Subject Code
MUS
Course Number
220
Course Title
The Musical Brain
Course Description
This course examines the subjective experience and neural substrates of music perception and performance.Each week the class participates in a dialog between musicians and neuroscientists that examines both the experiential and mechanistic approach to music by asking questions such as "What makes something musical" and "how are the complex sounds of music processed by the brain?". The relationships of music to language, emotion and memory will be examined in detail. Theories of motor learning will be discussed and applied to musical performance. The course explores the development of the musical mind from infancy to adulthood and asks the question, "How are the brains of composers, conductors, and performers different?" Evidence of the efficacy of music therapy and the impact of music on mental health are evaluated. Finally, the evolution of musicality in animals and humans explained.
Grading Basis
OPT - Student Option
Add Consent
No Special Consent Required
Units
3
Credit Hours Max
3
Repeatable
No
Cross Listed Courses
Requirement Designation
Natural Sciences(*)