Hello, I would like to submit this link for an article which a friend sent
to me recently:

  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/healthscience/134327382_brain12.html

What I understood it to say was that, among some classical music lovers,
if they suddenly find themselves more attracted to pop music than their
traditional staple, then there tends to also be a correlative decrease
in their brain functions.  And although the article was not explicit,
I understood classical music to be defined largely by the output of
the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods, i.e.  tonal music.

Then my question is, what about "modern" classical music? What does
the new appreciation of some of the less tonal composers say about
brain function? I think this is a legitmate question, because a lot of
people-- smart people-- who like "classical" music are not that enthralled
by Bartok or Piston (I know some of you might not consider Bartok and
Piston "modern", but for the purposes of this posting let us please agree
that they are!).  So, if I've been a lifelong adherent of tonality, and
then one day I realize that Haydn,Mozart and Bach are kind of boring, but
instead of finding an interest in pop music I gravitate towards Bartok and
the like, does this mean that a change has occured in my cognitive
functions? And if so, in what direction?

hector aguilar