Course Description:

Psychoacoustics is a field which integrates cognitive psychology and the physiology of hearing to enhance our understanding of music perception. Through Psychoacoustic principles such as temporal gestalt perception, auditory stream analysis, pitch perception, among others, we are able to investigate the nature of how we are, as well as the emotional impact of sound.

In this course, we will use the lens of perception to provide a comprehensive overview of music without limitation to aesthetic or tradition. Musical parameters that we will discuss include temperament, temporality, range, timbre, texture, form, musical quotation, style hybridity, process-based works, contemporary approaches to harmony, rhythm, orchestration, and the role of performer agency in interpreting and shaping musical outcomes.

We we listen to a wide range of music, exploring various musical approaches which I encourage you to investigate what deeply resonates with you artistically and why. Examples of composers we will discuss include Kaija Saariaho, John Adams, Unsuk Chin, Alvin Lucier, Caroline Shaw, Steve Reich, Christopher Cerrone, Morton Feldman, Andrew Norman, Ted Hearne, and Reena Esmail, among others.