Diana Deutsch Books

In this groundbreaking synthesis of art and science, Diana Deutsch, a leading expert on the psychology of music, reveals how illusions in music and speech—many of which she discovered—have transformed our understanding of the brain. These remarkable illusions demonstrate significant differences in how individuals perceive musical patterns, reflecting variations in brain organization and the influence of language on music perception. Drawing from diverse fields such as psychology, music theory, linguistics, and neuroscience, Deutsch tackles profound questions: What constitutes the "real" music during a symphony performance? Is it in the mind of the composer, conductor, or audience members? She also delves into extremes of musical ability and unexpected reactions to music and speech. Why is perfect pitch so rare? What causes some individuals to hallucinate music or speech? Why do we experience phantom words or get stuck on "earworms"? Deutsch examines how repeated exposure can lead us to hear spoken phrases as sung. She argues that music and speech are intertwined, originating from an early form of communication that encompassed elements of both. The illusions she describes are so striking that they invite listeners to engage with the sounds while reading about them.