We attended a concert Sunday afternoon that was truly pleasurable. But while I sat there listening I could not help reflecting on the intense motor skills required and amazing amounts of neural processing for a violinist, cellist and pianist, of different sexes, and different nationalities to play some very demanding music together as one. I mention their diversity from an evolutionary point of view. Clearly this skill is common across all humans, and has been with us from the beginning.
The ears of a musician, especially a violinist, are highly sensitive and accurate. They can hear even the slightest errors in intonation or rhythm, and they need to be able to correct these errors immediately. This requires years of training and practice, along with an acute awareness of the music and the nuances of sound. Playing in a trio, such as a piano trio, requires additional skills beyond playing solo. Musicians must be able to communicate effectively with each other to synchronize their playing and create a cohesive sound. They must also be able to listen to each other carefully and adjust their playing accordingly. This requires excellent communication, cooperation, and ensemble skills. This realization got me to wondering what possible evolutionary pressure could have developed such capability in our hunter-gatherer ancestors? Music is something I did not introduce into the Runners Series until well into the series, and I struggled to find its role in the first humans who were focused on finding food and not being killed, than on the subtleties of perfect pitch. A review of the literature provides some theories about the potential benefits that musical ability may have offered to our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
One theory suggests that music and rhythmic abilities may have played a role in social bonding and communication. This may have been particularly important for early humans who lived in small, tight-knit communities where social connections were essential for survival. Music and rhythm may have helped to synchronize individuals within a group, fostering a sense of unity and cooperation.
Another theory suggests that musical abilities may have been linked to cognitive development, including language skills. This may have provided a survival advantage in early humans by enhancing communication and allowing for the transmission of knowledge and skills from one generation to the next.
Overall, the exact evolutionary pressures that led to the development of exceptional musical abilities are not well understood.
No surprise. It is likely that musical skills and sensitivities have played a role in human social and cognitive development throughout our history as a species, but it seems we will have to look elsewhere for an explanation of why our species alone has such highly refined abilities.
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