Prosodic and melodic processing in adults and children. Behavioral and electrophysiologic approaches

The results of a series of experiments aimed at directly comparing the prosodic level of processing in language with the melodic level of processing in music are reported. The first series of experiments was conducted on adults, musicians and nonmusicians, and the second one on 7- to 9-year-old musician and nonmusician children. However, as this last study is still in progress, only preliminary results will be presented. The theoretic framework within which these experiments are taking place is described. The first problem concerns the specificity of the perceptive and cognitive computations necessary to perceive and understand language. We argue that comparing language with music can provide interesting insights into this complex issue. The second problem is linked to the relationship between different types of learning. Does early musical training influence the way in which musicians process some aspects of language as prosody? These two problems are considered and the results of the experiments are described.