Amusia: Do You Suffer From It?
This question will determine whether or not you have an incurable medical condition: Can you sing the popular Adele song “Someone Like You” without missing a note? If the answer’s “no,” then you may want to diagnose yourself with “amusia.” 1 in 10 North Americans suffer from it, but it’s more than not being able to carry a tune. Being amusic means a person not only lacks musical ability, they can’t hear pitch, can’t process rhythm, or can only sing in a monotone.
Dr. Daniel Levitin is a psychology professor at McGill University, and he says normal people have some musical ability. For example, if I played the piano and hit the wrong note, you’d know, but Amusics can’t tell.
They also can’t decipher tones in songs, which means they’ll never be able to sing them correctly.
Dr. Levitin says amusic-ism is caused by a combination of disruptions in the brain, which hurts the area responsible for sounds.
So, next time you’re at karaoke bar and hear an off-key singer, keep in mind that they may not be a bad singer, but rather, “amusic.”
