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Medieval illustration of three musicians: one with a violin, another in a blue robe, and the last with a flute, framed by colourful borders.

Music

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Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives

Song lyrics acted as a sexual script for aristocrats, revealing some edgy practices that ignited their imaginations

by Elizabeth Eva Leach

Three humpback whales viewed underwater

Music

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I learned to hear the music of Earth’s underwater musicians

If we consider the sounds of whales and other organisms with an open mind, we find a strange beauty – and can even join in

by David Rothenberg

A marble figurine seated in a chair plays a harp

Music

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Ancient Greek ideas of attunement can breathe new life into music

In Athenian philosophy, attunement is important not only in music, but also for moods, attitudes and states of mind

by John Bagby

Black-and-white image of a person playing the piano, focusing intently on the keys in a dark setting.

Music

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What is it about musical hooks that makes them so catchy?

From hummable riffs to striking lyrics, the catchiest hooks tell us something about the limits of human attention and memory

by Tim Byron & Jadey O’Regan

Abstract painting with vibrant red, yellow, and blue shapes against a dark, textured background. The colours and forms create a striking, dynamic composition.

Artists and art history

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Is the attunement of abstract art and music more than a metaphor?

How does the abstract art of Kandinsky and Klee imitate the meaning and emotion in the music of Shostakovich and Bach?

by Michelle Liu

Waxwork of a woman in a vintage recording studio behind a microphone. A control panel is in the foreground, and a sign reads “Sing like Crazy with Patsy Cline.”

Music

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They’re playing our song! The philosophical puzzle of cover songs

Can a song be both the original and a copy? Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, and the ‘crazy’ philosophical puzzle of song covers

by P D Magnus

Woman with curly hair has her hands on her face, eyes closed, mouth open, and appears emotional under soft lighting.

Music

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Can you ‘feel’ the music? You’re probably an empathetic person

People who are more empathic toward others are also more likely to have more feeling for the emotions communicated in music

by Benjamin Tabak & Zachary Wallmark

Close-up of a vintage, wooden string instrument, showcasing intricate carvings and details in a dark, dimly lit setting.

Music

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A musician with sensory overload shows there are ways to adapt

When a musician’s senses are overwhelmed by music that’s too loud or stimulating, there can be another way to play

by Neesa Sunar

A painting of people in turbans and colourful attire dining and socialising on a balcony, with a lush courtyard in the background.

Communication and language

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The allure of cosmopolitan languages to courtiers and pop fans

The song Despacito tells a truth about cosmopolitan language, or the ‘mistress tongue’ – we desire it before we know it

by Karla Mallette

Healthcare workers in PPE working at a hospital station with computers and medical equipment in the background.

The body and physical health

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How the noises of a hospital can become a healing soundscape

Noises pervade and create the hospital environment. How could they be transformed into a soundscape for care and healing?

by Victoria Bates

Ancient Greek vase depicting a ship crew, with a man tied to the mast, and winged creatures flying around.

Music

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Bach’s piano music is intimate precision and Homeric epic in one

A hero on a journey; a circular movement; a melancholy of homecoming: why Bach is an epic poet in the Homeric tradition

by Dan Moller

Pleasures and pastimes

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Feel free to stop striving: learn to relish being an amateur

When I rekindled my relationship with the piano and tapped into my inner amateur, I discovered a quiet room of my own

by Xenia Hanusiak