Curious Cases

The Melodic Mystery


Listen Later

'Why is my mother tone deaf?' asks listener Simon, 'and can I do anything to ensure my son can at least carry a tune?'

Hannah Fry has a singing lesson with teacher Michael Bonshor to see if he can improve her vocal tone, although things don't quite go to plan.*

We meet Martin who dislikes music intensely because he has the clinical form of tone deafness, known as amusia. Just as people with dyslexia see words differently to other people, if you have amusia you don't hear melodies in the same way.

Adam talks to music psychologist Dr Vicky Williamson from Sheffield University who studies Martin, and others like him, to try and discover why their brains operate differently.

Please send your Curious Cases for consideration to: [email protected]

Presenters: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry

Producer: Michelle Martin

*earmuffs may be required.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Curious CasesBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

723 ratings


More shows like Curious Cases

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,683 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

521 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

893 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,044 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

291 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,425 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,116 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,922 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,848 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

488 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

420 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

243 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

347 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

481 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

351 Listeners

Have You Heard George's Podcast? by BBC Sounds

Have You Heard George's Podcast?

228 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

141 Listeners

Elis James and John Robins by BBC Radio 5 Live

Elis James and John Robins

322 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,188 Listeners

Sport's Strangest Crimes by BBC Radio 5 Live

Sport's Strangest Crimes

65 Listeners

What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel by WTF Productions

What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel

104 Listeners

Uncanny by BBC Radio 4

Uncanny

792 Listeners

Dua Lipa: At Your Service by BBC Sounds

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

998 Listeners

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley by BBC Radio 4

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

494 Listeners

Believe in Magic by BBC Sounds

Believe in Magic

615 Listeners

We Can Be Weirdos by Global

We Can Be Weirdos

193 Listeners

Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

115 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

256 Listeners

Miss Me? by BBC Sounds

Miss Me?

258 Listeners

The History Podcast by BBC Radio 4

The History Podcast

35 Listeners

Rory Stewart: The Long History of... by BBC Radio 4

Rory Stewart: The Long History of...

86 Listeners

Havana Helmet Club by BBC Sounds

Havana Helmet Club

6 Listeners