The Creative Drummer: An EEG-Based Pilot Study on the Correlates of Emotions and Creative Drum Playing

Overview

Journal Brain Sci

Publisher MDPI

Date 2023 Jan 21

PMID 36672069

Authors

Rafael Ramirez-Melendez

Xavier Reija

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

It is reasonable to assume that emotional processes are involved in creative tasks and the generation of creative ideas. In this pilot study, we investigate the emotional correlates in professional drummers during different degrees of creative music playing. Ten participants performed three tasks: repetitive rhythmic drum playing, pattern-based improvisation, and attention-intensive free improvisation, while their EEG activity was recorded. Arousal and valence levels were estimated from the EEG data at baseline and for the three tasks. Results show significantly increased levels of valence (i.e., increased prefrontal right alpha power compared to prefrontal left alpha power) during pattern-based and free improvisation relative to baseline, and significantly increased levels of valence during free improvisation relative to pattern-based improvisation. These results seem to indicate that positive emotion (characterized as increased valence) is associated with the creation of original ideas in drum playing and that the freer the creative process, the greater the positive effect. The implication of these results may be of particular relevance in the fields of music-based therapeutic interventions and music pedagogy.

Citing Articles

Advances in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience: Ten Highly Cited Articles Published in in 2022-2023.

Zhang Y Brain Sci. 2024; 14(5).

PMID: 38790439 PMC: 11118003. DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050460.

References

Razoumnikova O . Functional organization of different brain areas during convergent and divergent thinking: an EEG investigation. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2000; 10(1-2):11-8. DOI: 10.1016/s0926-6410(00)00017-3. View

Berkowitz A, Ansari D . Expertise-related deactivation of the right temporoparietal junction during musical improvisation. Neuroimage. 2009; 49(1):712-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.08.042. View

de Manzano O, Ullen F . Goal-independent mechanisms for free response generation: creative and pseudo-random performance share neural substrates. Neuroimage. 2011; 59(1):772-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.07.016. View

Bowden E, Jung-Beeman M, Fleck J, Kounios J . New approaches to demystifying insight. Trends Cogn Sci. 2005; 9(7):322-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2005.05.012. View

Folley B, Park S . Verbal creativity and schizotypal personality in relation to prefrontal hemispheric laterality: a behavioral and near-infrared optical imaging study. Schizophr Res. 2005; 80(2-3):271-82. PMC: 2817946. DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2005.06.016. View

Razumnikova O . Gender differences in hemispheric organization during divergent thinking: an EEG investigation in human subjects. Neurosci Lett. 2004; 362(3):193-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.02.066. View

Ghodousi M, Pousson J, Voicikas A, Bernhofs V, Pipinis E, Tarailis P . EEG Connectivity during Active Emotional Musical Performance. Sensors (Basel). 2022; 22(11). PMC: 9185252. DOI: 10.3390/s22114064. View

Runco M . Creativity. Annu Rev Psychol. 2004; 55:657-87. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141502. View

Bazanova O, Aftanas L . Individual measures of electroencephalogram alpha activity and non-verbal creativity. Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2008; 38(3):227-35. DOI: 10.1007/s11055-008-0034-y. View

10.

Shemiakina N, Danko S . [Changes in the power and coherence of the beta2 range in subjects performing creative tasks using emotionally significant and emotionally neutral words]. Fiziol Cheloveka. 2007; 33(1):27-33. View

11.

Donnay G, Rankin S, Lopez-Gonzalez M, Jiradejvong P, Limb C . Neural substrates of interactive musical improvisation: an FMRI study of 'trading fours' in jazz. PLoS One. 2014; 9(2):e88665. PMC: 3929604. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088665. View

12.

Razumnikova O, Volf N, Tarasova I . [Strategy and results: sex differences in electrographic correlates of verbal and figurative creativity]. Fiziol Cheloveka. 2009; 35(3):31-41. View

13.

McPherson M, Barrett F, Lopez-Gonzalez M, Jiradejvong P, Limb C . Emotional Intent Modulates The Neural Substrates Of Creativity: An fMRI Study of Emotionally Targeted Improvisation in Jazz Musicians. Sci Rep. 2016; 6:18460. PMC: 4698722. DOI: 10.1038/srep18460. View

14.

Razumnikova O . Creativity related cortex activity in the remote associates task. Brain Res Bull. 2007; 73(1-3):96-102. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2007.02.008. View

15.

Fink A, Grabner R, Benedek M, Neubauer A . Divergent thinking training is related to frontal electroencephalogram alpha synchronization. Eur J Neurosci. 2006; 23(8):2241-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04751.x. View

16.

Krug R, Molle M, Dodt C, Fehm H, Born J . Acute influences of estrogen and testosterone on divergent and convergent thinking in postmenopausal women. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003; 28(8):1538-45. DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300200. View

17.

Henriques J, Davidson R . Left frontal hypoactivation in depression. J Abnorm Psychol. 1991; 100(4):535-45. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.100.4.535. View

18.

Liu S, Chow H, Xu Y, Erkkinen M, Swett K, Eagle M . Neural correlates of lyrical improvisation: an FMRI study of freestyle rap. Sci Rep. 2012; 2:834. PMC: 3498928. DOI: 10.1038/srep00834. View

19.

Fink A, Benedek M, Grabner R, Staudt B, Neubauer A . Creativity meets neuroscience: experimental tasks for the neuroscientific study of creative thinking. Methods. 2007; 42(1):68-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2006.12.001. View

20.

Petsche H . Approaches to verbal, visual and musical creativity by EEG coherence analysis. Int J Psychophysiol. 1996; 24(1-2):145-59. DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8760(96)00050-5. View