Harvard College
Fall Term, 2008-2009 Academic
Year
September 15 – December 16, 2008
Mind/Brain/Behavior
91: Music & The Brain
Wednesdays 6:30 – 9:30 PM
William James Hall, 13th Floor, Room
1305
No Sections
Syllabus
Updated September 17, 2008
Faculty
Mark Jude Tramo, MD,
PhD
Director,
The Institute for Music & Brain Science
Department
of Neurology, Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts General Hospital
Steering
Committee, Harvard University Mind/Brain/Behavior Interfaculty Initiative
Board of Honors Tutors, Department of Psychology, Harvard
University
Teaching Affiliate, Department of Biology, Harvard University
Research Affiliate, Research Laboratory of Electornics, M.I.T.
Songwriter
Member, ASCAP
Office
hours by appointment, The Institute for Music & Brain Science, 175
Cambridge St, Suite 340, Room 382, Boston
Course Description
MBB 91:
Music & The Brain, now
in its 12th year in the FAS courses of instruction (formerly
Psychology 987b), takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding neural
systems
governing music perception, performance, and cognition. The course begins with
a series of lectures by Professor Tramo that provides students with diverse
backgrounds a common fund of knowledge in functional neuroanatomy, auditory
neurophysiology, psychoacoustics, cognitive psychology, and music. Thereafter, individual seminars focus
on specific themes, such as pitch perception, harmony perception, emotion and
meaning in music, development, and creativity. Seminars are designed to help students: 1) understand
methodologies currently used to investigate physical-perceptual-neural
correlates; 2) cultivate analytical skills through critical appraisals of
"primary-source" experimental literature published in peer-reviewed
science, medical, music, and education journals; and 3) develop oral
presentation skills in a supervised setting. Semi-weekly reading and homework problem sets from the
required text, Rossing's Science of Sound, solidify working knowledge of basic concepts (e.g.,
resonance, decibels, scales) needed for the advanced readings that are the
springboard for each seminarÕs provocative discussions of neuroscientific data
collection and analysis methods, results, interpretation, and corroboration. By
the end of the course, students will have both a broad understanding of
empirical research in cognitive neuroscience and specific knowledge about brain
mechanisms mediating music perception and performance.
Prerequisites
Secondary
school mathematics and physics. No music background necessary. If you are not familiar with the
vocabulary of music, get the Harvard Dictionary of Music, which is listed below
under Recommended Books and is available at the Coop and Harvard University
Press bookstore on Massachusetts Avenue, the Music Library, and on-line.
Books (available at Harvard Coop unless otherwise noted; if
the Coop is sold out, getting the books via Amazon is highly recommended
– Professor Tramo is connected with a charitable organization and would
be glad to help – please email mtramo@hms.harvard.edu)
Required
The
Science of Sound, Rossing, Moore, and Wheeler, 2001
Weekly
Articles from Professional Journals posted at www.BrainMusic.org ->
Go to the
Education link -> InstituteÕs eLibrary -> download the assigned pdf
Recommended
The
Harvard Dictionary of Music: Fourth Edition, D.M. Randel (Editor), 2003
Introduction
to the Psychology of Hearing, 5th Edition, Brian Moore, 2003
The
Psychology of Music, 2nd Edition, Diana Deutsch (Editor), 1999
Music,
Language, and the Brain,
Aniruddh D. Patel, 2007
Requirements & Grading
¥ Weekly
attendance and participation in seminar discussions that reflects you have read the
assigned journal papers (20-25%)
¥
Performance on homework problem sets (35-40%)
¥ Oral
presentations of papers using overheads or powerpoint at 2-3 seminars (35-40%; first
presentation is not graded to allow for practice and feedback)
¥ No exams,
no term papers
¥ Check www.BrainMusic.org Education link for updated Syllabus and
Homework assignments
Lecture & Seminar Schedule
September 17: Lecture I
¥ Course Overview
¥ Music Cognition
¥ Human Brain Organization
Professor Tramo
Homework Due Sept. 24th
Reading
Tramo MJ, Music of the Hemispheres Science 2001;
291:54-56
Tramo MJ, Brain & Music in Randel D (Ed), Harvard
Dictionary of Music, 4th Ed, 2003
Rossing T, Science of Sound, Chapter 3;
Problem Sets
Rossing T, Chapter 3 Review Questions 1, 3, 6,
7, 8
Sept 19tht
Study Card due for Sophomores, Juniors,
Seniors, & Graduate Students
Sept 22nd
Study Card due for Freshmen
September 24: Lecture II
¥ Experimental Methods in Neuroscience and
Psychology
¥ Structure and Function of the Auditory
Nervous System
Professor Tramo
Oct 1st
Last day to drop or add a course without
incurring a fee
October 1: Seminar I
¥ Psychophysics &Functional
Neuroanatomy of Pitch Perception
Study Section Team A & Professor Tramo
October 8: Seminar II
¥ Functional Neuroanatomy & Neural
Coding of Pitch Perception
Study Section Team B & Professor Tramo
October 15: Seminar III
¥ Psychophysics & Cognitive Psychology
of Harmony Perception
Study Section Team C & Professor Tramo
Oct 13th
Last day to drop or add a course or change to
or from letter-graded or pass/fail.
October 22: Seminar IV
¥ Functional Neuroanatomy,
Neurophysiology, & Neural Coding of Harmony
Study Section Team D & Professor Tramo
Oct 27th
Last day to petition to withdraw from a
course.
October 29: Seminar V
¥ Cognitive Psychology & Functional
Neuroanatomy of Melody Perception
Study Section Team E & Professor Tramo
November 5: Seminar VI
¥ Cognitive Psychology & Functional
Neuroanatomy of Rhythm Perception & Production
Study Section Team F & Professor Tramo
November 12: Seminar VII
¥ Neurophysiology & Psychodynamics of
Musical Creativity
Study Section Team G & Dr. Aaron
Berkowitz, Harvard Music Department
November 19: Seminar VIII
¥ Cognitive Psychology &
Neurophysiology of Emotion & Meaning in Music
Study Section Team H & Professor Tramo
November 26: Seminar IX
¥ Development of Musical Competence
Study Section Team I & Professor Tramo
December 3: Seminar X
¥ Auditory Capacities in Animals&
Music Evolution
Study Section Team J & Professor Tramo
December 10: Seminar XI
¥ Intelligence & Talent in Music &
the Arts
Study Section Team K, Professor Howard
Gardner, Harvard School of Education,
Professor Ellen Winner, Boston College
Department of Psychology, & Professor Tramo
END