From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia.
Biomusicology is the
study of
music from a biological point
of view. The term was coined by
Wallin (1991). Music is an aspect
of the behaviour of the human and
possibly other species. As humans
are living organisms, the
scientific study of music is
therefore part of
biology, thus the "bio" in "biomusicology".
Biomusicologists are expected
to have completed formal studies
in both biology or other
experimental sciences and
musicology including
music theory. The three main
branches of biomusicology are
evoluntionary musicology,
neuromusicology, and comparative
musicology. Evolutionary
musicology studies the "origins of
music, the question of animal
song, selection pressures
underlying music evolution," and
"music evolution & human
evolution." Neuromusicology
studies the "brain areas involved
in music processing, neural and
cognitive processes of musical
processing," and "ontogeny of
musical capacity and musical
skill." Comparative musicology
studies the "functions and uses of
music, advantages and costs of
music making," and "universal
features of musical systems and
musical behavior." (Brown, Merker,
Wallin 2000, p.5f1.1)
Applied biomusicology "attempts
to provide biological insight into
such things as the therapeutic
uses of music in medical and
psychological treatment;
widespread use of music in the
audiovisual media such as film and
television; the ubiquitous
presense of music in public places
and its role in influencing mass
behavior; and the potential use of
music to function as a general
enhancer of learning." (ibid, p.6)
Zoomusicology, as opposed to
anthropomusicology, is most often
biomusicological, and
biomusicology is often
zoomusicological.
See also:
Cultural evolution.
Source
- Wallin, Merker, and Brown,
eds. (2000). "An Introduction to
Evolutionary Musicology", The
Origins of Music.
ISBN 0262232065.
