Music and the Brain

Course overview

Most of what we know about music and the brain has been discovered in the last 20 years. Music is universal across all cultures and, like other arts, is a function of specific social and cultural influences. Listening to or playing music can provide pleasure, joy, and comfort and create life-changing experiences that involve almost every part of our brain. According to neuroscience, listening to or playing even the simplest melody requires the interaction and collaboration of many parts of the brain. The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe the structures, functions, and the effects of music on the brain, and the neurological, physiological and psychological effects of music.