Music Listening, Music Therapy, Phenomenology and Neuroscience

Appendix 3.02 Survey of The Neurosciences a

nd Music I

I

Conference 2005

From Perception to Performance

Title, Category

Aim

Mus. Material, Cultural Ref.

Technology & Proce

dure

Main focus of interest

Conclusion

19P. Rusconi et al.

(195

-197)

Pitch height

Cat. 1: Pitch

To test whether sound frequency (pitch height) elicits a mental spatial representation

1) Single

tone and a reference

tone

(SNI)

2-3) Single

tone played by a

wind or a percussion instrument

CR: Neutral

1) Determine whether the tone is higher or

lower than

the reference by pressing one of two keys

2-3

) Indicate wind

or percussion by

press

ing one

of two keys

1 & 2: Nonmusicians.

3: Trained musi

cians

Comparing reaction time and accuracy in compatible condition (upper key press for high pitches) and incompatible condition (lower key press for high pitches)

Pitch height influenced performance consistently with vertically aligned

responses

irrespective of its relevance to the task, suggesting that the cognitive system maps pitch onto a mental representation of space