Humans are on the lookout for rewarding stimuli all the time. Our ability to experience pleasure from some of these stimuli is an evolutionary mechanism to ensure the pursuit of basic biological needs, such as eating, known as primary rewards. However, humans also have the capacity to experience pleasure from[Read More…]
Tag: music
McGill alumni poised to blow out speaker industry
Audio loudspeakers, unlike many other technologies, have seen relatively little advancement since their creation in the late 1800s. That was until ORA Graphene Audio Inc., founded by brothers and McGill PhD graduates Robert-Eric Gaskell and Peter Gaskell, integrated a new material into their speaker design—taking the audio world by storm[Read More…]
Album Review: dvsn – ‘Morning After’
After the release of their critically acclaimed debut album SEPT 5TH, Toronto duo dvsn (pronounced “division”) returns with their sophomore album, Morning After. Fresh off their tour with Drake, producer Nineteen85 and vocalist Daniel Daley continue their distinct sound: Combining melisma R&B vocals with production echoing ‘90s neo-soul artists. They[Read More…]
Mount Eerie brings delicate, painful intimacy to POP Montreal final night
Most of the audience members seated in the Ukrainian Federation on Sept. 17 were well aware that the upcoming performance would mark an important tour date for Phil Elverum. The musician, who records under the moniker Mount Eerie, would have arrived at the venue with ambivalent anticipation. On July 9[Read More…]
McGill and Montreal mourn the loss of Eleanor Stubley
On Aug. 14, Montreal police reported that they had found the body of Eleanor Stubley, associate professor and associate dean (Graduate Studies) of the McGill Schulich School of Music, in the southwest borough of Montreal. Stubley had been missing since Aug. 7. While police have not disclosed many details of[Read More…]
MNI researchers link lack of pleasure from music with decreased connectivity in the brain
Researchers link lack of pleasure from music to dampened connectivity in the brain.
The Kalmunity Vibe Collective brings improvised jazz to Cafe Campus
“Chill is explosive,” is the opening line of the weekly Tuesday night showcase of the Kalmunity Vibe Collective. This idea rang true throughout the three hour set. Held at Petit Campus, the lesser known first floor of Café Campus, Kalmunity’s unique approach to improvised jazz is as captivating as it[Read More…]
Sun Astronauts, Emmett McCleary perform at Le Cagibi
Far beyond the McGill bubble and deep in the Mile End on Boul. St-Laurent, musicians and fans escaped the bitter January cold this past Saturday at Le Cagibi. Tucked away in the back room, three musical acts—two of which are McGill students—joined together for a night of indie folk, classic[Read More…]
Opera McGill’s “Alcina”: A dubious experiment in orientalism
From the cultural stereotypes in Madame Butterfly to the racism in Otello, the intersection of race and culture with opera has a dark and problematic history. Given this legacy, the East Asian setting and the specific Chinese cultural influences of Opera McGill’s production of Alcina is confusing, especially given the[Read More…]
Using chaos to examine the neurophysiology of aesthetics: Defining human appreciation for art and music
“What do we think is beautiful? How do our brains interpret what we perceive?” Physiology Professor Dr. Leon Glass asked the audience. His presentation, as part of the Cutting Edge Lectures in Science hosted by the Redpath Museum, discussed how chaos and fractals can be used to define human appreciation[Read More…]
