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Ability to move to the beat of music is genetic
PRINT ALL READINGS (PDF)Music and Genes - Level 0
We all love music. We cannot stop tapping our foot when we listen to it. Moving our body to music is genetic. Our parents pass their sense of rhythm down to us. Researchers found 69 "music" genes. These change how we react to music, and move in sync with beats. The genes also change rhythms like breathing and sleeping.
Researchers said their study is "a leap forward" for understanding the link between genetics and music. They said hundreds of genes change our sense of rhythm. They added that clapping and dancing in sync with music beats "is at the core" of music and us. Doctors could use music and rhythms to make us healthier.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Music and Genes - Level 1
We all love moving to music. We cannot stop tapping our foot or nodding our head when we listen to it. Researchers say moving our body to music is genetic. Our parents pass their sense of rhythm down to us. The study is from a university and a biotechnology company. It found 69 genes that change how we react to music, and how we move in sync with music beats. The genes also change other rhythms, like breathing, walking and sleeping.
Data on 600,000 people gave researchers a "unique opportunity" to find genetic signals. Researchers said their study is "a leap forward" for understanding the links between genetics and musicality. One of the researchers said "many hundreds of genes" can change our sense of rhythm." She said tapping, clapping and dancing in sync with music beats "is at the core of our human musicality". Doctors could use music and rhythms to make us healthier.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Music and Genes - Level 2
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We all love to move to music. We cannot stop tapping our foot or nodding our head when we listen to music. New research says moving our body to music is genetic. Our dancing ability is in our genes. Our parents pass their sense of rhythm down to us. The study is from a university and a genomics and biotechnology company in the USA. Researchers found 69 genes that change how we react to musical rhythms. The different genes affect our ability to move in sync with music beats. The genes also change other biological rhythms, such as breathing, walking and sleeping.
The researchers used data on over 600,000 people. A researcher said the large number of people gave a "unique opportunity" to get "even small genetic signals". He added: "This research represents a leap forward for scientific understanding of the links between genetics and musicality." Another researcher said: "Rhythm is not just influenced by a single gene. It is influenced by many hundreds of genes." She said tapping, clapping and dancing in sync with music beats "is at the core of our human musicality". Doctors could use music and rhythms to make us healthier.
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11 online activities | 8-page printable (PDF)
Music and Genes - Level 3
We all love to move (or groove) to music. At the very least, we cannot resist tapping our foot or nodding our head when we hear music. New research suggests that moving our body to musical beats is genetic. Our dancing ability is in our genes. Parents pass their sense of rhythm down to their children. The study is from the Vanderbilt University in the USA, and the genomics and biotechnology company 23andMe. Researchers found 69 genes that affect how people react to musical rhythms. The researchers said different genes affect our ability to move in sync with music beats. They said the genes work in similar ways to those for other biological rhythms, such as breathing, walking and sleeping.
The researchers used bio-data from over 600,000 people in their research. Researcher Dr David Hinds said: "The large number of…study participants offered a unique opportunity…to capture even small genetic signals." He added: "This research represents a leap forward for scientific understanding of the links between genetics and musicality." Researcher Dr Reyna Gordon said: "Rhythm is not just influenced by a single gene. It is influenced by many hundreds of genes." She added: "Tapping, clapping and dancing in synchrony with the beat of music is at the core of our human musicality." The research could one day help doctors use music and rhythm to make us healthier.
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25 online activities | 27-page printable | 2-page mini-lesson
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