Reflections on the musical mind : an evolutionary perspective / Jay Schulkin.

Author/creator Schulkin, Jay
Format Book
PublicationPrinceton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2013]
Descriptionxiii, 256 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Subjects
Music--Psychological aspects.
Music--Origin.
Musical ability.

Contents Music and the brain: an evolutionary context -- Bird brains, social contact, and song -- Human song : dopamine, syntax, and morphology -- Musical expectations, probability, and aesthetics -- Musical expression, memory, and the brain -- Development, music, and social contact -- Music and dance -- Music and well-being.
Abstract What's so special about music? We experience it internally, yet at the same time it is highly social. Music engages our cognitive/affective and sensory systems. We use music to communicate with one another--and even with other species--the things that we cannot express through language. Music is both ancient and ever evolving. Without music, our world is missing something essential. This book offers a social and behavioral neuroscientific explanation of why music matters. His aim is not to provide a grand, unifying theory. Instead the book guides the reader through the relevant scientific evidence that links neuroscience, music, and meaning. The author considers how music evolved in humans and birds, how music is experienced in relation to aesthetics and mathematics, the role of memory in musical expression, the role of music in child and social development, and the embodied experience of music through dance. He concludes with reflections on music and well-being. This book is a unique and valuable tour through the current research on the neuroscience of music.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 2013003296
ISBN9780691157443 (hardcover)
ISBN0691157448 (hardcover)

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML3830 .S265 2013 ✔ Available Place Hold