Course content

Making and listening to music engages a large array of psychological processes. No other activity lights up the brain like music, and no other activity bring about such complex reactions in the brain: when you listen to a melody you can awaken both long gone memories, smells, strong emotions - or experience physical reactions like goose bumps, a lump in the throat, or the flow of tears. This makes music an ideal entry to investigate the human brain and to subjects such as emotions, learning, socialising, and memory. This course will examine different disciplines within the research field of music psychology.

The lectures will address different topics and as a whole will offer a broad introduction within the subject of "Music and the Brain." As we delve into these topics, we will pursue questions like "what is musicality?," "what is music?," and "why do we have music?" We will explore such topics through lectures, in-class discussions, listening, and video.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

A candidate who successfully completes MUSV1120 will

• have an increased theoretical knowledge within the different fields of musicology presented in this course
• have knowledge of the various research communities and research subjects within the disciplinary areas that the course will touch upon

Skills:

A candidate who successfully completes MUSV1120

• can formulate their knowledge in a compelling manner in both written and spoken forms
• has the ability to transfer their knowledge to situations outside the lecture setting

General competence:

A candidate who successfully completes MUSV1120

• has increased knowledge of how music affects humanity, and how this knowledge may be used in many different contexts and many different disciplinary areas

Learning methods and activities

This course contains lectures and seminars in which the students are expected to participate actively.

Compulsory assignments

• Participation in two quizzes

Further on evaluation

The text for the home examination should have a length of circa 4,000-6,000 words.

If the candidate retakes the exam there is no need to retake the compulsory assignments.

Credit reductions