In this lively short video by the US artist and animator Mac Premo, Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad explores and attempts to explain the enigmatic, visceral hold music has over us.
Director: Mac Premo
video
Love and friendship
What does it mean to say goodbye to a creature that doesn’t know you’re leaving?
13 minutes
video
Music
A riveting audiovisual dive into what makes sounds harmonious, or not
28 minutes
video
Life stages
Grief, healing and laughter coexist at a unique retreat for widows and widowers
15 minutes
video
Progress and modernity
Moving from Tibet to Beijing, Drolma reconciles big dreams with harsh realities
31 minutes
video
Consciousness and altered states
What do screens depicting serene natural scenes mean to those living in lock-up?
12 minutes
video
Family life
A mother and child bond in an unusual prison visitation space in this poignant portrait
11 minutes
video
Gender
A catchy tune explains the world’s ‘isms’ – according to your mum doing the laundry
5 minutes
video
Language and linguistics
Do button-pushing dogs have something new to say about language?
9 minutes
video
Language and linguistics
Why Susan listens to recordings of herself speaking a language she no longer remembers
5 minutes