The many benefits of a child-free life

ladyislingering · 12-01-2013, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Down

Then we waited until all the babies were born, and at 3 months of age 19 of them came back (one woman had unfortunately learned that her baby was completely deaf. She moved in the womb only because she could feel the vibrations). So we played the same version of Twinkle Twinkle again, but this time with an altered note. The babies were happy and laughing until the wrong note - all the babies just froze up with a confused look, and one actually cried a bit, lol. By that age, babies are capable of a basic interpretation of the sounds around them, based on what they heard while in the uterus. So that's why they were all confused by the wrong note.

The deaf child could literally feel the vibration of the music? That's incredible.

I wonder if any of those children will grow up to be fascinated with music, or to be more inclined to learn music theory.

Burning Down · 12-01-2013, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyislingering

The deaf child could literally feel the vibration of the music? That's incredible.

I wonder if any of those children will grow up to be fascinated with music, or to be more inclined to learn music theory.

We assumed so, based on the mother reporting fetal movement during the 8 month test. At that point, ears are fully developed in a normal baby, so since we learned her baby was born deaf I can only assume that the ears were not developed at all, and that small vibrations from the loud sound is what caused the movement or excitement.

There have been studies done with deaf people of all age ranges being able to enjoy music through vibrations. That's a whole other fascinating topic that also helps us understand how hearing people (i.e. you and me) enjoy music not only through sound, but also through the vibrations.

I'd also be interested to know if those babies (toddlers now I guess) have shown an interest in music or learning music. And not from those Baby Mozart DVD's or whatever they're called, either (those irritate me since they don't actually enhance cognitive musical development at all). I mean through actual teacher-student lessons, dancing to songs on the radio, and going to see the symphony when they do special concerts for children.

Babies have perfect hearing. Hearing declines as one ages so that's why babies are preferred for this research.

ladyislingering · 12-02-2013, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Down

We assumed so, based on the mother reporting fetal movement during the 8 month test. At that point, ears are fully developed in a normal baby, so since we learned her baby was born deaf I can only assume that the ears were not developed at all, and that small vibrations from the loud sound is what caused the movement or excitement.

There have been studies done with deaf people of all age ranges being able to enjoy music through vibrations. That's a whole other fascinating topic that also helps us understand how hearing people (i.e. you and me) enjoy music not only through sound, but also through the vibrations.

I wonder how the development [of ears] is different for children who are born deaf (what could possibly contribute to this disability, if the development was somehow delayed in the womb compared to babies born with hearing ability, etc.) and how it could possibly be treated prior to that crucial stage. I bet science will find a way, someday, to perform surgery from within, just as soon as they figure out how (and if) these things can be altered.

I wonder how music feels (since they can't hear) to the deaf, and if the feeling is something on an emotional level.

djchameleon · 12-02-2013, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyislingering

I wonder how music feels (since they can't hear) to the deaf, and if the feeling is something on an emotional level.

I'm sure it is similar to the feeling/vibrations that you get when you are at a concert and you can feel the bass vibrating through you.

ladyislingering · 12-02-2013, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I'm sure it is similar to the feeling/vibrations that you get when you are at a concert and you can feel the bass vibrating through you.

But do you think there's a chance that they may be able to differentiate between the vibration itself and certain nuances (so that they may be able to be affected, emotionally, by music, in the same way that someone with hearing would)?

djchameleon · 12-02-2013, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyislingering

But do you think there's a chance that they may be able to differentiate between the vibration itself and certain nuances (so that they may be able to be affected, emotionally, by music, in the same way that someone with hearing would)?

I honestly don't think so but I'll let it up to BD to answer that question since she has done more research on the subject than myself.

Burning Down · 12-02-2013, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyislingering

But do you think there's a chance that they may be able to differentiate between the vibration itself and certain nuances (so that they may be able to be affected, emotionally, by music, in the same way that someone with hearing would)?

A deaf person's other 4 senses are extremely heightened, to make up for the lack of hearing. Feeling of sound (feeling the vibrations) in deaf people is actually sensed by the area of the brain normally used to process sound waves picked up by the ears. The brain then attaches emotions to this. From a study done at the University of Washington:

Quote:

“These findings suggest that the experience deaf people have when ‘feeling’ music is similar to the experience other people have when hearing music. The perception of the musical vibrations by the deaf is likely every bit as real as the equivalent sounds, since they are ultimately processed in the same part of the brain,” says Dr. Dean Shibata, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Washington.

Brains of deaf people rewire to ‘hear’ music | UW Today

My absolute favourite example of deafness and music perception and composition is Beethoven. A lot of his later works make extensive use of lower frequency notes (heavy bass), and now we understand that he did this because he could "feel" those notes better than pitches of a higher frequency. Beethoven, after his hearing was completely gone, had chopped the legs off his piano so that he could compose music whilst laying on the floor to feel the notes, because he couldn't hear them. Symphonies 8 and 9 were composed in this fashion. Beethoven worked on the 9th Symphony for 7 years, from 1817 until 1824, due to his complete deafness. He also worked on choral parts for this symphony (like the Ode to Joy chorus).

Symphony 8

Symphony 9, Movement 4 (you probably already know this one but here it is). You'll notice heavier bass in this piece.

The unfortunate part is that Beethoven did not get to hear his own compositions. He had no idea what they sounded like, if they were great or disastrous. He only saw the music on paper.

The Batlord · 12-02-2013, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyislingering

I knew from the time I was just a little girl that the motherhood thing wasn't in my genes - it wasn't something I wanted to do. I probably held my sister twice when she was a baby. Since then I've never held a child - I don't know what to do with them (how do you even handle those squirming creatures with shit-bags on their bums?) and when they start making their horrific, unsavory noises, it's even worse.

After twenty-seven years I've still never held a baby and I have no particular desire to. If he threw up on me I'd stick my finger down my throat and give him a taste of his own medicine. And god help him if he ****s in his diaper.

ladyislingering · 12-02-2013, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Down

A deaf person's other 4 senses are extremely heightened, to make up for the lack of hearing. Feeling of sound (feeling the vibrations) in deaf people is actually sensed by the area of the brain normally used to process sound waves picked up by the ears. The brain then attaches emotions to this. From a study done at the University of Washington:

Brains of deaf people rewire to ‘hear’ music | UW Today

My absolute favourite example of deafness and music perception and composition is Beethoven. A lot of his later works make extensive use of lower frequency notes (heavy bass), and now we understand that he did this because he could "feel" those notes better than pitches of a higher frequency.

The unfortunate part is that Beethoven did not get to hear his own compositions. He had no idea what they sounded like, if they were great or disastrous. He only saw the music on paper.

Is it odd to say that I actually have tears in my eyes right now? That's seriously amazing. The capabilities of the human brain are so vast and magnificent. (Plus I just love learning about cool stuff, so without saying too much, I really appreciate everything you just posted.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

After twenty-seven years I've still never held a baby and I have no particular desire to. If he threw up on me I'd stick my finger down my throat and give him a taste of his own medicine. And god help him if he ****s in his diaper.

My mother told me that when I was a baby, she was hovering me over her face (I don't understand why parents do this, they should know better) and bouncing me or some weird thing, and I vomited on her face.

It was in her mouth.

Seriously. That's repellent enough.

Dr_Rez · 12-07-2013, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

After twenty-seven years I've still never held a baby and I have no particular desire to. If he threw up on me I'd stick my finger down my throat and give him a taste of his own medicine. And god help him if he ****s in his diaper.

Great image. Baby throws up in Bl's mouth, BL retaliates by throwing up in babies mouth. Like a couple of baby birds.

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