research topics involving music

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120 Music Research Paper Topics

How to choose a topic for music research paper:.

Music Theory Research Paper Topics:

• The influence of harmonic progression on emotional response in music
• Analyzing the use of chromaticism in the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach
• The role of rhythm and meter in creating musical tension and release
• Examining the development of tonality in Western classical music
• Exploring the impact of cultural and historical context on musical form and structure
• Investigating the use of polyphony in Renaissance choral music
• Analyzing the compositional techniques of minimalist music
• The relationship between melody and harmony in popular music
• Examining the influence of jazz improvisation on contemporary music
• The role of counterpoint in the compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven
• Investigating the use of microtonality in experimental music
• Analyzing the impact of technology on music composition and production
• The influence of musical modes on the development of different musical genres
• Exploring the use of musical symbolism in film scoring
• Investigating the role of music theory in the analysis and interpretation of non-Western music

Music Industry Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of streaming services on music consumption patterns
• The role of social media in promoting and marketing music
• The effects of piracy on the music industry
• The influence of technology on music production and distribution
• The relationship between music and mental health
• The evolution of music genres and their impact on the industry
• The economics of live music events and festivals
• The role of record labels in shaping the music industry
• The impact of globalization on the music industry
• The representation and portrayal of gender in the music industry
• The effects of music streaming platforms on artist revenue
• The role of music education in fostering talent and creativity
• The influence of music videos on audience perception and engagement
• The impact of music streaming on physical album sales
• The role of music in advertising and brand marketing

Music Therapy Research Paper Topics:

• The effectiveness of music therapy in reducing anxiety in cancer patients
• The impact of music therapy on improving cognitive function in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
• Exploring the use of music therapy in managing chronic pain
• The role of music therapy in promoting emotional well-being in children with autism spectrum disorder
• Music therapy as a complementary treatment for depression: A systematic review
• The effects of music therapy on stress reduction in pregnant women
• Examining the benefits of music therapy in improving communication skills in individuals with developmental disabilities
• The use of music therapy in enhancing motor skills rehabilitation after stroke
• Music therapy interventions for improving sleep quality in patients with insomnia
• Exploring the impact of music therapy on reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• The role of music therapy in improving social interaction and engagement in individuals with schizophrenia
• Music therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention for managing symptoms of dementia
• The effects of music therapy on pain perception and opioid use in hospitalized patients
• Exploring the use of music therapy in promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety during surgical procedures
• The impact of music therapy on improving quality of life in individuals with Parkinson’s disease

Music Psychology Research Paper Topics:

• The effects of music on mood and emotions
• The role of music in enhancing cognitive abilities
• The impact of music therapy on mental health disorders
• The relationship between music and memory recall
• The influence of music on stress reduction and relaxation
• The psychological effects of different genres of music
• The role of music in promoting social bonding and cohesion
• The effects of music on creativity and problem-solving abilities
• The psychological benefits of playing a musical instrument
• The impact of music on motivation and productivity
• The psychological effects of music on physical exercise performance
• The role of music in enhancing learning and academic performance
• The influence of music on sleep quality and patterns
• The psychological effects of music on individuals with autism spectrum disorder
• The relationship between music and personality traits

Music Education Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of music education on cognitive development in children
• The effectiveness of incorporating technology in music education
• The role of music education in promoting social and emotional development
• The benefits of music education for students with special needs
• The influence of music education on academic achievement
• The importance of music education in fostering creativity and innovation
• The relationship between music education and language development
• The impact of music education on self-esteem and self-confidence
• The role of music education in promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity
• The effects of music education on students’ overall well-being and mental health
• The significance of music education in developing critical thinking skills
• The role of music education in enhancing students’ teamwork and collaboration abilities
• The impact of music education on students’ motivation and engagement in school
• The effectiveness of different teaching methods in music education
• The relationship between music education and career opportunities in the music industry

Music History Research Paper Topics:

• The influence of African music on the development of jazz in the United States
• The role of women composers in classical music during the 18th century
• The impact of the Beatles on the evolution of popular music in the 1960s
• The cultural significance of hip-hop music in urban communities
• The development of opera in Italy during the Renaissance
• The influence of folk music on the protest movements of the 1960s
• The role of music in religious rituals and ceremonies throughout history
• The evolution of electronic music and its impact on contemporary music production
• The contribution of Latin American musicians to the development of salsa music
• The influence of classical music on film scores in the 20th century
• The role of music in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States
• The development of reggae music in Jamaica and its global impact
• The influence of Mozart’s compositions on the classical music era
• The role of music in the French Revolution and its impact on society
• The evolution of punk rock music and its influence on alternative music genres

Music Sociology Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of music streaming platforms on the music industry
• The role of music in shaping cultural identity
• Gender representation in popular music: A sociological analysis
• The influence of social media on music consumption patterns
• Music festivals as spaces for social interaction and community building
• The relationship between music and political activism
• The effects of globalization on local music scenes
• The role of music in constructing and challenging social norms
• The impact of technology on music production and distribution
• Music and social movements: A comparative study
• The role of music in promoting social change and social justice
• The influence of socioeconomic factors on music taste and preferences
• The role of music in constructing and reinforcing gender stereotypes
• The impact of music education on social and cognitive development
• The relationship between music and mental health: A sociological perspective

Classical Music Research Paper Topics:

• The influence of Ludwig van Beethoven on the development of classical music
• The role of women composers in classical music history
• The impact of Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions on future generations
• The evolution of opera in the classical period
• The significance of Mozart’s symphonies in the classical era
• The influence of nationalism on classical music during the Romantic period
• The portrayal of emotions in classical music compositions
• The use of musical forms and structures in the works of Franz Joseph Haydn
• The impact of the Industrial Revolution on the production and dissemination of classical music
• The relationship between classical music and dance in the Baroque era
• The role of patronage in the development of classical music
• The influence of folk music on classical composers
• The representation of nature in classical music compositions
• The impact of technological advancements on classical music performance and recording
• The exploration of polyphony in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach

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The Top 10 Most Interesting Music Research Topics

Music is a vast and ever-growing field. Because of this, it can be challenging to find excellent music research topics for your essay or thesis. Although there are many examples of music research topics online, not all are appropriate.

This article covers all you need to know about choosing suitable music research paper topics. It also provides a clear distinction between music research questions and topics to help you get started.

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What makes a strong music research topic.

A strong music research topic must be short, straightforward, and easy to grasp. The primary aim of music research is to apply various research methods to provide valuable insights into a particular subject area. Therefore, your topic must also address issues that are relevant to present-day readers.

Also, for your research topic to be compelling, it should not be overly generic. Try to avoid topics that seem to be too broad. A strong research topic is always narrow enough to draw out a comprehensive and relevant research question.

Tips for Choosing a Music Research Topic

• Check with your supervisor. In some cases, your school or supervisor may have specific requirements for your research. For example, some music programs may favor a comparative instead of a descriptive or correlational study. Knowing what your institution demands is essential in choosing an appropriate research topic.
• Explore scientific papers. Journal articles are a great way to find the critical areas of interest in your field of study. You can choose from a wide range of journals such as The Journal of Musicology and The Journal of the Royal Musical Association . These resources can help determine the direction of your research.
• Determine your areas of interest. Choosing a topic you have a personal interest in will help you stay motivated. Researching music-related subjects is a painstakingly thorough process. A lack of motivation would make it difficult to follow through with your research and achieve optimal results.
• Confirm availability of data sources. Not all music topics are researchable. Before selecting a topic, you must be sure that there are enough primary and secondary data sources for your research. You also need to be sure that you can carry out your research with tested and proven research methods.
• Ask your colleagues: Asking questions is one of the many research skills you need to cultivate. A short discussion or brainstorming session with your colleagues or other music professionals could help you identify a suitable topic for your research paper.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

A research topic is a particular subject area in a much wider field that a researcher chooses to place his emphasis on. Most subjects are extensive. So, before conducting research, a researcher must first determine a suitable area of interest that will act as the foundation for their investigation.

Research questions are drawn from research topics. However, research questions are usually more streamlined. While research topics can take a more generic viewpoint, research questions further narrow the focus down to specific case studies or seek to draw a correlation between two or more datasets.

How to Create Strong Music Research Questions

Strong music research questions must be relevant and specific. Music is a broad field with many genres and possible research areas. However, your research question must focus on a single subject matter and provide valuable insights. Also, your research question should be based on parameters that can be quantified and studied using available research methods.

Top 10 Music Research Paper Topics

1. understanding changes in music consumption patterns.

Although several known factors affect how people consume music, there is still a significant knowledge gap regarding how these factors influence listening choices. Your music research paper could outline some of these factors that affect music consumer behavior and highlight their mechanism of action.

2. Hip-hop Culture and Its Effect on Teenage Behavior

In 2020, hip-hop and RnB had the highest streaming numbers , according to Statista. Without a doubt, hip-hop music has had a significant influence on the behavior of young adults. There is still the need to conduct extensive research on this subject to determine if there is a correlation between hip-hop music and specific behavioral patterns, especially among teenagers.

3. The Application of Music as a Therapeutic Tool

For a long time, music has been used to manage stress and mental health disorders like anxiety, PTSD, and others. However, the role of music in clinical treatment still remains a controversial topic. Further research is required to separate fact from fiction and provide insight into the potential of music therapy.

4. Contemporary Rock Music and Its Association With Harmful Social Practices

Rock music has had a great influence on American culture since the 1950s. Since its rise to prominence, it has famously been associated with vices such as illicit sex and abuse of recreational drugs. An excellent research idea could be to evaluate if there is a robust causal relationship between contemporary rock music and adverse social behaviors.

5. The Impact of Streaming Apps on Global Music Consumption

Technology has dramatically affected the music industry by modifying individual music consumption habits. Presently, over 487 million people subscribe to a digital streaming service, according to Statista. Your research paper could examine how much of an influence popular music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have had on how we listen to music.

6. Effective American Music Education Practices

Teaching practices have always had a considerable impact on students’ academic success. However, not all strategies have an equal effect in enhancing learning experiences for students. You can conduct comparative research on two or more American music education practices and evaluate their impact on learning outcomes.

7. The Evolution of Music Production in the Technology-driven Era

One of the aspects of music that is experiencing a massive change is sound production. More than ever before, skilled, tech-savvy music producers are in high demand. At the moment, music producers earn about $70,326 annually, according to ZipRecruiter. So, your research could focus on the changes in music production techniques since the turn of the 21st century.

8. Jazz Music and Its Influence on Western Music Genres

The rich history of jazz music has established it as one of the most influential genres of music since the 19th century. Over the years, several famous composers and leading voices across many other western music genres have been shaped by jazz music’s sound and culture. You could carry out research on the influence of this genre of music on modern types of music.

