This course, together with a continuing course presented in the 2^nd semester, introduce themes, research questions, and research methods in current empirical studies of music perception and cognition, while presenting neuroscientific research concerning the neural mechanisms underlying these highly complex activities. This course explores what we can learn from cognitive psychology and neuroscience on music listening, performance and composition, and how this understanding can be utilized in therapy. Topics include: the perception of basic musical features, the cognition of musical structure, music and emotion, music and language, and music and cross-modal interaction.

The course will be attended jointly by music and neuroscience students. The two groups will separately attend complementary classes introducing basic notions in music theory to neuroscience students and neuroscientific fundamentals to music students.