,,musicophilia
                   by
              ,oliv] ,sacks

  ,*apt] #ac3 ,an ,auditory ,_w3 ,music
                 & ,bl;s

  ,:5 ,i 0 gr[+ up 9 ,london 9 ! 
#aicj's1 ,i especi,y 5joy$ ! visits ( 
,5rico1 ! piano tun]1 :o wd -e e few 
mon?s 6tune \r pianos4 ,we _h an up"r &a
gr&1 & s9ce "ey"o 9 ! family play$1 !y 7
alw gett+ \ ( tune4 ,once :5 ,5rico 0 
ill1 a sub/itute tun] came--a tun] :o1 
6my amaze;t1 got >.d )\t a :ite /ick & 
cd app>5tly see norm,y4 ,up 6t po9t1 ,i 
_h assum$ t1 l ,5rico1 all piano tun]s 7
bl4
  ,i ?"\ ( ? ye>s lat] 9 reg>d 6my fr 
,j]ome ,brun]1 = 9 a4i;n 6his _m o!r 
gifts1 he is imm5sely s5sitive 6music &
possesses extraord9>y p[]s ( musical 
memory & imagery4 ,:5 ,i ask$ hm ab ^!1
he sd t he did n -e f a musical family b
t he 0 born ) 3g5ital cat>acts1 n op]at$
on until he 0 two4 ,he 0 func;n,y bl 9 8
f/ two ye>s1 see+ only li<t & %ad[ & "s
move;t 2f 8 cat>acts 7 remov$--& ?1 he 
?"\1 =c$ hm 6focus on s.ds ( all sorts1
especi,y voices & music4 ,? special s5-
sitiv;y 6! auditory has /ay$ ) hm all 8
life4
  ,x 0 simil> ) ,m>t91 my musical savant
pati5t1 :o wore ?ick peb# glasses l 
,j]ry ,brun]2 ,m>t9 _h be5 born ) v se-
v]e f>si<t$;s1 m ?an tw5ty diopt]s1 : 0 
n diagnos$ & correct$ until he 0 alm 
?ree4 ,he too m/ h be5 func;n,y bl z an
9fant1 2f he _h glasses4 ,did ? play a 
"p 9 mak+ hm a musical savant8
  ,! image (! bl musician or ! bl poet
has an alm my?ic reson.e1 z if ! gods h
giv5 ! gifts ( music or poetry 9 -p5s,n 
=! s5se !y h tak5 away4 ,bl musicians &
b>ds h play$ a special role 9 _m cul-
tures1 z w&]+ m9/rels1 c\rt p]=m]s1 re-
ligi\s cantors4 ,= c5turies1 "! 0 a tra-
di;n ( bl *ur* organi/s 9 ,europe4 ,"! 
>e _m bl musicians1 especi,y 7?\< n ex-
clusively7 9 ! _w ( gospel1 blues1 & 
jazz--,/evie ,wond]1 ,ray ,*>les1 ,>t
,tatum1 ,jose ,feliciano1 ,rahsaan ,rol&
,kirk1 & ,doc ,watson >e only a few4 ,_m
s* >ti/s1 9de$1 h 8,bl0 a4$ 6_! "ns alm 
z an honorific3 ,bl ,lemon ,je6]son1 ! 
,bl ,boys ( ,alabama1 ,bl ,willie 
,mc,tell1 ,bl ,willie ,johnson4
  ,! *annel+ ( bl p 96musical p]=m.e is
"ply a social ph5om5on1 s9ce ! bl 7 p]-
ceiv& z 2+ cut (f f _m o!r o3up,ns4 ,b
social =ces "h >e mat*$ 0/r;g 9t]nal =-
ces4 ,bl *n >e (t5 precoci\sly v]bal &
develop unusual v]bal memories2 _m ( !m
>e simil>ly drawn 6music & motivat$ 
6make x c5tral 6_! lives4 ,*n :o lack a
visual _w w natur,y 4cov] or cr1te a ri*
_w ( t\* & s.d4 99#a
  ,at l1/ "! >e _m anecdotes 6su7e/ ?1 b
,adam ,ockel=d has mov$ 2y ^! casual ob-
s]v,ns 6sy/ematic /udies 9 ! la/ tw5ty 
ye>s or s4 ,ockel=d has "w$ z a music 
t1*] at a s*ool =! bl1 & is n[ director
( $uc,n at ! ,royal ,n,nal ,9/itute (! 
