Mim: Musicophilia and The Little Prince

Hi All Y'all! I got my copy of Musicophilia in late October here in Japan, so I finished it in November. It's been really fun to read everyone's October comments and to think about musical genius and extremes. This book is technical, like you said, Rae. And Lynness, you read it with a nursing background. As for me, since I did my BYU Closure Project in 2004 on Neuroscience and Agency, the terms and topics and tales were so happily familiar! All of you, like me, must feel so much reverence for Heavenly Father as our Creator when you read about the capacity of our brains and think about each person's unique identity as shaped by their desires (including the music they love).

I think about my brain-damaged family members (ha ha) and various looney-tune cases I've encountered and I wonder sometimes if Heavenly Father is preparing me for special experiences (with people and neuroscience) in the future. I've already felt great compassion for Mom with her aphasia, Grandma Mary with her dementia, Blake's Granny with her repeating story-tracks, etc. But my closure project and several books like Musicophilia have hugely broadened my understanding and compassion. Don't you all find that a book can open up whole new comprehensions of things?

I'm pretty sure our brains would use a whole population of very specific neurons to tell the difference between a Stradivarius's sound and the sound of a less phenomenal instrument. Do you think any of us could hear the difference if someone played a painted violin? Because I remember an auction of beautiful painted violins at one of Kate's symphony performances. (Google-search "hand-painted violins" to see lots of cool ones.) I'm not sure I'd be able to hear the difference without a lot of training. At any rate, I'm sure I couldn't feel quite the same about playing one of them versus playing one with typical wood finish . . .

Well, my real November book was The Little Prince. Like Beccy's November choice, my choice was influenced by my kids. Maddie read it last month, and Kate's always loved it. And we all love the art. I think the author, the Frenchman Antoine de St. Exupery, must be one of those child-oriented people like Roald Dahl or Eric Carle or Edward Lear. So his book is very gentle, and very short. He does use a lot of dry humor, though, and that's adult-ish. His little prince puzzles over the adults' strange behavior, like the drunkard who's drinking to forget, and the thing he wants to forget is that he's ashamed, and the thing he's ashamed of is that he's drinking. There's also the geographer who doesn't leave his study, because "geographers are too important to go wandering about." Anyway, now I have another bond with Maddie and with any of the rest of you who've read The Little Prince.

In our Relief Society book group we read Pearl Buck's The Hidden Flower this month. It sparked all kinds of discussion because it's about Japanese-American relationships and all of us here are into those. That group hasn't always had a lot to discuss. But I love the way our online book group is Family and we all have lots to share. So what's the "mission" for our December books, Rae? Love you each! Mim

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks

Quite a technical read, but well worth it if you are interested in the subjects of neurology and music. Sacks uses several case studies to illustrate how music interacts with the brain and disease for good and bad. He discusses seizure disorders (sometimes music can cause a seizure), "brainworms" or sticky tunes (that song you just can't get our of your head), amusia, dysharmonia, perfect pitch, savants, blindness, synesthesia, amnesia, aphasia, dyskinesia, phantom limbs, dystonia, Tourette's syndrome, Parkinsonian disorders, sleep disorders, depression, and dementia. I love this stuff!

I had several thoughts while reading the book:

1. Our brains are phenomenally complex and the fact that they work as well as they do is a testament to me that there is a loving God. I was fascinated by the many times a "broken" brain would adapt itself to bring about "proper" function.

2. There are measurable (and visible by MRIs etc.) changes that take place in our brains when we listen to or experience music. These changes do not show up when we use just verbal language. This fact intrigues me. Obviously, there is a power in music that we don't understand. I believe music is eternal and that it somehow has a divine spark within. When combined with the Spirit, it has great potential and power for good.

3. Most of the music referred to in this book and, indeed, used in music therapy is classical music rather than the more common ilk (not to say that both are not enjoyable). It's almost as if some forms of music are better--especially when used in the healing or therapeutic process. (Although some types of music--or rhythms--can make patients worse rather than better).

