Music and Existentialism: Ellison Was Right!

Lauren sent me a link to this interesting story in USA Today that suggests that musicians are identifying their unique selves when they create music:

From Eric Clapton to Miles Davis to Yo-Yo Ma, we’ve long heard that when musicians improvise, they’re engaged in an intensely personal pursuit. A pair of scientists have scanned musicians’ brains and now say that’s true.

More precisely, when musicians improvise, they’re using the same part of the brain that responds to a simple request: Tell me about yourself.