,bl 9 ,london4 ,he has be5 especi,y 
3c]n$ )a r>e 3g5ital 3di;n1 septo-optic
dysplasia1 : l1ds 6visual impair;t1 "s-
"ts relatively mild b (t5 prof.d4 ,"w+ )
,l9da ,pr+1 ,graham ,wel*1 & ,d>old 
,tre6]t1 he -p>$ ?irty-two families ( *n
) ? 3di;n 6an equal numb] ( 3trol fam-
ilies4 ,half (! *n ) ,,sod _h no vi.n or
cd p]cv only li<t or move;t 7!y 7 rank$ 
z 8bl072 ! o!r half 7 8"pi,y si<t$40 
,ockel=d et ;al4 not$ t "! 0 f> m 9t]e/
in music am;g ! bl &! "pi,y si<t$ ?an 
am;g ! fully si<t$4 ,"o "m1 sp1k+ ( h]
sev5-ye>-old bl dau<t]1 sd1 8,h] music 
is alw ) h]4 ,if "! is n music play+1 %e
is s++4 ,%e li/5s 6music :ile 9 ! c>1 
:ile fall+ asleep1 & loves 6play ! piano
& any o!r 9/ru;t40
  ,?\< ! "pi,y si<t$ *n al %[$ a hei<t5$
9t]e/ 9 music1 excep;nal musical abil-
ities 7 obs]v$ only 9 ! bl *n--abilities
t surfac$ spontane\sly1 )\t any =mal 
t1*+4 ,?us x 0 n ,,sod z s* b ! degree
( bl;s1 ! fact ( n hav+ a significant 
visual _w1 t play$ a key role 9 /imulat+
! musical prop5sities & abilities (! bl
*n4
  ,9 v>i\s o!r /udies1 ,ockel=d f.d t 
#dj 6#fj p]c5t (! bl *n he tau<t _h ab-
solute pit*1 &a rec5t /udy 0,hamilton1
,pascual-,leone1 & ,s*laug al f.d t #fj
p]c5t ( bl musicians _h absolute pit*1 z
oppos$ 6p]h #aj p]c5t am;g si<t$ musi-
cians4 ,9 norm,y si<t$ musicians1 e>ly
musical tra9+ 72f ! age ( six or ei<t7
is crucial 9 ! develop;t or ma9t5.e ( 
absolute pit*--b 9 ^! bl musicians1 ab-
solute pit* 0 -mon ev5 :5 musical tra9+
_h be5 />t$ relatively late1 "s"ts z 
late z adolesc;e4
  ,a ?ird or m (! human cortex is 3c]n$
) vi.n1 & if visual 9put is su45ly lo/1
v ext5sive reorganiz,ns & remapp+s may
o3ur 9 ! c]ebral cortex1 )! develop;t1
"s"ts1 ( 9t]modal s5s,ns ( all sorts4
,"! is m* evid;e1 f ,pascual-,leone & 8
coll1gues z well z o!rs1 99#b 6%[ t 9 ^?
born bl or e>ly bl9d$1 ! massive visual
cortex1 f> f rema9+ func;n.s1 is reallo-
cat$ 6o!r s5sory 9puts1 especi,y he>+ &
t\*1 & 2comes specializ$ =! process+ (
^!4 99#c ,ev5 :5 bl;s 2g9s lat] 9 life1
s* realloc,n c o3ur4 ,nad9e ,gaab et 
;al41 9 _! /udy ( "o late-bl9d$ musician
) absolute pit*1 7 a# 6%[ ext5sive acti-
v,n ( bo? visual-associ,n >1s :ile he 
li/5$ 6music4
  ,fr$]ic ,g\g\x1 ,rob]t ,zatorre1 & 
o!rs 9 ,montr1l h %[n t 8bl p >e bett]
?an si<t$ 3trols at judg+ ! direc;n (
pit* *ange 2t s.ds1 ev5 :5 ! spe$ ( 
*ange is t5 "ts fa/] ?an t p]cvd 03-
trols--b only if !y 2came bl at an e>ly
age40 ,a t5fold di6];e "h is extraor-
d9>y--"o does n usu,y 5c.t] a :ole ord]
( magnitude di6];e 9 a basic p]ceptual
capac;y4
  ,! exact neural correlates "uly+ mu-
sical skills 9 ! bl h n yet be5 fully 
def9$1 b >e 2+ 9t5sively /udi$ 9 ,mon-
tr1l & else":4
  ,9 ! m1n"t1 we h only ! iconic image 
(! bl musician1 ! l>ge numb]s ( bl musi-
cians 9 ! _w1 descrip;ns (! frequ5t mu-
sical;y ( bl *n1 & p]sonal memoirs4 ,"o
(! mo/ b1uti;l ( ^! is ! autobiography (
,jacques ,lusseyran1 a writ] & h]o (! 
,fr5* ,resi/.e :o 0 gift$ music,y & 
play$ ! cello z a boy ev5 2f 2+ bl9d$ at
! age ( sev54 ,9 8 memoir1 ..,& ,"! ,0
.,li<t1 he emphasiz$ ! imm5se import.e (
music = hm af he lo/ 8 si<t3
  ,! f/ 3c]t hall ,i "e 5t]$1 :5 ,i 0 
ei<t ye>s old1 m1nt m 6me 9 ! space (a
m9ute ?an all ! fa#d k+doms ''' ,go+ 96!
hall 0 ! f/ /ep 9 a love /ory4 ,! tun+
(! 9/ru;ts 0 my 5gage;t ''' ,i wept )
gratitude e "t ! or*e/ra 2gan 6s+4 ,a _w
( s.ds =a bl man1 :at su45 grace6 ''' 
,=a bl p]son music is n\ri%;t ''' ,he 
ne$s 6rcv x1 6h x adm9i/]$ at 9t]vals l
food ''' ,music 0 made = bl p4
----------------------------------------
,,footnotes
#a4 ,9de$1 we all "s"ts block \ ! visual
  _w 6focus on ano!r s5se4 ,my "f 0 fond
  ( improvis+1 ?9k+1 at ! piano4 ,he wd
  get 96a sort ( r"eie & play )a dr1my 
  look1 8 eyes clos$1 z if translat+ 
  /rai<t 6! keybo>d :at he 0 he>+ 9 8 
  m9d4 ,& he wd (t5 close 8 eyes 6li/5
  6a record or ! radio4 ,he wd alw say t
  he cd he> music bett] :5 8 eyes 7 
  clos$--he cd exclude visual s5s,ns & 
  imm]se hmf fully 9 an auditory _w4
#b4 ,see1 = 9/.e1 ,am$i1 ,m]abet1 ,b]m-
  pohl1 & ,pascual-,leone1 #bjje4
#c4 ,p ) 3g5ital or acquir$ bl;s may 2 
  a# 6=m fairly a3urate & detail$ audi-
  tory maps ( _! imm 5viron;t4 ,! acqui-
  si;n ( s* a p[] 0 b1uti;lly describ$
  0,john ,hull 9 8 book .,t\*+ .! 
  .,rock4