David Huron
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.
October 12, 2000
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. Although the formalist tradition in musical aesthetics has remained broadly skeptical of the role of emotion in music perception, it is argued that limbic activation is ultimately essential for the appreciation of music.