The Melodic Mystery

Curious Cases

BBC

Science

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 2 December 2016

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

'Why is my mother tone deaf?' asks listener Simon, 'and can I do anything to ensure my son can at least carry a tune?'

Hannah Fry has a singing lesson with teacher Michael Bonshor to see if he can improve her vocal tone, although things don't quite go to plan.*

We meet Martin who dislikes music intensely because he has the clinical form of tone deafness, known as amusia. Just as people with dyslexia see words differently to other people, if you have amusia you don't hear melodies in the same way.

Adam talks to music psychologist Dr Vicky Williamson from Sheffield University who studies Martin, and others like him, to try and discover why their brains operate differently.

Please send your Curious Cases for consideration to: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk

Presenters: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry Producer: Michelle Martin

*earmuffs may be required.

Transcript

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0:00.0	It is recording.
0:01.5	We are.
0:02.2	Go.
0:03.0	You can sing.
0:04.0	La la la la la la la.
0:06.3	I think as evidence by this episode, though,
0:08.5	it's probably best if I stay away from singing.
0:10.7	La la la la la la la la.
0:12.6	Is the curious case of, wait, what's it called?
0:16.4	The tone deaf person.
0:18.6	Mum.
0:19.5	Whaaat?
0:21.3	The melodic mystery.
0:22.6	Great name, Michelle.
0:24.2	Very good name.
0:25.2	We've got some good names coming up.
0:26.4	This is the brand new series of the curious cases
0:29.4	of me, Dr. Rutherford and me, Dr. Henfheim.
0:31.9	And I'm pretty excited.
0:32.9	I'm not going to lie to you.
0:34.2	This is what we've all been waiting for.
0:37.0	It is all year.
	...

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