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Varieties of musical experience
Jamshed J Bharucha1, Meagan Curtis, Kaivon Paroo
1Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA. Jamshed.Bharucha@tufts.edu
Cognition
|January 18, 2006
Summary
Music cognition uses acoustic and auditory codes to create conscious experiences like structure recognition, affect, and motion. This communication framework highlights diverse musical domains and their impact on perception.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Music Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Music cognition is complex, with diverse domains making a single defining structure elusive.
- Understanding music's impact on conscious experience requires examining its communicative nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a theoretical framework for music cognition based on acoustic and auditory codes.
- To explore how these codes elicit conscious experiences such as structure recognition, affect, and motion.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of music cognition.
- Examination of acoustic and auditory codes in music.
- Case studies of conscious experiences evoked by music.
Main Results:
- Music functions as a communication system using formal codes (acoustic patterns and auditory representations).
- These codes elicit diverse conscious experiences, including the recognition of structure, emotional responses (affect), and the perception of motion.
Conclusions:
- Music cognition is best understood as a communication process involving codes that evoke conscious experiences.
- The framework accommodates the diverse domains within music and its varied perceptual effects.
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