Show element
Daniel Levitin, neuroscientist and author of the book This Is Your Brain on Music, calls music “fuel for the brain” and with good cause. Cognitive-neuroscience research has spent many years looking into the effects of music. Roughly 25 years ago, it was believed that music was largely processed in the right side of the brain, characterized by creativity and expression. However, we found out that music doesn’t exclusively stimulate “left” and “right” brain activities. Its effect can be noticed in all parts of the brain. As any other chunk of information, music is also taken apart (pitch, rhythm, loudness). However, the different parts of the brain that receive a piece of that musical information become instantly connected. This makes music an incredibly useful tool for creating bridges.
“What music is better able to do than language, is to represent the complexity of human emotional states.”
Daniel Levetin — neuroscientist and author
At some point in our lives, we have all experienced how one simple song can take you back to a memory. From spatial awareness to movement, from the weather to the exact time of day. All kinds of tiny parts get combined to create this memory. Now, imagine recreating this effect by actively connecting visual cues and the emotional state of excitement. Some of the parts are provided by us, the showmakers, while the audience fills in the gaps with their own experiences and preferences. That flashing gold is now more likely to be nurtured.
Step 3. Get Involved
In the end, you want your show to leave the audience with the desire to continue. You want them to share their experience, their moment of inspiration. These are our final products, our goals. Most people tend to focus on the goal they are trying to achieve. Some people focus more on how to get there, who to contact and which elements to use. However, inspiration starts even before you have figured out the path from A to B.