Music in the Middle: A Culture-Cognition-Mediator Model of Musical Functionality

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Musicology
• Cultural Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Music is a universal human phenomenon, yet its understanding is often culture-specific.
• Disagreements exist regarding the study of music's ontology and epistemology.
• The duality of music presents a challenge for researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a culture-cognition-mediator model for understanding music.
• To situate music as a mediator in the cycle of culture and self.
• To bridge the gap between universal and culture-specific aspects of music.

Main Methods:

• Integration of concepts from musical grammars and schema.
• Application of theories from developmental and cultural psychology.
• Incorporation of recent findings in cognitive neuroscience.

Main Results:

• Presents a conceptual model supported by existing empirical evidence.
• Demonstrates the bidirectional causality between individuals and their cultural environments.
• Highlights music's role as a mediator in this relationship.

Conclusions:

• The culture-cognition-mediator model offers a framework for resolving tensions in music research.
• Discusses epistemological implications, including transdisciplinarity and hybrid methods.
• Suggests empirical applications, testable predictions, and insights into music's evolutionary origins.