Daniel J. Levitin
Daniel Joseph Levitin, FRSC (born December 27, 1957) is an American-Canadian cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, writer, musician, and record producer. He is the author of four New York Times best-selling books.
Levitin is James McGill Professor Emeritus of psychology and behavioral neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Founding Dean of Arts & Humanities at The Minerva Schools at KGI; and a Distinguished Faculty Fellow at the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley. From 2000 to 2017, he was Director of the Laboratory for Music Perception, Cognition, and Expertise at McGill. He is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Grammys, a consultant to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, a fellow of the Psychonomic Society, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC). He has appeared frequently as a guest commentator on NPR and CBC. He has published scientific articles on absolute pitch, music cognition, Neuroanatomy and Directional statistics.
Levitin also worked as a music consultant, producer and sound designer on albums by Blue Öyster Cult, Chris Isaak, and Joe Satriani among others; produced punk bands including MDC and The Afflicted; and served as a consultant on albums by artists including Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Brook; and as a recording engineer for Santana, Jonathan Richman, O.J. Ekemode and the Nigerian Allstars, and The Grateful Dead. Records and CDs to which he has contributed have sold in excess of 30 million copies.
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
Whether you’re moved by Mozart, bound by Bob Dylan, or caught up in the lifts and dips of John Coltrane, music wraps you in an electrifying experience. There’s a reason why the Beatles’ song “Yesterday” sounds fresh nearly everyday and Paul Simon’s “Graceland” weaves a story from a handful of chords we call magic. One of humanity’s most universal experiences comes down to processes within the equally mystifying human brain. Uniquely qualified musician, neuroscientist, and Professor of Psychology Daniel Levitin composes a score of research to discover how music compels memory, stirs emotion, and strings seemingly disjointed lives into one seamless song.
Bio information sourced from Wikipedia