9. The Effect of Wars on Music

Wars have always brought about radical changes in several aspects of culture, including music styles. Throughout history, we have witnessed wars result in the death of famous musicians. If you are interested in learning about music history in relation to global events, a study on the impact of wars on music will make an excellent music research paper.

10. African Tribal Percussion

African music is well recognized for its unique application of percussion. Historically, several tribes and cultures had their own percussion instruments and original methods of expression. Unfortunately, this musical style has mainly gone undocumented. An in-depth study into ancient African tribal percussion would make a strong music research paper.

Other Examples of Music Research Topics & Questions

Music research topics.

• Popular musical styles of the 20th century
• The role of musical pieces in political movements
• Biographies of influential musicians during the baroque period
• The influence of classical music on modern-day culture
• The relationship between music and fashion

Music Research Questions

• What is the relationship between country music and conservationist ideologies among middle-aged American voters?
• What is the effect of listening to Chinese folk music on the critical thinking skills of high school students?
• How have electronic music production technologies influenced the sound quality of contemporary music?
• What is the correlation between punk music and substance abuse among Black-American males?
• How does background music affect learning and information retention in children?

Choosing the Right Music Research Topic

Your research topic is the foundation on which every other aspect of your study is built. So, you must select a music research topic that gives you room to adequately explore intriguing hypotheses and, if possible, proffer practically applicable solutions.

Also, if you seek to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Music , you must be prepared to conduct research during your study. Choosing the right music research topic is the first step in guaranteeing good grades and delivering relevant, high-quality contributions in this constantly expanding field.

Music Research Topics FAQ

A good music research topic should be between 10 to 12 words long. Long, wordy music essay topics are usually confusing. They can make it difficult for readers to understand the goal of your research. Avoid using lengthy phrases or vague terms that could confuse the reader.

Journal articles are the best place to find helpful resources for your music research. You can explore reputable, high-impact journal articles to see if any research has been done related to your chosen topic. Journal articles also help to provide data for comparison while carrying out your research.

Primary sources carry out their own research and cite their own data. In contrast, secondary sources report data obtained from a primary source. Although primary sources are regarded as more credible, you can include a good mixture of primary and secondary sources in your research.

The most common research methods for music research are qualitative, quantitative, descriptive, and analytical. Your research strategy is arguably the most crucial part of your study. You must learn different research methods to determine which one would be the perfect fit for your particular research question.

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200 Best Music Research Paper Topics For Students

Music research topics are an excellent opportunity to trace the history of the development of individual genres or entire eras. You can create an essay or research paper with an emphasis on certain stylistic features, or delve deeper into the technical aspects of album making. Also, the research topics in music allow you to learn more about popular composers, musicians, and individual bands. You can find out the history of creating certain songs or finding out the nuances of the breakup of groups.

While music research paper topics seem easy, it still requires a good outline and reliable sources to gather information. The life of many musicians is very busy, so certain topics for music research papers may require a more thorough analysis. For example, you will need to research the biography and all creation stages of famous music industry personalities.

Any research topic about music should be analyzed, and only verified facts added. You should also avoid using emotional coloring and bias. And don't forget about formatting. Any interesting music topics require clear structuring into paragraphs, lists, and subheadings.

By popular genres & styles

Individual styles are especially appreciated in research paper topics on music. You can choose the genre or group that interests you. This will allow you to get additional motivation and focus more on facts. The main challenge in this case is to find authoritative sources.

• The impact of rock and roll on the modern music industry.
• The basic concepts of creating musical songs.
• Rock performers and their popularity in society.
• Reasons for the negative attitude towards the rock vocalist.
• Rock musicians and problems with the law.
• The nuances of alcohol addiction of rock musicians.
• The main features of creating rock songs.
• Musical agitation as the main motive of rock songs.
• The main reasons for making rock songs.
• Symbiosis of rock and classical music.
• Rock performers and popular musicians.
• The analysis of the creative personality on the example of Kurt Cobain.
• The modern musical trend in culture.
• Top 10 most popular metal groups.
• Why has metal music become so popular?
• The mix of traditional music and heavy metal.
• Analysis of lyrical constructions of metal performers.
• The symbiosis of musical instruments in metal music.
• The analysis of seventh chords in the construction of metal songs.
• The influence of metal on other genres.
• The symbiosis of metal and pop music.
• The influence of metal vocalists on American culture.
• The symbiosis of genres as the reason for the creation of metal.
• The modern icons of the metal scene.
• The best metal bands in the last thirty years.
• The analysis of the dynamics of the popularity of metal bands.
• The modern concerts on the example of metal bands
• Female vocalists in pop music.
• The reason for the creation of numerous female musical groups.
• Pop music as a tuning fork of public morality.
• Why is pop music degrading?
• How can pop music be used to improve college grades?
• The nuances of using pop music in contemporary American culture.
• How can pop music be used to improve mood?
• The symbiosis of pop music and rap culture.
• How does contemporary pop music affect young people?
• The study of pop music in the context of the social culture of Harlem.
• The classic examples of pop artists.
• Madonna: the most popular popes of personalities.
• The analysis of the popularity of Britney Spears.
• Pop icons of the past decade.
• Hip-hop as the basis of the movement for social equality.
• The origins of hip-hop and the reasons for its popularization.
• How does hip-hop affect contemporary pop artists?
• The analysis of hip-hop performers on the example of the best vocalists of the decade.
• How does hip-hop allow athletes to train?
• Modern hip-hop and new musical trends.
• The symbiosis of hip-hop and metal music.
• How does hip-hop motivate people for sporting achievements?
• The analysis of hip-hop performers on the example of female vocalists.
• Modern hip-hop and its impact on youth.
• The main aspects of the integration of hip-hop music in the modern community.
• All technical aspects of creating hip-hop music.
• The classic approach to the formation of hip-hop motives.
• The analysis of the structure of hip-hop songs.
• The best hip-hop artists of the last decade.
• The stages of the formation of jazz as a separate musical genre.
• Why is jazz so popular these days?
• The nuances of studying jazz musical combinations.
• How Jess influences the structuring of student learning.
• The nuances of jazz performers in modern America.
• The best American jazz performers.
• Jazz as the most structured musical theory.
• How can you quickly learn to create jazz compositions?
• The influence of jazz on the cultural and political elite of the United States.
• Can jazz replace other musical styles?
• Jazz fusion as an example of musical prowess.
• The technical aspects of creating a pentatonic scale in a jazz style.
• The selection of jazz musicians.
• The development of jazz in the United States.
• The main reasons for the popularization of jazz in modern society.
• Blues and its influence on the development of the music industry.
• The symbiosis of blues and jazz.
• Can the Blues be compared to classical music?
• How do contemporary artists use the Blues in pop music?
• Historical context creation of blues compositions.
• How does the Blues affect rock music?
• Can the Blues help students learn?
• How blues musicians are developing in the USA.
• Can blues be used as a springboard for classical music production?
• The best US blues artists of the last 20 years.
• Blues performers of the last ten years.
• The influence of the blues on the formation of other genres.
• The analysis of the statistical popularity of the blues.
• The critical aspects when creating Blues compositions.
• The selection of blues parties when creating music.
• The influence of classical music on pop culture.
• The classical music and the best composers of the last century.
• Beethoven and his best works.
• How did Mozart influence classical music?
• Is the symbiosis of jazz and classical music possible?
• The structure of making classical music.
• The stages of the formation of classical music in modern society.
• Can you replace pop culture with classical music?
• How does classical music affect the psychological state of people?
• The classical music and symbiosis with opera.
• The basic concept of the analysis of classical music.
• A technical comparison of the mastery of classical composers.
• The choice of classical music for the mood.
• The classical music and its influence on rock culture.
• The main technical aspects of creating a score.

The region is important for those looking for musical topics for research paper. Most genres of European music and some information about composers are open to general use. If your research topic on music is aimed at analyzing the Arab countries, then you will need more time looking for reliable information. The fact is that not all Muslim archives are in the public domain.

Western music

• The features of musical motives of Western music.
• The history of Western music with real examples.
• How has Western music changed over the past two hundred years?
• Is it possible to combine Western music with European motives?
• The features of the use of traditional Western musical instruments.
• How do Western countries use music for meditation?
• Western music in the context of modern society.
• The role of Western music in the life of native people.
• How melodic is oriental music?
• The stages of the formation of Western music in American culture.

European music

• European music and modern trends.
• British pop bands and their worldwide popularity.
• How popular are German pop bands in the USA?
• European music and national musical instruments.
• How does European music affect well-being?
• The analysis of European music with specific examples.
• Top 10 of the greatest European musical groups.
• The analysis of European music on the example of instrumental groups.
• The best pop music performers in Europe.
• How does pop music influence the development of culture?

Asian music

• Asian music: the example of ethnic trends.
• The influence of Asian music on world culture.
• The main musical instruments of Asia.
• Can you compare Asian music with European motives?
• How has Asian music changed over the past hundred years?
• The nuances of creating Asian music.
• How does Asian music influence contemporary cinema?
• The best Asian performers.
• Top 10 Asian vocalists who have conquered the whole world.
• Do national instruments influence the creation of Asian music?

By history periods

You can use music appreciation research paper topics to analyse a specific period in history. Baroque, Renaissance and other eras are especially relevant for research as they allow you to see the history of the development of music. You can concentrate on a specific time period and the most famous composers.

• Medieval music and its influence on the Crusades.
• The major trends in the medieval music industry.
• The influence of kings on the creation of medieval music.
• The main musical instruments in medieval Europe.
• Musical instruments in Central Asia during the Middle Ages.
• What kind of music was popular in the Middle Ages.
• How difficult was the life of a musician in the Middle Ages?
• The analysis of medieval music on modern examples.
• How has contemporary music influenced pop culture?
• Historical aspects of the creation of medieval music.
• The influence of medieval music and culture.
• The rhythmic pattern of medieval music.
• The medieval music during the feast.
• The influence of medieval music on classical music.
• The medieval music channel and musical comparison.

Renaissance

• The dawn of musical culture during the Renaissance.
• The analysis of Renaissance music with specific examples.
• How has Renaissance music influenced contemporary pop culture?
• The analysis of Renaissance music as a constructive masterpiece.
• The nuances of Renaissance music and, most importantly, musical instruments.
• How difficult is it to reproduce Renaissance music in today's environment?
• The analysis of structural compositions of the Renaissance.
• Renaissance music as a tuning fork of public morality.
• How has music changed since the Renaissance?
• Can Renaissance music be used to create a modern instrumental ensemble?

