The Psychology Of Music

Question 1

What do we need to do to identify the psychology of music?

Answer 1

Differentiate it from musicology. Musicology is about the technical music theory itself, not about how people respond to music.

Question 2

When did the Psychology of Music as a discipline emerge?

Answer 2

Mid-19th century = psychoacoustics (the ability to differentiate between different tones etc.)

1930s = books for the psychology of music (e.g., Seashore)

1983 = the first academic journal dedicated to the psychology of music was published (Psychology of Music journal)

Question 3

What are journals of Psychology of Music mainly preoccupied with?

Answer 3

Mental representation of music

How people remember and store memories of music

Mathematical models and rule systems around how music is perceived and preserved by other people

Question 4

How has the study of the Psychology of Music changed since the 19th century to the 21st century?

Answer 4

1990s - qualitative study of music psychology looking more at audiences and what listeners were doing with music. Ethnomusicology - study of music-making (e.g., folk music)

21st century - more quantitative emphasis. Interested in the neuropsychology of music. Looks at brain activity when people are listening to or playing music.

2010: Psychology of Music conference (cognitive, emotion, and education papers in relation to music)

Interdisciplinary music - music therapy, popular music