Chapter 3. The Neurosciences and Music – The outcome of four conferences:
The outcome of four conferences:
Venice 2002, Leipzig 2005, Montreal 2008, and Edinburgh 2011.
Research questions
What are the aims, methods and results of the neuroscientific investigations?
What is the ecological validity of the investigations, that is, the relevance for real music?
What kinds of musical culture are included or implied in the investigations?
What is the potential relevance of neuroscience for music therapy research?
Introduction
This chapter discusses the outcome of four international conferences on The Neurosciences and
Music. The conference in Venice 2002 focused on the perceptual components of music and the
import of musical training. The conference in Leipzig 2005 included studies of music and language,
neurological disorders and music, music performance, and emotion in music. Prominent themes in
the conference in Montreal 2008 were rhythms in the brain, music therapy and neuroscience, and
musical memory. The conference in Edinburgh 2011 included studies of musical imagery, cultural
neuroscience of music, and the role of music in stroke rehabilitation.
The papers published in the proceedings of the three first conferences constitute the basis for
a discussion of research; the proceedings of the 2011 conference were not published at the time of
writing this chapter. In order to provide an overview of research objectives in the neurosciences and
music, the conference papers are summarized in surveys that indicate the aim, procedure and con-
clusion of each paper, a total of 193 studies.^1
Important themes for the discussion and validation of these studies are the use of musical material
as stimulus in experiments, the categories of investigation, and the cultural reference of the studies.
The ecological validity of a study, signified by its relevance for music listening in a real-life context,
depends on the nature of the stimuli used in the experiment. For the evaluation of ecological validi-
ty, the use of synthesized sound, acoustic sounds and real music is reported in a survey of musical
material. For estimation of the cultural orientation of the research, a survey summarizes the cultural
references of the studies.
Moreover, to facilitate an overview, the categories of investigation are grouped into five fields of
research. One field is the investigation of the neural correlates of sound. Another field encompasses
culture, development, and training. A third group of studies focuses on deficits, disorders, therapy,
and recovery. A fourth field of studies includes attention and memory. Finally, a group of studies in-
vestigates embodiment, motion, and emotion.^2
Reports of each conference indicate noteworthy papers, critical comments stated at the conference,
and an evaluation of the achievements and research problems of the studies.
Brain anatomy
The neuroscience papers are often very technical, and presuppose detailed knowledge of brain
anatomy. In order to facilitate the comprehension, a number of illustrations are inserted in the text.
Figure 3.1 provides an overview of the surface of the cerebral cortex. For an overview of cortical and
subcortical structures, see Figure 7.1.
1 Appendices 3.01, 3.02 and 3.03.
2 Appendices 3.05, 3.06 and 3.07.