Baroque Age (XVI-XVIII)

• The influence of politicians on the formation of music during the Baroque period.
• How has Baroque influenced contemporary instrumental music?
• The nuances of musical constructions during the Baroque period.
• How has the baroque influenced modern instruments?
• The nuances of the Baroque in the context of the complexity of musical compositions.
• The main effect of the Baroque in contemporary music.
• The historical aspects of the creation of the Baroque as a separate genre of music.
• The influence of the Baroque on the creation of contemporary musical groups.
• The analysis of the structure and musical motives of Baroque in detail.
• Baroque in contemporary music.
• The nuances of creating songs in the Baroque style.

Classical Age (XVIII-XIV)

• The Classical Age of music in modern society.
• How did the Classical Age influence the formation of musical trends?
• The general concept of the Classical Age in instrumental music.
• The nuances of creating music based on the Classical Age.
• How did the Classical Age influence the creation of pop culture?
• The theory of creating musical compositions on the example of the Classical Age.
• The general factors of the Classical Age in instrumental music.
• The main trends and popular instruments of the Classical Age.
• The main musical compositions of the 14th century.
• The main factors in the creation of musical compositions in the 13th century.

Romantic Era (XIV-XX)

• The Romantic Era and its impact on contemporary music.
• The main principles of structuring music into the Romantic Era.
• Features of creating instrumental compositions in the Romantic Era.
• The Romantic Era and modern music trends.
• The main factors influencing the Romantic Era in the music industry.
• Key figures in the music industry and their passion for the Romantic Era.
• How did the Romantic Era form the modern style?
• How has the Romantic Era influenced rhythmic music?
• The Romantic Era in the music industry.
• The main aspects of the formation of the Romantic Era in musical culture.
• Making marching music in the Romantic Era.
• Features of creating musical compositions.
• The technical aspects that influenced modern romantic motives.

Modern Era (XX-XXI)

• Jazz music as a phenomenon of the modern roar the influence of the modern era on instrumental music.
• Technical aspects of hip-hop and Reggae.
• How is contemporary classical music created?
• Can modern music genres be combined to create something new?
• Why is the modern music industry stagnating?
• The aspects of contemporary music.
• How does instrumental music affect culture?
• Contemporary music and technical innovation.
• How is contemporary music created?
• The nuances of creating hip-hop albums.

How To Write On Music Related Research Topics

By choosing topics about music for an essay, you get the opportunity to prepare a detailed paper work with facts, genre nuances and detailed biographies of famous musicians. You need to stick to the formatting and your outline. Find reliable information for music history research topics and talk about the emergence of certain genres.

Music business research topics are especially important, as you need to consider not only the stylistic but also the commercial nuances of the bands. For example, you can prepare detailed data on annual music tours or album sales.

All music appreciation presentation topics require detailed factual focus, which can be difficult for many people. If you are not ready to do it yourself, then we can help you.

Our service will solve your problem with music research topics high school. We also guarantee that you will get a good grade. We will help you organize all the nuances so that your music history paper topics become a reason for pride and high scores.

An Inspiration List

• popular music | Description, History, & Facts | Britannica
• History of music
• Music History from Primary Sources
• Brief History of Music: An Introduction
• How Music and Instruments Began

206 Best Music Research Topics That Rock The Stage

Music is one of the greatest sensations in human life. If you are writing a music research paper, you have to make sure that the topic is eye-catching. Most importantly, it should move and make you dance yourself. The topic that you are not interested in will not only make you weary, but the results would be unsatisfying too.

That is why our writers have found music research paper topics for you to save the day. We love music very much, and so  our team  offers an Academic paper writing service , so you can trust the word.

Table of Contents

Music Research Topics: History, Technical Music, Contemporary And More

Although our writers mainly offer research paper writing services , they did not hesitate for a bit when we asked them to come up with some music research topics for you. You can use any of these 206 topics for free and modify them to fit your needs and match your taste. Read on!

Music History Research Topics

• Use of songwriting in relation to the political and social situations in Nazi Germany and the French Revolution
• Musical Education between two centuries
• Evolution in the definition of music over the centuries
• Birth of Music in Mesopotamia
• Impact of Arab-Andalusian music on renaissance
• Folklore bands of wind music, a cultural manifestation of the people and for the people
• Harmonic implications studied by Pythagoras
• Music from Ancient Greek
• Importance of Music in Greek Mythology
• Song of the Sirens in the evolution of music
• Greece, music, poetry, and dance
• Athens was a center of musical poets in the BC era
• Classical Greek Style Music
• Yanni: A Musician that fuses Modern and Classical Greek Music into one
• Role of Music in Greek Tragedy
• Famous musical-dramatic pieces
• Heroic poets: Arab poets that formed the basis of European music
• Performances in amphitheaters by singers-actors-dancers
• Classical musician considered himself more of a performer than an author
• Ritual dance with kettledrums around the fire: Musical Traditions of Pagan cultures
• Classification of primitive musical instruments
• Music in China
• Music in Mayan Tradition
• Apache and Native American Music
• How Africans and Columbians formed the modern American music
• The musical theory and the instruments used in Japan
• Bagaki for Japanese Emperor ceremonies
• Evolution of Indian Music
• Music in the Mughal Empire
• Anarkali: A musical myth with a royal background
• Christian Music, Hymns and Choirs

Read More:  Psychology Research Paper Topics

Technical Music research topics

• Similarity measures, including rhythmic and melodic similarity.
• Phylogenetic analysis of music.
• National Center for Music Diffusion
• Mathematical measures of rhythmic complexity and syncopation
• Musical transformations of rhythm and melody
• Automatic analysis of traditional music, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and African music
• The mathematical theory of rhythm
• Musical constructivism
• Model models (MM) and counter models (CM)
• The role of sound design in video games and its application to contemporary independent works
• Mathematical and computational modeling of musical phenomena (grouping, phrasing, tension, etc.)
• A mathematical theory of tuning and temperament systems
• Teaching mathematics through art
• Music visualization
• History of Modern Columbian Music
• Acoustic-instrumental composition, electroacoustic and sound art
• Interpretation and musical investigation
• sound production
• Transcription and music editing
• Recovery of musical heritage
• Studies of music, literature, culture, and colonial anthropology
• Music by European composers of the 16th century (Renaissance)
• Education and technology in educational scenarios of musical training

Read More:  Finance Research Topics

Music Argument Topics

• Visual Media Music Studio
• Music as an important expression in the history of the world
• Conversations about music, culture, and identity
• The architectural space as a link between music and the citizen
• Music Schools for children and young people with limited resources
• Role of practice and need for devotion in learning and acquiring musical skills

Read More:  Accounting Research Topics

Contemporary Music research topics

• Impact of Coke Studio: From Pakistan to take over the world
• Effects of Modern Music on Youth
• Musical Martyrs: Freddie Mercury, Amy Winehouse, Elvis Presley
• Music of Hans Zimmer
• Production and exhibition of contemporary music
• Entertainment and music centres
• Non-formal music schools
• Music and education today
• Contemporary Mexican music
• Satanism movement in modern music
• Western musical history and “modern” music
• Journey of Music: From the Medieval Family to the Modern Family
• Importance of Opera in the modern age
• Evolution of music over time: From orchestra to electric
• Self-management and promotion of independent music
• Music of electric musicians: Alan Walker, Serhat Durmus, Chain Smokers
• Modern Music, A Wonderful Expression
• The idiomatic reality of the English language
• Modern Music in the United States
• Current music pedagogy
• Music education in the twentieth century

Read More:  Research Paper Topics

Classic Music Research Topics

• Classic music of South Asia
• Classic music of Africa
• Classic Arab music, the influence of Soad, Um Kalthum
• What makes classic music so important and why do we still have to reserve it?
• Music of Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms
• Use of classic music in the film
• Beethoven: How he lived, composed and died
• Life and music of Mozart
• Classical music by Afro-American women
• Music in classical films
• Greatest compositions of 19-20th centuries
• Style and compositions of Einaudi
• Music during the classical period
• Classical Music Criticism

Read More:  Business Research Topics

African music research topics

• The Effects of Slave Music on American History and African-American Music
• The use of Afro-Caribbean rhythms for the construction of jazz musical moments
• African folk music of Cuba
• History of African-American Popular Music
• African diversity in music
• The study of the oral and musical traditions of the Afro-Mexicans
• Studies of African Musical History and its Relationship with modern society
• South African influences on American music
• African music in Mali
• African music: South Africa
• Music of the Middle East and North Africa

Read More:  Nursing Research Topics

Pop Culture Music Research Topics

• The pedagogical models of popular music
• Music throughout the decades of musicals
• Brad Paisley and Country Music
• The Effects of Music on the popular culture
• Hip-hop/rap music: One of the most popular musical genres
• The influence of rap music on teenagers
• Irish Music: Music and Touch Other Irish Dance Music

Read More:  Qualitative Research Topics

Music Theory Topics

• Genre and music preferences
• The effect of instrumental music on word recall memory
• Sample Music and Wellness
• The music industry
• The Theme of Death in a Musical 
• The Effects of Globalization on MusicMusic psychology research topics
• The potential of music therapy to develop soft skills at the organizational level
• Listening to music as a way to relieve stress for teens
• The impact of theatricality within contemporary popular music concerts of the psychedelic, glam, and progressive rock genre 
• Trying music as therapy
• How music can help students with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder)
• How can music help reduce work stress and maintain a healthy work environment
• Musical manifestations of man consist of the externalization

Read More:  US History Research Topics

Music Education Research Topics

• New pragmatism in music education
• Importance and effects of musical education
• Philosophy of Music Education
• Music, a tool to educate
• Competencies in music education
• Music as a strategy to encourage children’s effective learning 
• Interconnection between music and education
• Philosophy of musical education

Read More: High School Research Paper Topics

Persuasive Speech Topics About Music

• The music is a true reflection of the essay of American society
• Music and Its Effects on Society 
• Matter Of Metal Music
• Beethoven’s Twelfth Symphony: the second movement of the symphonic essay
• Messages in music
• The benefits of music trial
• Does music affect blood pressure?
• Music Industry Research: An Epic Battle With Youtube
• Entertainment and education Via music
• Whitman’s music as a means of expression
• Music and its Effect on the World
• Music: Essay on Music and Learning Disabilities

Read More:  Political Science Research Topics

Music Controversial Topics

• Whether or not profanations in music corrupts our youth
• Drugs and rock and roll
• Piracy and the music industry
• Music censorship is a violation of freedom of expression
• Music censorship
• The use and overuse of the music

Read More:  Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

Music Industry Topics

• Freedom of expression and rap music
• Censorship in the music industry
• Influence of music on culture
• Analysis of Iranian film music
• Analysis of the Turkish Music Industry
• Analysis of the South Asian Music Industry
• Coke Studio Making and Global Impact
• The digital revolution: how technology changed the workflow of music composers for media
• Video music as matter in motion
• Acoustic and interpretive characteristics of the instruments
• The study of musical composition based on pictorial works
• Musical prosody of the interpretation

