Music and dancing are things that human beings have inherited from their earliest ancestors. Just like humans, these two areas have seen a lot of changes throughout the centuries too. Music has been one of the oldest ways for people to express themselves on a deeper level and in a more touching way. Music, though it may be just a simple beat or the sound coming from certain instruments, can rock anyone into motions, and without even knowing, people find themselves swaying to their favorite beat. Interestingly, humans aren't the only ones who enjoy music. Many studies suggest that the California sea lion and rhesus macaques also respond to music playing by keeping up with the beats.

Move to the Rhythm

Most people are naturally able to move to the rhythm and enjoy the music, "most" being the keyword. Some people have been reported not to be able to synchronize their body's movement to auditory cues. This is owed to the damage or malfunctioning of certain parts of the brain, such as the basal ganglia, which is essential for procedural learning and governing the voluntary motor function.

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A Cognitive Psychologist and a Musician?

Cognitive psychologist Daniel Levitin started his career as a musician but soon began to develop an interest in the study of music and its effect on the brain. He is also the author of two books named This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of Human Obsession and The World in Six Songs: How The Musical Brain Created Human Nature. He mentions how he had dropped out of college to pursue his musical career full time but only to rejoin later to learn about the mystery behind it.

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The History of Music and Dancing

He also shed light on the history of music and dance by stating that there is rarely any evidence indicating that music dates way back. This is due to its auditory nature and that there are no traces but, there are some indications that give us an idea that music was prevalent in the past, mainly because the oldest artifacts found seem to be bone flutes. Another indication regarding dancing comes from the scripture and the drawing on the artifacts, which show people dancing.

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Many observers have confirmed that even tribes around the world, who seem to be completely detached from modern civilization, are strongly connected with music and dancing, using both of them as their primary way to entertain themselves after a long day of hunting. Maybe it's true; maybe music does make the world go around...