Sign-In
Cart
The Musicality Within: A Scientific Perspective on Music Obsession (The Stuff We're Made Of Book 2)
Hardcover
CognitionGeneral MusicGeneral Psychology
ISBN13: 9781647436247
Publisher: Pkcs Media, Inc.
Published: May 22 2026
Pages: 266
Weight: 1.16
Height: 0.75 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Why Does Music Have Such Power Over the Human Mind?
Why can a sequence of sounds trigger obsession, pleasure, memory, and meaning-sometimes more powerfully than words?
The Musicality Within is a deep, interdisciplinary exploration of music as a biological, neurological, and cognitive phenomenon. Drawing from neuroscience, physics, engineering, psychology, and music theory, Chris Young Kelly takes readers inside the brain to uncover why music matters, how we perceive it, and what makes it universally compelling across cultures.
This is not a music appreciation book-and it's not pop psychology. It's a rigorous scientific investigation into the mechanisms that make music one of the most powerful forces in human experience.
This book explores:
Why musical scales emerge across cultures-from Western tuning systems to Chinese twelve-tone scales
How the brain processes sound, from auditory signals to perception in the cortex
The role of prediction and learning in shaping melody and rhythm
Why some harmonies feel pleasurable while others create tension
How music engages reward systems, synchronization, and emotional regulation
The neurological basis of repetition, craving, and musical obsession
Engineering models that explain music processing as a dynamic system
A Holistic Scientific Perspective on Music
Rather than treating music as abstract art, The Musicality Within examines it as a biological signal shaped by evolution and neural efficiency. You'll see how predictive coding drives expectation and surprise, how rhythm links to pleasure and social bonding, and how consonance and dissonance reflect measurable brain responses.
The result is a unified framework connecting sound, brain, emotion, and meaning-no advanced science required, only curiosity.
The Musicality Within offers a rare, intellectually honest answer to one of humanity's oldest questions:
Why does music move us so deeply-and so universally?
If you've ever felt that music was doing something to you-and wanted to understand exactly what that was-this book delivers the explanation.
2 different editions
Also available
The Musicality Within: A Scientific Perspective on Music Obsession (The Stuff We're Made Of Book 2)
Kelly, Chris Young
Hardcover
The Musicality Within: A Scientific Perspective on Music Obsession (The Stuff We're Made Of Book 2)
Kelly, Chris Young
Paperback
Also from
Kelly, Chris Young
The Musicality Within: A Scientific Perspective on Music Obsession (The Stuff We're Made Of Book 2)
Kelly, Chris Young
Hardcover
The Musicality Within: A Scientific Perspective on Music Obsession (The Stuff We're Made Of Book 2)
Kelly, Chris Young
Paperback
Also in
General Music
Less Noise, More Soul: The Search for Balance in the Art, Technology and Commerce of Music
Flitner, David
Paperback
Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other--And the World
Windolf, Jim
Hardcover
The Little Guide to Dolly Parton: It's Hard to Be a Diamond in a Rhinestone World
Hippo! Orange
Hardcover
David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God: A Spiritual Meditation on His Music and Creativity
Ormerod, Peter
Hardcover
Color & Frame - Bible Coloring: Psalms: 63 Coloring Pages with Bible Verses Christian Devotional Book Gift for Women, Adults, Teens & Faith-Based Rela
New Seasons
Publications International Ltd
Paperback
A Life in Lyrics: The Official Creative Legacy of Freddie Mercury
Mercury, Freddie
Austin, Mary
Hardcover
Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & the Dark Heart of the Hippie Dream
McGowan, David
Paperback
Musicality: How you too can learn music like a gifted prodigy, unlock your musical instinct, and unleash your inner natural.
Sutton, Christopher
Hardcover
The Last Leaf: Reflections on Late-Life Creativity--And My Longest Love Affair
Nelson, Willie
Hardcover
The Madman's Orchestra: The Greatest Curiosities from the History of Music
Brooke-Hitching, Edward
Hardcover
Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm
Charnas, Dan
Paperback
Taylor Swift by the Book: The Literature Behind the Lyrics, from Fairy Tales to Tortured Poets
Feder, Rachel
Tatreau, Tiffany
Hardcover
The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Bass Horn, Band, and Hard Work
Quinones, Sam
Hardcover
3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool
Kaplan, James
Paperback
The Spirit of Ani: Reflections on Spirituality, Feminism, Music, and Freedom
Rosen, Lauren Coyle
Difranco, Ani
Hardcover
Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great in the Age of Enlightenment
Gaines, James R.
Paperback
Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011
Goodman, Lizzy
Paperback
What Happened to Your Hair?: How We Played Loud... Loved Proud... and Never Backed Down... Together
Nelson, Matthew
Nelson, Gunnar
Hardcover
Play It! Children's Songs (Level 1): A Superfast Way to Learn Awesome Songs on Your Piano or Keyboard
Kemmeter, Jennifer
Marrone, Antimo
Paperback
Color & Frame - Bible Coloring: Hymns (Adult Coloring Book)
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Paperback
Hitchcock and Herrmann: The Friendship and Film Scores That Changed Cinema
Smith, Steven C.
Hardcover
Lift Every Voice and Sing II Pew Edition: An African American Hymnal
Church Publishing Incorporated
Hardcover
We're Having Much More Fun: Punk Archives for the Present from Cbgb to Gilman and Beyond
Peraino, Judith A.
McEnaney, Tom
Paperback
ATEEZ Coloring Book for ATINY: Relaxation, Fun, Creativity, (Large Print Edition)
Ftw, Kpop
Paperback
Wonder, Love, and Praise Pew Edition: A Supplement to the Hymnal 1982
Church Publishing Incorporated
Paperback
Richard Manuel: His Life and Music, from the Hawks and Bob Dylan to the Band
Lewis, Stephen T.
Hardcover
Songwriting Without Boundaries: Lyric Writing Exercises for Finding Your Voice
Pattison, Pat
Paperback
Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves
Riva, Chris Dalla
Hardcover
Unfinished: The Role of the Artist in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Santiago, Lucas Cantor
Hardcover
Sellout: The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994-2007)
Ozzi, Dan
Paperback
And on Piano ...Nicky Hopkins: The Extraordinary Life of Rock's Greatest Session Man
Dawson, Julian
Paperback
A Method for Prayer: With Scripture-Expressions, Proper to Be Used Under Each Head
Henry, Matthew
Paperback
The Mysticism of Sound and Music: The Sufi Teaching of Hazrat Inayat Khan
Khan, Hazrat Inayat
Paperback
I.W.W. Little Red Songbook: Nineteenth Edition from 1923 with All of the Classic Hits
Hill, Joe
Paperback
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970
Lewisohn, Mark
Paperback
Pink Floyd All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track
Guesdon, Jean-Michel
Margotin, Philippe
Hardcover