Spontaneity and Improvisation
April 17 - 18, 2009
The fourth annual internation symposium on Music and the Brain took place April 17 + 18, 2009 at the Center for Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA).
A Message from Jonathan Berger
Understanding purpose, interpreting intention, accumulating evidence, and formulating expectations constitute a sequence fundamental to virtually all aspects of human existence.
Among the numerous theories put forth amidst the recent flurry of speculation as to the evolutionary basis of music, one hypothesis proposes that music affords a framework for rehearsing components of this sequence.
The neurobiology of decision-making and of expectation-processing represents a growing area of inquiry in cognitive neuroscience. If, indeed, music’s purpose is, at least in part, a means for understanding temporal processing, it follows that investigating the neuroscience of music can provide useful clues to understanding the brain.
It further follows that the broadly pervasive presence of improvisatory aspects of music may be rooted in an adaptation that provides a playground for fine-tuning the sequence of interpretation and decision-making.
Whether or not one considers improvisation an adaptation, spontaneous creativity – the process of making time-critical decisions within a constrained context, and the reactivity associated with extemporaneous performance, including error handling and correction strategies, manipulation and violation of expectation in the time and pitch domains, and the implicit synchronization of thought that characterizes great improvisation all serve as excellent models for studying the neuroscience of formulating decisions and expectations.
Over the next two days we will explore aspects of improvisation and spontaneity in music with the aim of bringing together a broad view of the domain – incorporating scientists, musicologists, and practicing musicians.
Format
The Symposium took place on April 17 and 18, 2009. The two days consisted of presentations by leaders in the field of the neuroscience of music. Each day concluded with live performances to expand on this year’s theme of spontaneity and improvisation. Click here to view the full schedule.
Participants
Click here to view the participants.
The symposium is sponsored in part by the Department of Music.