Read More:  Social Work Research Topics

Arab Music Research Paper Topic

• Arab music industry: Evolution after colonialism
• Music of Middle
• Umm Kulthum: Effects on global music
• How the Arab music still impacts Asian and American Music
• Effects of Arab music on popular French music
• Turkish and Arab Music: A Beautiful Cultural Fusion
• Arab Heroic Poets of Andalus and how they formed modern European music
• Revival of Arab music through electrical genre

Read More:  Medical Research Topics

Music Thesis Topics

• Film Industry Classical Music
• Finding Meaning in a Musical 
• Music and its effect on my interpretation
• How music can interact with politics
• Musical phrases and the modal centers of interest of the melody 
• Effect of ambient music on sleep trials
• The main characteristics of the musical organization
• Study Of Cadences And Other Harmonic Processes In The Light Of Consonance And Dissonance Theories
• Theoretical-experimental Study Of Percussion, Wind And String Instruments
• Recognition Of The Instruments Of The Orchestra
• Compositive Algorithms Using Unconventional Musical Magnitudes
• Development Of A Microtonal Harmony As A Generalization Of The Common Practice Period
• Mechanism related to the recognition of specific emotions in music
• Musical emotion (emotion induction)

Read More:  Biology Research Paper Topics

High School Research Paper Topics on Music

• Correlation Between Personality and Musical Preferences Essay
• Effects of Rock Music on Teenagers
• Does popular music stay popular?
• The effect of music on the interpretation of a musical
• Musical activities in a spiral of development
• Adolescents in the understanding of contemporary processes of music
• Musical activities in the content system
• Music and the value of responsibility
• Presentation of musical fragments, Performance of live or recorded musical instruments
• Life stories of composers and musical personalities such as Mozart and Beethoven
• Presentation of music related to tastes and socio-educational reality
• Exhibition of musical fragments and execution of instruments
• Presentation of different types of music, the performance of musical instruments live or recorded
• Experience composing music, with lyrics, instrumental or with sounds from the environment, what musical genre or type of sound production does it represent?
• The practice of the studied musical instruments, record the meanings that guide your performance and preparation as a student and for life
• Why is compliance with the vocal techniques of singing a duty that must be assumed consciously?
• Does all music express sound? Does every sound express a genre or type of music?
• Practice sound emission and tuning techniques
• Why is it important to make movements according to the type of music you listen to?

Music is one of the greatest inventions of the human race. All good music makes your heart beat a little faster and soothes your mind into peace. It has been evolving since the dawn of civilization, 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Whatever research you make about it, just make sure that it touches your heart. 

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160 Hot Music Research Paper Topics For You

Music has been part of human beings since time immemorial. As it evolves, everyone has a specific taste for a specific song, genre, or musical instrument. Some of the top genres include roots, reggae, hip-hop, jazz, and rock music. The evolution and popularity of music have made it become one of the important subjects taught in schools worldwide.

If you are in college, pursuing music as a career, one of the important tasks when writing every research paper is picking the right topic. However, selecting an exciting music topic has always been a challenge for most students. To help you with the problem, we have listed the top 160 music research topics. Go ahead and select any of them or tweak them to reflect your preference.

How To Select The Best Music Topics For Research Paper

• Special Tips to use when Selecting Research Topics about Music

Top Music Research Paper Topics

Music argument topics, music history topics, hip hop research paper topics, jazz research paper topics, music appreciation research paper topics, music education research topics, pop culture research paper topics, rap topics ideas, fun music topics.

The ability to come up with the right topic for your music research paper is an important skill that every student should develop. Here are some steps to follow when looking for the most appropriate music research paper topics.

• Go for the research topic about music that is interesting to you.
• Only pick the music topics to write about if they have ample resources.
• Ensure only to pick interesting music topics that meet your college requirements.
• Go for the topic that you can comprehensively write on.

Special Tips to Use When Selecting Research Topics About Music

If you want to enjoy every moment working on your research papers, it is advisable to cast eyes beyond what is easy and popular. This means trying to check interesting topics that will allow you to answer tough research questions about music. Here are additional tips to help you:

• Brainstorm the current music topics.
• Comprehensively research the subject of interest before starting to develop the topics.
• Consider starting with music thesis topics and finally narrow to the one you consider the best.
• Follow current affairs in the music industry.
• A closer look at the evolution of music over the years.
• Analyzing the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
• Analyzing the relationship between music and dance.
• A closer look at the most lucrative careers for musicians.
• Music and health: What is the relationship?
• How does music impact fashion?
• Which music genre has impacted music more?
• A closer look at music marketing for different genres.
• Does music help learners concentrate when doing assignments?
• How does music affect clothing style?
• Evaluating the influence of music on culture in a country of choice.
• Analyzing the use of music for advancing political propaganda.
• How has production in music changed in the recent past?
• Drawing the connections between popular and contemporary music.
• Comparing music in the US with that of Latin America?
• In what ways are music and poetry related?
• Classical music: Does it still play a major role in music production today?
• Evaluating the main processes used in music production today.
• Analyzing the importance of music theory in music production.
• Music production: Why do some musicians ask others to write their songs?
• Pirating is one of the biggest threats to the growth of the music industry.
• Music can be a great rehabilitation procedure for inmates.
• The cost of music production is a major obstacle to the faster growth of the industry.
• Exploring the factors that have made Chinese music develop slower compared to western music.
• Evaluating the most important skills that an artist needs to produce a song.
• How does music compare to other types of media today?
• How does music impact the way people think?
• What are the most notable challenges in music production?
• How does creating music impact how people think?
• Comparing the roles of women in contemporary and modern music.
• What challenges do minority groups have in music production?
• What are the legal implications of downloading music?
• Music production: How does contemporary and modern music production differ?
• What role do social media platforms play in music distribution?
• Evaluating common traits of people who like listening to classical music.
• How does music affect teen behavior?
• Is music helpful in your daily activities?
• Analyzing music as a tool of advertisement.
• The future of music.
• Exploring the significance of music in education.
• Assessing the contribution of music to the US economy.
• What is the contribution of music to the US economy today?
• A closer look at the impact of pop music on people’s culture.
• What are the key differences between 21 st and 20 th -century pop music?
• How is music production affected by different laws in the US?
• Analyzing the ethical impacts of downloading music.
• Analyzing the evolution of symphonic music.
• A closer look at the use of classical music in the video production industry.
• Women who played significant roles in classical music.
• What differentiates Mozart music from other types of classical music?
• A comparative analysis of two top classical musical producers.
• The economic impacts of free music downloading.
• How does revenue from music and film production compare?
• Analyzing the main characteristics of country music.
• Exploring the relationship between drugs and psychedelic rock.
• A closer look at the merits and demerits of capitalistic perception of the music industry.
• Analyzing the modern approaches to songwriting.
• How has jazz impacted the American culture?
• Exploring the roots of African-American melodies.
• A historical comparison of hip-hop and jazz.
• What does it take for a musician to succeed today?
• Should the government fund upcoming artists?
• Which classical artist has had the biggest impact on you?
• The impact of the British music invasion of the US market.
• How is music used in war?
• Comparing high and low culture in the current music.
• Exploring the difference between music and poetry.
• Comparing the most lucrative careers in the music industry.
• What impact does music has on children’s cognitive development?
• Analyzing the history of American music education.

Different forms of music exist that we learn in various genres. In many institutions, music argument topics are assigned to know a student’s response regarding their opinions towards a genre. These music types range from classical to country, pop, jazz, blues, afro beats, and rock music. Understanding each one and knowing examples will help students choose the right argument. Some topics include;

• Evolution of rock music in comparison with rap music.
• What is behind the various instruments and their history in creating a particular genre of music?
• How the merging of societies and cultures influence native music.
• Reasons why rock music was used in the cinemas for long periods instead of another genre.
• The effect of globalization on pop and jazz music.
• The prominence of jazz music in the US over a short time.
• How black women fought and argued over social injustice through jazz music.
• Does jazz music celebrate black culture or glorify oppression?
• Women or men – who have played more roles in the development of classical music?
• The prominence of rap music in the present generation. Result of depreciated quality of music or evolution?

Music contains a broad history, with studies on performance, composition, reception, and quality over time. The history of music is usually intertwined with the composer’s life and development of the particular genre they create. Some music history topics include;

• History of pop music in America in the 20th century.
• Musical styles of England in the 21st century.
• The history of afro-beat and their development across West Africa and the rest of the world.
• Historical performance of music: the study of Beethoven’s works.
• History of Jazz and its development in the United States.
• Music in Ancient cultures: Native music
• The role of women in music development
• History of classical music
• Different types of music in the 19th century
• Important of renaissance music in history.

Present-day hip-hop music developed its culture and lyrical pattern. The style has evolved and gotten more refined and flexible over the years. Going into its history, many facets inspired it to what it has become today. Some hip hop research paper topics include;

• The history and structure of hip hop music
• Hip hop and its ties with poetry
• Hip hop culture and fashion today
• Old school vs. new school hip hop
• Rap and hip hop culture
• Violence in rap and hip hop
• The evolution of hip hop and rap music
• The positives and negatives of hip hop and its culture
• Bland misogyny in hip hop music lyrics
• The role of hip hop in white and black cultures

Jazz has a rich history in black culture and black liberation and its development led to major cultural shifts across the world. This music genre is refined and is deep-rooted in black history. It is music for the soul. Here are some jazz research paper topics;

• What is jazz music? An explanatory approach to its culture and relevance.
• History of jazz music.
• Jazz music and pop culture
• Jazz music and its listeners: Who listens to modern jazz?
• Why 1959 was a turning point in the history of jazz?
• The significance of jazz on the civil rights movement
• The history of jazz dances in America
• Some of the best jazz musicians of the 20th century
• Development of jazz music into the post-modern era.
• A study and review of the different dimensions of jazz.

Research topics on music appreciation mainly look into the reception and criticism of a given piece of music. This is achieved while examining vital music facets such as rhythm, performance, melody, and instrumentation. Here are some good examples of music appreciation research paper topics.

