You know those people who are so passionate about music that it seems it dictates their everyday lives? They have a playlist for every mood, a hundred different “favorite” songs, and a portion of their budget specifically dedicated to concert tickets. (I am one of those people.)
Well, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications, our genes might influence our enjoyment of music—which could explain why some people are emotionally moved by it while others just view it as background noise.
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics “wanted to understand whether genetic differences between individuals can result in differences in the pleasure that people derive from music and what these differences can tell us about human musicality in general,” said PhD candidate Giacomo Bignardi, first study author.
Do You Enjoy Music? You Might Have Your Genes to Thank.
To make these discoveries, the researchers used the “twin design” study approach, which basically compares traits between identical and fraternal twins. They analyzed over 9,000 twins’ self-reported music reward, general reward sensitivity, and ability to perceive musical features (e.g., pitch, melody, and rhythm), ScienceDaily reported.
In doing so, the scientists found that the experience of pleasure from music is partially genetic. This includes the way we respond to our enjoyment, such as our emotional reactions or desire to dance along to it.
“These findings suggest a complex picture in which partly distinct DNA differences contribute to different aspects of music enjoyment,” Bignardi explained. “Future research looking at which part of the genome contributes the most to the human ability to enjoy music has the potential to shed light on the human faculty that baffled Darwin the most, and which still baffles us today.”
So whether you’re a metal music fanatic, a die-hard theater kid, or a seasoned pianist, you might just have your parents to thank for your ability to enjoy music.
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