Music Theory Department

T410:Topics in MusicTheory
N399:Honors Seminar

Fall 1996:Music Perception and Cognition of Music (3 cr.)

Prof. Charles P. Schimidt

11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. TR Room M267 (Music Library)

T410/N399 is appropriate for undergraduates majoring in music, music education, or psychology.

Course Description

An undergraduate level course that will explore the acoustical foundations of music, music perception, music cognition, and the nature of musical abilities. Course topics will be as follows: Psychology of Music--philosophical and historical perspectives; fundamentals of music acoustics; physiology of hearing; psychoacoustical foundations--perception of pitch, loudness and timbre; perception of rhythm, cognitive representation of pitch--tonality, melody and harmony; musical ability; affective and physiological responses to music.

Course readings will be drawn from the following:

• Musician's Guide to Perception and Cognition (Butler, D.)
• Music Cognition (Dowling, W. J. &Harwood, D. L.)
• Phychological Foundations of Musical Behavior (Radocy, R. &Boyle, J. D.)
• Handbook of Music Psychology (Hodges,D.)
• The Musical Temperament (Kemp, A.)
• Musical Perceptions (Aiello, R.)

Course Requirements

Readings, class discussion, in-class examinations (3), one course project involving analysis of acoustic and perceptual data, class presentation, final examination.

Undergraduate Music Theory Course Descriptions

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