• The best generations of music
• The greatest musical icon: the life and times of Michael Jackson
• Music appreciation in the 21st century
• Music philosophy and its value
• Notable mentions in music evolution
• The theory of music and its importance
• The unique and different eras of music
• Music and its welcomed effect on the brain
• Music in different continents
• The love for opera

Music education is integral and important to enlightening younger generations about musical history, culture, evolution, and present significance to society. Without music to decorate our lives, time is just a dull passage of raw emotions and existence. Music knowledge and understanding is vital, and it affects our culture and way of life. Here are some music education research topics;

• Scope of music therapy
• The role of music in political movements
• Music and society
• Music business and management
• Functions of music therapy relating to intellectual improvement
• Significance of music education
• Contemporary music and its controversies
• Music and human emotion
• Technology and the evolution of music production
• The birth and prominence of music videos

Pop culture comprises numerous categories, including music, fashion, social media, television, language, and many more. It has gradually become an integral facet of our society. It has its perks and criticisms, but it is here to stay and makes our lives a lot more interesting. Some noteworthy pop culture research paper topics are;

• What makes pop culture popular?
• Is pop culture bad or good for the present society?
• Does pop culture disrupt moral values?
• Modern technology and its effects on pop culture
• How does American pop culture affect the global economy?
• Technology and ethical issues in pop culture
• Pop culture and its educational benefits
• How is humanity’s development expressed in pop culture?
• Is it necessary to study pop culture?
• Pop culture and its demerits to the society

Rap has become a mainstay in our music genre today. After its rocky start, it has fully become integrated into our music culture and lifestyle. Rap is an expression of life situations, love, religion, family, and who we are. Some rap topics ideas include;

• Rhythm and melody
• The art of flow and rhyme in rap
• Rap dimensions: tone and delivery
• Evolution and history of rap music
• The negatives and positives of rap music
• Contemporary rap music
• The role of rap music in black communities
• Does rap incite and encourage black violence?
• The history and origin of rap
• Rap as a means of expression

Music will always be an exemplary form of self-expression and art. Over the years, it has progressed and transformed through various dynamics. Today, at least a hundred music genres out there are fun and beautiful in their diversity. There are many fun music topics, and some of them include:

• How music helps fight stress and psychological problems
• The most iconic musical instruments for creating music
• Which music inspires you and why?
• Music in the 21st century
• The most common and popular type of music
• Reflection of social issues in music
• A couple of reasons to listen to music
• What differentiates good music from bad music?
• Different dimensions of music
• Imagining a non-music world.

After selecting the best research topic about music, the next step is writing your paper. This task is even more monumental than selecting the topic. Here, you need to craft an outline, have impeccable writing skills, and complete your task within the stipulated timelines. Is this too much? If you find it a challenge to write your paper, the best option is seeking writing help. The assistance is provided by affordable writing experts who understand how to create a good music thesis statement and have an impressive experience to craft winning papers. Do you want assurance of high grades? If “yes,” it is time to work with experts!

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Diverse Music Essay Topics for Students and Music Enthusiasts

Table of contents

• 1 How to Write an Essay on Music
• 2.1 Argumentative Essay Topics about Music
• 2.2 Topics for College Essays about Music
• 2.3 Controversial Topics in Music
• 2.4 Classical Music Essay Topics
• 2.5 Jazz Music Essay Topics
• 2.6 Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics
• 2.7 Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Music is a magical world of different sounds and stories. When we talk about music, there are so many things we can explore. Writing essays about sound lets us share our feelings and thoughts about this wonderful art. In this collection, you will find 140 music essay topics.

These topics are carefully chosen to help you think and write about sound in many exciting ways. Whether you love listening to music or playing an instrument, these topics about music for an essay will spark your creativity. They cover everything, from your favorite songs to the history of music. So, get ready to dive into the sound world with these fun and interesting essay ideas!

How to Write an Essay on Music

Writing an essay about sound can be a fun and exciting way to express your thoughts and feelings about this amazing art form. Whether you are working on college essays about music, or research paper topics on music, here are some steps to help you create a great piece of writing.

• First, choose a topic that you are passionate about. It could be anything from your favorite musician to a specific sound genre. For a college essay about sound, you might want to share a personal story about how music has impacted your life. For argumentative essay topics about sound, consider issues like the importance of sound education or the effects of music on the brain. If you’re working on a research paper on sound, explore the history of a certain music style or the role of sound in different cultures.
• Once you have your topic, start with some research. Look for interesting facts, stories, and opinions about your topic. This will give you many ideas and help you understand your topic better.
• Next, create an outline for your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and keep your writing clear and focused. Start with an introduction that introduces your topic and grabs the reader’s attention. Then, write a few paragraphs that explain your main points. Each paragraph should focus on one main idea or argument. In your writing, explain things in a way that’s easy to understand. Use simple words and short sentences.
• Also, try to include examples and personal experiences to make your essay more interesting and relatable.

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List of Topics about Music for an Essay – 40 words

Discover a world of music topics to write about in this list! From fun ideas to controversial topics in music, these essay suggestions will inspire you to explore the diverse and exciting universe of music.

Argumentative Essay Topics about Music

Dive into the world of melodies and rhythms with these essay topics about music! Whether you’re passionate about different genres or curious about the impact of sound, these argumentative essay topics will guide you to explore and express your views on various musical aspects. So, let’s get ready to write and debate about the diverse and vibrant universe of sound.

• Is Melody Essential in Every School’s Curriculum
• The Impact of Melody on Mental Health
• Should There Be More Support for Local Musicians
• The Role of Songs in Cultural Preservation
• Does Modern Melody Lack Originality
• The Effects of Sound on Productivity
• Are Music Award Shows Biased
• The Importance of Lyrics in Songs
• Should Songs Be Used in Advertising
• The Influence of Music on Fashion Trends
• Does Melody Promote a Better Global Understanding
• Should Explicit Sound Be Censored
• Are Songs Festivals Beneficial for Local Communities
• The Role of Technology in Melody Production
• Is Classical Melody Still Relevant in the Modern Era
• The Impact of Social Media on Musicians’ Success
• Should Music Be Included in Workplace Settings
• The Role of Melody in Political Movements
• Are Music Streaming Services Fair to Artists
• The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody

Topics for College Essays about Music

Step into the rhythm of words with these research paper topics about music, perfect for college essays. These topics offer a wide range of ideas, from personal experiences to cultural impacts, inviting you to explore the profound influence of sound. They are designed to inspire deep thought and passionate writing, helping you connect your academic skills with your love for melody.

• How Sound Influences Fashion Trends
• The Role of Melody in Different Cultures
• Personal Growth Through Learning a Musical Instrument
• The Evolution of a Specific Melody Genre
• The Impact of Songs Streaming Services on Artists
• Music as a Form of Social Protest
• The Psychological Effects of Melody on the Human Mind
• The Importance of Songs Education in Schools
• The Relationship Between Melody and Memory
• How Technology Has Changed the Way We Experience Music
• The Representation of Women in Music
• Music’s Role in Personal Identity
• The Influence of Melody on Mood and Behavior
• The Resurgence of Vinyl Records in the Digital Age
• The Globalization of Music and Its Effects
• The Economic Impact of the Songs Industry
• Melody as a Tool for International Diplomacy
• The Ethics of Music Sampling and Remixing
• The Role of Melody in Film and Media
• The Future of Live Music Performances

Controversial Topics in Music

Embark on a journey through the provocative and often debated realms of music with these 20 topics on controversial topics in music. These topics are designed to stir thought and conversation, challenging you to explore the music world’s more contentious and complex aspects. From ethical dilemmas to cultural controversies, these subjects offer diverse perspectives for deep exploration and spirited discussion.

• The Impact of Song Piracy on the Industry
• Censorship in Songs and Its Effects on Artistic Freedom
• The Portrayal of Women in Popular Song Videos
• The Commercialization of Indie Melody Genres
• The Role of Auto-Tune in Modern Music
• Melody as a Tool for Political Propaganda
• The Influence of Corporate Sponsors in Melody Festivals
• The Ethical Considerations of Posthumous Melody Releases
• Cultural Appropriation in the Song Industry
• The Decline of Traditional Songs Forms
• The Relationship Between Melody and Substance Abuse
• The Effect of Digital Streaming on Melody Quality
• The Representation of Minority Groups in Mainstream Music
• The Debate Over Explicit Lyrics and Parental Advisory Labels
• The Rise of AI in Songs Creation
• The Impact of Reality Song Shows on the Industry
• The Role of Gender in Melody Award Nominations
• Melody and Its Influence on Youth Behavior
• The Sustainability of the Music Tour Industry
• The Shift in Melody Consumption From Albums to Singles

Classical Music Essay Topics

Go on an enlightening journey through the world of melodies and harmonies with these 20 music topics to research, perfect for crafting compelling college essays. These topics delve into music’s vast and varied dimensions, from its historical roots to its modern-day impact. They are designed to ignite your curiosity and inspire in-depth exploration, blending academic rigor with a passion for music.

• The Evolution of Melody Through the Decades
• The Influence of Classical Song on Modern Genres
• The Psychological Effects of Melody Therapy
• The Role of Women Composers in Song History
• The Impact of Social Media on Emerging Musicians
• The Significance of Folk Song in Cultural Heritage
• The Development of Electronic Melody and Its Future
• Melody Censorship and Its Implications for Artistic Expression
• The Role of Song in Film and Storytelling
• The Globalization of Songs Genres and Styles
• The Relationship Between Music and Fashion Trends
• The History of Rock Melody and Its Cultural Impact
• The Use of Songs in Advertising and Consumer Behavior
• The Effects of Song Streaming on the Melody Industry
• The Intersection of Melody and Political Movements
• The Role of Songs in Shaping Youth Culture
• The Cultural Significance of Melody Festivals Worldwide
• The Preservation and Revival of Indigenous Music
• The Impact of Technology on Songs Production and Distribution
• The Contribution of Music to Mental Health and Wellbeing

Jazz Music Essay Topics

Step into the soulful and vibrant jazz world with these music topics for essays. Jazz, a genre rich in history and innovation, offers a treasure trove of fascinating themes for exploration. These essay topics will guide you through jazz’s intricate rhythms and stories, from its early beginnings to its modern interpretations. Delve into this mesmerizing music style’s legendary artists, iconic performances, and cultural impacts.

• The Origins of Jazz and Its Early Influences
• The Evolution of Jazz Through the 20th Century
• Key Figures in the Development of Jazz Music
• The Role of Improvisation in Jazz
• The Influence of Jazz on Other Melody Genres
• The Cultural Significance of Jazz in the Harlem Renaissance
• The Globalization of Jazz Melody
• The Impact of Technology on Jazz Recording and Production
• The Fusion of Jazz With Other Musical Styles
• Jazz as a Form of Social and Political Expression
• The Portrayal of Jazz in Cinema and Literature
• The Future of Jazz in the Digital Age
• The Role of Jazz in Education and Music Therapy
• Women in Jazz: Contributions and Challenges
• The Jazz Scene in Different Parts of the World
• The Preservation of Classic Jazz in Modern Times
• The Influence of Jazz on Fashion and Lifestyle
• Jazz Clubs and Their Role in Cultural Development
• The Impact of Jazz Festivals on Local Communities
• The Relationship Between Jazz and Modern Dance Forms

Rock and Pop Music Essay Topics

Rock and pop music, with its pulsing rhythms and catchy melodies, have captivated audiences for decades. This collection of 20 unique essay topics explores the depth and diversity of these influential genres. From the electric energy of rock to the widespread appeal of pop, these topics invite you to delve into the history, evolution, and cultural significance of these dynamic music styles. Whether examining iconic artists, groundbreaking albums, or the social impact of these genres, each topic offers a fascinating avenue for exploration and discussion in your essays.