4. I was deeply touched by one woman who was described as becoming a widow "inch by inch" as she watched her husband slip gradually deeper into dementia. It made me think of Dad/Grandpa. It must be difficult for him at times to watch Mom/Grandma gradually slip away (although, FYI, he is saying things like, "When she goes," or "When she's gone, I'll do thus and such" -- I think he's mentally prepared now for her to go when the Lord decides her time has come).

5. I was really intrigued with one case study that Sacks talked about that involved a SEVERE amnesia patient and his wife (Clive and Deborah Wearing). She wrote a book about the experience called Forever Today and I have ordered it through Amazon. Mim, if you were as interested in their story as I was, I will hang on to the book for you.

Is it a good group read or not?

You are quite correct, Abby, in stating that not every book is a good one for a book group to read. I love westerns and mysteries and, with a few exceptions, they just don't lend themselves to discussion. They are what they are. The good guy shoots the bad guy and gets the rancher's daughter. The butler did it. I think a group book should have a strong theme (not necessarily controversial), some interesting characters, and a great setting. The author should be trying to make a point about something! Non-fiction books, unless they somehow fit those criteria (or the subject matter is something the group is interested in), often don't work.

There are a multitude of books out there that fit the bill, and more and more have book group discussion guides in the back of them...which makes me laugh! (Now that you've read my book, here's how my publisher thinks you should discuss it...) That's one reason that Oprah's picks are often chosen...they almost always deal with an emotional or icky/bizarre/unpleasant situation, or memorable characters that everyone can identify with...by the way, I've gotten so I can hardly stand most of the contemporary fiction being written for that reason. I don't want all the pathos and drama anymore!

I also think some of the burden falls on the members of the group. I think that was the main problem with my last group. A couple members just didn't really want to read...they came because of the social connections. Which was ok most of the time because we all need that at some point. I think a member should be reading the book knowing that discussion is going to take place. Take notes (either on paper or in the book itself). Write down questions. Share favorite passages. If you disliked the book, make it known. My group always loved to hear why a person disliked the book and that almost always made for more good discussion (like the time I went off on Mr. Rochester and Jane's most dysfunctional relationship...). Too often the members don't really discuss the book. They dance around it and say that they liked it or disliked it but don't analyze or explain why. And, like any relationship, a good group takes time to develop. And when the group reaches that point, they must be careful who they allow to join (or how many people they have).

Even with Twilight (which I have yet to read) the discussion could be about why a BYU student, presumably a Mormon, would choose to write about vampires. I think that's an intriguing question in itself...one which could take off on many tangents. When we read The Da Vinci Code we talked very little about the plot, because that's all it is...plot. We talked about all the historical religious stuff that may or may not have been true. Because we had a couple of non-LDS people in the group, that was an intense discussion. I wouldn't (and didn't) have chosen that book for a group read. I have been surprised at what has worked and what has not. And each group is different because of the the members' personalities.

The Good Earth (Buck) and Follow the River (Thom) elicited the most interesting discussions in my CA group. Two other good ones were Peace Like a River and The Life of Pi. Most classics work too, because they almost always have strong themes and characters.

I like our blog approach a lot because it frees us from the discussion element in many ways. By reading our own choices, we also eliminate the feelings of resentment that can sometimes build up in a book group...i.e. feeling like "this book is a waste of my time, but I have to read it anyway." Which then can create nonproductive guilt in some people...like me.

I'm having a great time coming up with the parameters of our monthly read. Using said parameters, you ladies can then stretch yourselves according to the seasons/desires/busyness in your life. I think it's working well. The main point is to read and learn and broaden our horizons and show those we interact with on a daily basis that there is merit to the act of reading.

On a side note...I couldn't sleep last night and so I listend to a podcast (I love my birthday Ipod) of NPR's Fresh Air broadcast. Being interviewed was none other than Oliver Sacks, who is the author of Musicophilia (my selection for October). It was fun to hear an interview before I started the book. Sacks has a slight speech impediment...he says his r's like Elmer Fudd...Music and the Bwain. Somewhat amusing at 2 in the morning...

Happy reading!