David Huron
School of Music
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, 2007 February 9
What makes something sound "intimate" or "cute?" How precisely can a musical passage sound "threatening" or "consoling"? Why do people willingly listen to music that makes them sad? Over the past decade, psychological research has helped to illuminate a number of aspects of audition and music perception. This talk provides an introduction to the contemporary experimental research on how sounds evoke emotions. The existing research provides useful insights into a variety of musical issues, including such topics as orchestration, film music, adolescent musical development, and cross-cultural similarities and differences.