• The Evolution of Rock Songs From the 1950s to Today
• The Influence of Pop Melody on Global Culture
• The Role of Songs Videos in Shaping Rock and Pop
• The Impact of Digital Streaming on the Rock and Pop Industry
• The Significance of the Beatles in Music History
• The Rise and Fall of Glam Rock
• The Role of Women in the Development of Pop Music
• The Influence of Rock Melody on Fashion Trends
• The Changing Face of Pop Songs in the 21st Century
• The Impact of Social Media on Rock and Pop Musicians
• The Fusion of Rock With Other Melody Genres
• The Role of Rock and Pop Music in Political Movements
• The Evolution of Live Performances in Rock and Pop
• The Significance of the Grammy Awards in Rock and Pop
• The Depiction of Rock and Pop Songs in Movies
• The Influence of Technology on the Production of Rock and Pop Music
• The Cultural Diversity in the Rock and Pop Melody Scenes
• The Role of Indie Labels in the Rock and Pop Industry
• The Impact of Fan Culture on Rock and Pop Song
• The Sustainability of Rock and Pop Songs in the Streaming Era

Persuasive Essay Topics about Music

Take a trip through melody and argument with these 20 music-related persuasive essay topics. Each topic, chosen for its ability to inspire compelling arguments and deep research, falls under the umbrella of musical topics for research papers. These prompts will challenge you to explore various facets of music, from cultural significance to technological impacts. As you delve into these topics, you’ll be encouraged to form strong opinions and support them with well-researched evidence, making your essays informative and persuasive.

• The Necessity of Melody Education in Schools for Overall Development
• The Impact of Classical Songs on Cognitive Abilities
• Song Streaming Services and Their Effect on the Industry
• The Role of Melody in Maintaining Mental Health
• Songs as a Universal Language Bridging Cultural Divides
• The Importance of Preserving Traditional Melody Forms
• Music’s Influence on Fashion and Lifestyle
• The Ethical Implications of Auto-Tune in Song Production
• The Role of Social Media in the Success of New Artists
• The Power of Songs in Social and Political Activism
• The Benefits of Attending Live Music Performances
• Songs as a Tool for Improving Concentration and Productivity
• The Evolution of Melody Genres and Its Cultural Impact
• The Effects of Background Song in Public Spaces
• The Role of Songs in Advertising Effectiveness
• Music’s Influence on Youth and Teen Development
• The Relationship Between Melody and Emotional Intelligence
• The Future of Virtual Reality Concerts in the Melody Industry
• The Impact of Songs Piracy on Artists and Producers
• The Role of Melody in Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication

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Exposure to different kinds of music influences how the brain interprets rhythm

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When listening to music, the human brain appears to be biased toward hearing and producing rhythms composed of simple integer ratios — for example, a series of four beats separated by equal time intervals (forming a 1:1:1 ratio).

However, the favored ratios can vary greatly between different societies, according to a large-scale study led by researchers at MIT and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics and carried out in 15 countries. The study included 39 groups of participants, many of whom came from societies whose traditional music contains distinctive patterns of rhythm not found in Western music.

“Our study provides the clearest evidence yet for some degree of universality in music perception and cognition, in the sense that every single group of participants that was tested exhibits biases for integer ratios. It also provides a glimpse of the variation that can occur across cultures, which can be quite substantial,” says Nori Jacoby, the study’s lead author and a former MIT postdoc, who is now a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Frankfurt, Germany.

The brain’s bias toward simple integer ratios may have evolved as a natural error-correction system that makes it easier to maintain a consistent body of music, which human societies often use to transmit information.

“When people produce music, they often make small mistakes. Our results are consistent with the idea that our mental representation is somewhat robust to those mistakes, but it is robust in a way that pushes us toward our preexisting ideas of the structures that should be found in music,” says Josh McDermott, an associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences at MIT and a member of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines.

McDermott is the senior author of the study, which appears today in Nature Human Behaviour. The research team also included scientists from more than two dozen institutions around the world.

A global approach

The new study grew out of a smaller analysis that Jacoby and McDermott published in 2017. In that paper , the researchers compared rhythm perception in groups of listeners from the United States and the Tsimane’, an Indigenous society located in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest.

To measure how people perceive rhythm, the researchers devised a task in which they play a randomly generated series of four beats and then ask the listener to tap back what they heard. The rhythm produced by the listener is then played back to the listener, and they tap it back again. Over several iterations, the tapped sequences became dominated by the listener’s internal biases, also known as priors.

“The initial stimulus pattern is random, but at each iteration the pattern is pushed by the listener’s biases, such that it tends to converge to a particular point in the space of possible rhythms,” McDermott says. “That can give you a picture of what we call the prior, which is the set of internal implicit expectations for rhythms that people have in their heads.”

When the researchers first did this experiment, with American college students as the test subjects, they found that people tended to produce time intervals that are related by simple integer ratios. Furthermore, most of the rhythms they produced, such as those with ratios of 1:1:2 and 2:3:3, are commonly found in Western music.

The researchers then went to Bolivia and asked members of the Tsimane’ society to perform the same task. They found that Tsimane’ also produced rhythms with simple integer ratios, but their preferred ratios were different and appeared to be consistent with those that have been documented in the few existing records of Tsimane’ music.

“At that point, it provided some evidence that there might be very widespread tendencies to favor these small integer ratios, and that there might be some degree of cross-cultural variation. But because we had just looked at this one other culture, it really wasn’t clear how this was going to look at a broader scale,” Jacoby says.

To try to get that broader picture, the MIT team began seeking collaborators around the world who could help them gather data on a more diverse set of populations. They ended up studying listeners from 39 groups, representing 15 countries on five continents — North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

“This is really the first study of its kind in the sense that we did the same experiment in all these different places, with people who are on the ground in those locations,” McDermott says. “That hasn’t really been done before at anything close to this scale, and it gave us an opportunity to see the degree of variation that might exist around the world.”

Cultural comparisons

Just as they had in their original 2017 study, the researchers found that in every group they tested, people tended to be biased toward simple integer ratios of rhythm. However, not every group showed the same biases. People from North America and Western Europe, who have likely been exposed to the same kinds of music, were more likely to generate rhythms with the same ratios. However, many groups, for example those in Turkey, Mali, Bulgaria, and Botswana showed a bias for other rhythms.

“There are certain cultures where there are particular rhythms that are prominent in their music, and those end up showing up in the mental representation of rhythm,” Jacoby says.

The researchers believe their findings reveal a mechanism that the brain uses to aid in the perception and production of music.

“When you hear somebody playing something and they have errors in their performance, you’re going to mentally correct for those by mapping them onto where you implicitly think they ought to be,” McDermott says. “If you didn’t have something like this, and you just faithfully represented what you heard, these errors might propagate and make it much harder to maintain a musical system.”

Among the groups that they studied, the researchers took care to include not only college students, who are easy to study in large numbers, but also people living in traditional societies, who are more difficult to reach. Participants from those more traditional groups showed significant differences from college students living in the same countries, and from people who live in those countries but performed the test online.

“What’s very clear from the paper is that if you just look at the results from undergraduate students around the world, you vastly underestimate the diversity that you see otherwise,” Jacoby says. “And the same was true of experiments where we tested groups of people online in Brazil and India, because you’re dealing with people who have internet access and presumably have more exposure to Western music.”

The researchers now hope to run additional studies of different aspects of music perception, taking this global approach.

“If you’re just testing college students around the world or people online, things look a lot more homogenous. I think it’s very important for the field to realize that you actually need to go out into communities and run experiments there, as opposed to taking the low-hanging fruit of running studies with people in a university or on the internet,” McDermott says.

The research was funded by the James S. McDonnell Foundation, the Canadian National Science and Engineering Research Council, the South African National Research Foundation, the United States National Science Foundation, the Chilean National Research and Development Agency, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Keio Global Research Institute, the United Kingdom Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Swedish Research Council, and the John Fell Fund.

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• Published: 04 December 2023

Biological principles for music and mental health

• Daniel L. Bowling   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5303-5472 1 , 2  

Translational Psychiatry volume  13 , Article number:  374 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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Efforts to integrate music into healthcare systems and wellness practices are accelerating but the biological foundations supporting these initiatives remain underappreciated. As a result, music-based interventions are often sidelined in medicine. Here, I bring together advances in music research from neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry to bridge music’s specific foundations in human biology with its specific therapeutic applications. The framework I propose organizes the neurophysiological effects of music around four core elements of human musicality: tonality, rhythm, reward, and sociality. For each, I review key concepts, biological bases, and evidence of clinical benefits. Within this framework, I outline a strategy to increase music’s impact on health based on standardizing treatments and their alignment with individual differences in responsivity to these musical elements. I propose that an integrated biological understanding of human musicality—describing each element’s functional origins, development, phylogeny, and neural bases—is critical to advancing rational applications of music in mental health and wellness.

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Introduction.

Every day, hundreds of millions of people make or listen to music. This appetite is driven by music’s core effects on emotion [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], reward [ 4 ], and affiliation [ 5 ]. The value we place on these effects supports a 200 billion dollar per year industry in the US alone [ 6 ]. More and more, music’s core effects have come into focus for their alignment with core dimensions of mental health, e.g., mood, motivation, pleasure, and social functioning. Together with rapidly increasing awareness of mental health’s humanistic and financial importance, this alignment has sparked new investments in music-based interventions from government and industry [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. This interest presents an opportunity for proponents of music’s therapeutic value to increase the specificity and rigor of its application and enhance our understanding of its clinical scope and efficacy.

Meeting this goal depends on a clear conception of music’s underlying biology as a source of principles for systematic applications towards specific clinical and subclinical goals. An awareness of such principles exists in music therapy [ 10 , 11 , 12 ], especially “neurologic” music therapies for motor rehabilitation [ 13 , 14 , 15 ], but applications in mental health remain highly variable, making it difficult to achieve a unified biologically-informed approach. Moreover, there are far too few music therapists to meet current mental health needs. In the US, for example, there are only about 10,000 board-certified music therapists, compared to about 58 million adults living with mental illness [ 16 , 17 ]. Assuming an average weekly caseload of 30 patients [ 18 ], total capacity to treat is therefore just 0.5%. Musicians represent another important source of insight, as they are ultimately the most skilled at titrating music’s neurophysiological impact. However, the inherently subjective nature of their “artistic” approach can preclude direct integration within a scientific model of health.

Given the uncertainty in defining the relationship between music and health, funders have sought to advance applications by casting a wide net. The National Institutes of Health, for example, has sponsored an extensive list of research topics involving music, including improving treatment response in cancer, stress and pain management in surgery, affect modulation in mood disorders, anxiolysis in anxiety disorders, social functioning in neurodevelopmental disorders, palliative care in advanced illness, neural rehabilitation after injury, and wellness through exercise [ 19 ]. This breadth is likely to puzzle many medical professionals and raise skepticism in more than a few. Can music really be such a panacea?

While skepticism is justified (as discussed in Section “Skepticism and need”), clear evidence of music’s effects on core mental health variables is readily apparent in our growing understanding of music’s biological foundations. Critically, these foundations provide a rational basis for standardizing and expanding music’s psychiatric applications and benefits. In this review, I outline a framework for music in human biology and describe some of its basic implications for standardized music-based interventions in mental health, with the goal of increasing biomedical integration and impact.

Developing a biological perspective

As far as we know, music has been with humans since our earliest existence. The first known evidence of human preoccupation with music comes from Stone Age flutes, carefully carved in wing bones and mammoth ivory some 40,000 years ago [ 20 ]. Over the course of recorded history, explanations of music and its power have been sought in terms of mythology, cosmology, mathematics, and physics, with many important insights along the way [ 21 , 22 ]. However, it was not until the 19th century that music came to be viewed in terms of human evolution. In 1871, based on observations of general similarity between human and animal vocalization, as well as the behavior of other “singing” mammals (like gibbons and howler monkeys), Darwin postulated a basis for music in sexual selection on social behavior. Specifically, he proposed that the vocalizations of our ancestors were likely more musical than linguistic, comprising greater regularity in pitch and time, and functioning mainly in signaling affect, attracting mates, and threatening rivals [ 23 ]. From this perspective, “music” provided the foundation for the evolution of human language, centering its underlying biology within the study of human cognition and communication more broadly [ 24 ].

Two aspects of this early account continue to shape modern biological music research or biomusicology (e.g. [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]). One is that music is, first and foremost, a form of social communication, with explicit origins in auditory-vocal interaction. The second is that singing and speaking—and thus, music and language—likely share a common origin in early hominids, as reflected by their many overlapping features, like being auditory-vocal by default, emotional expressive, and inherently social [ 25 ]. While many more specific details about the evolutionary origins of music remain under debate (cf [ 31 , 38 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 ]), a general view of music as rooted in social communication, with close ties to speech and language, is consistent across most theories and also central here.

Before proceeding, it is important to clarify that biomusicology chiefly concerns musicality rather than music per se. Whereas music is a cultural phenomenon of infinite variety [ 46 ], musicality is the genetically constrained and reliably developing set of neural capacities on which music production and perception rests [ 33 ]. It should be noted that this view departs significantly from common conceptions of music that center specific cultural manifestations and individual variation in preferences. Instead, a biological perspective centers music’s basic features in relation to pressures to evolve and develop neural capacities that support social communication. The following sections define this perspective with respect to four core elements of musicality—tonality, rhythm, reward, and sociality—reviewing essential concepts, biological bases, and evidence of clinical benefits, towards a framework for rational clinical translation.

Musical terms and definitions

Tones are a special class of sound stimuli that evoke a strong sense of pitch. Physically, they comprise regularly spaced pressure waves that repeat at frequencies between approximately 30–4000 Hz [ 49 ]. All musical cultures and traditions use tones [ 50 , 51 ], making neural sensitivity to tonality— defined simply as the use of tones to make music—a core element of human musicality. Tonality has primarily been considered from three perspectives. Harmony is focused on the organization of tones with respect to frequency. Melody is focused on the sequential organization of tones over time. Timbre is focused on the quality imparted to tones by their source and manner of production (e.g., a voice or a synthesizer, sounded gently or harshly, etc.) [ 52 ].

Conserved aspects of tonality

The most significant source of tones in the human auditory environment is vocal fold vibration in the larynx [ 53 , 54 ]. In speech, the frequency of vocal fold vibration fluctuates rapidly, leading to dynamic and variable tones (Fig. 1A ). In contrast, during song, these vibrations are modulated to emphasize particular frequencies and frequency relationships [ 50 , 51 , 55 ]. Beyond these “universal” features, many key aspects of harmony, melody, and timbre are widely observed across richly differentiated musical cultures and traditions.

A The same phrase spoken and sung by the same person to highlight how tones in music are related to tones in speech (based on Diana Deustch’s speech-to-song illusion). Variation in sound pressure over time (black) is overlaid with variation in the fundamental frequency of vocal fold vibration (the physical correlate of voice pitch; red). B On the left, the frequency relationships defined by the Japanese ritsu scale are presented along a vertical axis. Each relationship is calculated with respect to the lowest tone in the set (labeled “1.000”). On the right, the melody of the American gospel song “Amazing Grace” is shown using the same relationships. Conventional note letter names are listed at the right. C Timbral similarity of vocal and instrumental tones with parallel affective qualities. Top row: sound pressure waveforms with temporal envelopes shown in red. Bottom row: corresponding Fourier transforms with spectral envelopes shown in blue. These examples were selected to show similarity in temporal and spectral features of vocal and instrumental tones with parallel affective qualities.

In harmony, music almost always emphasizes a small set of tones defined by specific relationships to each other [ 51 ]. The simplest of these relationships—e.g., octaves (2:1) and fifths (3:2)—feature prominently in music worldwide [ 21 , 56 , 57 ], and particular sets of ratios called scales (or modes) are strikingly popular across cultural boundaries [ 21 , 57 , 58 ]. For example, the Western minor mode corresponds to what South Indian musicians call the Keeravani raga [ 59 ]. Similarly, the Japanese ritsu scale is also found in traditional Western folk songs like “Auld Lang Syne” and “Amazing Grace” (Fig. 1B ) [ 60 ]. In melody, tones tend to be arranged in arched or descending contours [ 21 , 51 ], traced mainly by small steps in pitch, with larger steps typically rising (Fig. 1B ) [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ].

In timbre, specific temporal and spectral characteristics of tones give rise to specific perceptions of anatomical and affective source parameters, e.g., the ratio of low- to high-frequency energy in a tone is associated with size, valence, and arousal [ 65 , 66 ], rapid tone onsets signal a higher commitment of energy [ 67 ], and “rough” growl-like tones often convey anger or aggression [ 68 , 69 ] (Fig. 1C ). There is also widespread conservation in the use of tones for specific purposes. For example, lullabies typically comprise tones with relatively more low-frequency energy, sorted into simple repeating patterns [ 70 , 71 , 72 ]. Likewise, flatter contours with narrower pitch steps are favored for conveying somber affect [ 63 , 73 ]. Together, these and other broadly conserved aspects of tonality indicate a strong foundation in our shared biology.

Biological foundations of tonality

To model the biology underlying tonality, music scientists have developed vocal similarity theory (VST), the central tenet of which is that we perceive tones according to their behavioral significance in vocal communication [ 22 , 30 , 53 , 58 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ]. VST is based on the fact that our experience with tones is dominated by the voice at evolutionary and individual time scales. This implies that the neurobiology of tone perception has primarily been shaped by pressure to contend with tones in the voice and their significance for adaptive behavior [ 22 , 53 , 75 ].

Phylogenetically, sensitivity to “tone of voice” is likely to have emerged very early in tetrapod evolution [ 79 ]. In mammals, auditory-vocal interaction is often central to social behavior and cognition, placing this sensitivity under intense selective pressure. Developmentally, the fetal brain begins responding to mother’s voice around the 24th week of gestation [ 80 ]. Over the ensuing weeks, these responses develop to the point that infants strongly prefer their mother’s voice at birth [ 81 ], an orientation that scaffolds the formation of our prototypical social bond, the modulation of affect through sound, and the development of communication more broadly [ 82 ]. Mechanistically, neural specialization for responding to vocal tones is evident throughout the auditory system, from enhanced representations of periodicity in the brainstems of humans and rats [ 83 , 84 ], to harmonically sensitive neurons in marmoset cortex [ 85 ], and pitch contour neurons in human cortex [ 86 ].

The culmination of this underlying biology is a brain that responds to tones reflexively by supplying percepts of meaning and intent as guides for behavior and cognition. This works because the acoustics of laryngeal vocalization are linked to source parameters at a statistical level [ 87 , 88 ]. For music, the implication of VST is that conserved aspects of tonality can be understood as consequences of the auditory system’s biological tuning to voices.

Applications of tonality in mental health

VST roots tonality in the bioacoustics of vocal affect, providing a principled basis for the assessment and manipulation of reflexive responses to musical tones, and their translation to psychiatry. For any given clinical goal related to the modulation of patient affect, VST predicts that proper applications of tonality require alignment with the statistical regularities that identify vocal expressions as conveying the emotion required to effect the desired physiological change. For example, a musical intervention aimed at relieving high anxiety and agitated negative mood should have tonal properties that align with a positive calming voice, such as extended falling pitch contours and low-frequency weighted timbres. Similarly, an intervention for depression should possess a gentle affirming tone, captured by more articulated contours that rise towards their ends. This approach naturally imbues musical tonality with a capacity to modulate listener feelings that parallels the corresponding tone of voice. However, because musical tones are (often) freed from the constraints of vocal expression—e.g., by instrumental production or release from linguistic demands—key regularities can be distilled and exaggerated to yield tones with supernormal neurophysiological effects.

Importantly, guidance derived from VST on how to use tonality to modulate affect largely corresponds with what musicians and music therapists have learned to do through subjective exploration and experience [ 76 , 89 ]. This is reflected in the effects of current musical treatments on dysregulated anxiety and mood. For example, receptive treatments (based on listening) can effectively reduce acute anxiety in chemotherapy [ 90 ], childbirth [ 91 ], and surgery [ 92 ]. A 2018 meta-analysis of 81 randomized controlled studies, involving over 6000 patients, found that music listening before, during, or after surgery significantly reduced anxiety symptoms, with an effect size equal to 69% of one standard deviation (Standard Mean Difference [SMD] = 0.69) [ 92 ]. Other meta-analyses indicate that music therapy can also be an effective anxiolytic beyond these acute medical contexts. A 2021 meta-analysis of 32 controlled studies with over 1,900 patients with anxiety showed significant anxiety reduction after an average of 7.5 music therapy sessions (SMD = 0.36). This effect was stronger in the subset of 11 studies with >12 sessions (SMD = 0.59), suggesting a dose-response effect [ 93 ]. For context, consider that estimated summary SMDs for first-line psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies lie between 0.28–0.44 and 0.33–0.45 respectively (but note that these numbers are based on much larger samples) [ 94 ].

Similarly positive effects of music therapy have been reported for affect disorders. A 2017 meta-analysis of 9 controlled studies including 411 patients diagnosed with a depressive disorder found that adding 6–12 weeks of music therapy to antidepressants and/or psychotherapy significantly reduced clinician-rated and patient-rated symptoms (SMD = 0.98 and 0.85 respectively) [ 95 ]. A 2020 meta-analysis focused specifically on receptive musical treatments found an even stronger effect when looking at depressive symptoms across patients with a wider variety of primary diagnoses, like heart disease, dementia, insomnia (SMD = 1.33, 17 controlled studies, 1,284 patients) [ 96 ]. The same paper also reports a significant effect for interactive treatment (based on making music; SMD = 0.57, 20 controlled studies, 1,368 patients) [ 96 ]. Both effects were apparent across variable depression severity levels and treatment courses (mean dosage was approximately 14 h, SD = 18, range = 0.33–126) [ 95 , 96 ]. For context, overall SMDs for psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in depressive disorders have been estimated at 0.31 and 0.30 respectively (again, based on larger samples) [ 94 ].

While success of this kind might suggest that music therapy can do without VST, it should be noted that none of the aforementioned meta-analyses (and few of the individual studies that they cite) provide any details on the parameters of the music employed. This is largely because musical decisions are made on intuition rather than principle. Thus, while subjectivity has proven an essential guide in discovering music’s therapeutic applications, it also complicates scientific efforts to understand music’s therapeutic effects and standardize their application. VST addresses this challenge by providing objective guidelines for musical tonality based on specific therapeutic goals. This is a necessary step towards standardization, which is in turn required for expanding access to musical treatment.

Rhythm is the temporal patterning of sounds in music. The dominant feature of rhythm is temporal predictability, focused at rates ranging from approximately 0.5 to 5 Hz (30–300 beats per minute [bpm]) [ 97 , 98 , 99 ]. All musical cultures and traditions exhibit some temporal predictability in this range, making neural sensitivity to rhythm a second core element of musicality (no ranking implied) [ 50 , 51 ]. Investigations of rhythm typically identify two core components [ 100 ]. Pulse is the main cycle of rhythmic repetition perceived in music; it is generally what we synchronize to when we move in time with music. Meter refers more broadly to other rhythmic cycles perceived in music [ 101 ]. These encompass repetition rates that are both faster and slower than the pulse, defined by subdivisions of the pulse and multi-pulse cycles, respectively.

Conserved aspects of rhythm

As with tonality, key elements of rhythm are widely conserved across musical cultures and traditions. In pulse, acceptable rates (or tempos ) are highly constrained, showing a peak between approximately 1.33 and 2.67 Hz (80–160 bpm) across a variety of different musical traditions (Fig. 2A ) [ 98 , 102 ]. Intriguingly, this peak corresponds closely with dominant rates of periodicity in full-body human motion (e.g., 1.35–2.5 Hz [81–150 bpm] in walking) [ 98 ]. A second widely conserved aspect of pulse is that individual pulses tend to be isochronous or equally spaced in time [ 50 , 51 ]. There are traditions that also use unequal pulse spacing [ 103 ], but only in ways that retain predictability and thus allow interpersonal synchrony [ 104 , 105 ].

A A histogram of tempos from a sample of over 74,000 pieces of music. “DJ lists” refers to lists of song tempos used by disk jockeys to match pulse rates between tracks; “Radio” refers to songs found by randomly tuning into radio stations circa 2002; “Hits” refers to popular music from 1960–1990; and “styles” refers to a selection of music from divergent styles (e.g., renaissance polyphony and modern jazz). B One cycle from each of three rhythms with different meters, increasing in complexity from top to bottom. Circle size and shading indicate level of accenting (large/dark = strong), red stars and horizontal black brackets mark subgroups, and ellipsis denote repetition. Tin, Na , and Dhin are specific tabla drum strokes; tone, slap, bass , and touch are specific djembe drum stokes. The suku rhythm is based on section 5.3 of Polak (2010), with a timing ratio of 11:17:22 for the short-medium-long pulse patterns. C Hypothesized information flow through the network of brain areas implicated in rhythm perception. Additionally relevant brain areas include the hypothalamus, insula, and orbitofrontal cortex (see Fig. 3 ). The rhythm network is mostly bilateral despite being visualized in the left hemisphere here. Numbers refer to Brodmann areas. Insets show implicated structures in situ. Panel A is adapted from Moelants (2002) with permission from the author.

In meter, rhythmic cycles that are faster than the pulse also exhibit characteristic rates, mostly in the range of 2–8 Hz (120–480 bpm; typical of finger or wrist motion), and involving subdivisions of the pulse rate by factors of two or three [ 99 , 101 ]. Faster cycle rates are found in some traditions, e.g., 10–15 Hz [600–900 bpm] in djembe [ 103 ] or death metal [ 106 ], but this is relatively rare. For cycles at rates slower than the pulse, rhythmic patterning is almost always marked by variations in acoustic emphasis called accenting [ 100 ] (Fig. 2B ). A simple example of accenting comes from the marching rhythm “ one , two , one , two , ”, a repeating two-pulse cycle in which the first pulse is accented. Increasing in complexity, the meter of rūpak tāl in North Indian music is defined by a repeating seven-pulse cycle with multiple levels of accent set into groups of three and two [ 107 ]. More complex still are the drum patterns of Malian djembe music. For example, in suku, a repeating twelve-pulse cycle with multiple levels of accent is set into groups of three, each of which has a non-isochronous “short-medium-long” pulse pattern [ 103 ]. In sum, despite impressive diversity, rhythms from around the world are characterized by a restricted tempo range, multi-layered patterning, accenting, and predictability.

Further evidence that rhythm relies on conserved biology comes from the fact that the acoustic stimulus, taken alone, is often an insufficient basis for direct derivations of pulse and meter. Instead, these core aspects of rhythm depend on the interaction of sonic events and the brain [ 100 , 101 ]. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that humans possess specialized neural mechanisms that reflexively identify and reinforce temporal regularity in sequential auditory stimuli. These mechanisms (described in greater detail below) are specialized in that they are common to most humans but apparently rare among other animals. Individuals from many species can be trained to move in reaction to a pulse, but human movements are shifted forwards in time to anticipate, rather than lag behind, upcoming events [ 108 ]. We also synchronize flexibly, easily adjusting to tempo changes that disrupt or defeat synchrony in experiments with other species (parrots represent an interesting exception) [ 40 ].

More evidence of specialization comes from our curious tendency to spontaneously impose accenting on acoustic sequences that lack it. For example, we are apt to hear alternation or triplets in sequences of physically identical events, a perceptual imposition that can be differentiated electroencephalographically [ 109 ]. A final piece of evidence for specialized neural mechanisms in human rhythm perception is the global popularity of syncopation , especially in dance music [ 110 , 111 , 112 ]. Syncopation balances anticipation, built from sounds occurring on-the-pulse, against its systematic violation by sounds occurring off-the-pulse [ 113 ]. Perceiving syncopation thus depends on a conserved ability to form an internal model of regular temporal structure that is strong enough to withstand substantial ill-fitting sonic data [ 111 ]. Together, these and other broadly conserved aspects of rhythm indicate a strong foundation in our shared biology.

Biological foundations of rhythm

To model the biology underlying rhythm, music scientists have developed Neural Resonance Theory (NRT), the central tenet of which is that rhythm perception depends on endogenous oscillations in neural circuitry [ 97 , 114 , 115 , 116 ]. NRT holds that such oscillations spontaneously entrain to stimulus-evoked neural responses to modulate receptivity, prediction, and motor reactivity, thus providing a mechanistic basis for pulse and meter. While this “resonant” capacity is maximally engaged by music, its primary utility appears to be in processing spoken language, which, despite being less temporally regular than music, is still sufficiently regular (between 2–8 Hz [120–480 bpm] [ 102 ]) for entrained oscillations to aid in parsing phonemes, syllables, and phrases [ 117 , 118 ]. This implies that rhythm perception is intimately linked to vocal communication, just like tone perception.

A related aspect of NRT is that neural activity in auditory cortices readily couples with neural activity in parts of the brain that regulate movement, especially cortical areas and subcortical structures involved in motor planning, such as the supplementary motor and premotor cortices, the dorsal striatum, and the cerebellum [ 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 ] (Fig. 2C ). Activity in these parts of the brain increases in response to rhythm, even in the absence of movement [ 122 ], suggesting that auditory-motor interaction may be essential to rhythm perception. The link between rhythm and movement has also been explored in studies of groove , a psychological concept defined by variation in the degree to which a musical stimulus inspires movement. People generally agree about degrees of groove in music [ 124 , 125 ], with research suggesting a basis in common acoustical and structural features of rhythm, such as emphasized low-frequency energy (“bass”) [ 126 , 127 ] and moderate levels of syncopation [ 111 , 112 , 127 , 128 ]. Notably, groove is broadly associated with positive affect [ 111 , 125 , 129 , 130 ], making it directly relevant to mental health.

Applications of rhythm in mental health

So far, the clinical value of NRT has mainly been studied in the context of music therapies aimed at improving sensory and motor functions [ 131 ] (including speech [ 132 ]). However, even in these contexts, mental health benefits are often apparent. For example, in a 2021 meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled studies testing musical interventions in Parkinson’s disease, a sub-analysis of 8 studies with mental health measures found significant benefits for mood, motivation, and emotional well-being in music conditions compared to standard care (SMD = 0.38, N  = 273 patients) [ 133 ]. Positive mental health outcomes have also been observed in response to receptive music therapy after stroke [ 134 , 135 ]. For example, one widely-cited study found that listening to music for at least one hour per day over a two-month period significantly lowered self-reported depression at 3 months post-stroke, as compared to standard medical care and rehabilitation [ 136 ]. Intriguingly, this study also reported benefits of music listening for cognitive function (memory and attention) in a well-controlled comparison to audio-book listening [ 136 ].

The capacity of rhythm to entrain activity in broad auditory-motor networks and simultaneously increase positive affect can also be hypothesized to account for a significant proportion of the benefits of musical treatments for anxiety and depression (see Section “Applications of tonality in mental health”). Specifically, engaging these networks with high-groove rhythms may provide an efficient way to disrupt maladaptive patterns of brain activity associated with negative affect and self-focused negative rumination [ 137 , 138 , 139 ]. Related to this hypothesis, there is growing evidence that groove is important for understanding the effects of music on cognition, particularly in the context of repetitive effortful work, which can often generate negative affect [ 135 , 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 , 145 ]. For example, in one recent study, listening to a high-groove drum loop for just 3 min was found to be more effective than noise at improving performance on a subsequent repetitive behavioral task measuring context-dependent response inhibition (a “Stroop” test). This effect of rhythm was specific to participants who reported enjoying the drum loop and its groove. These participants also exhibited significantly greater (dorsolateral) prefrontal cortical activity during the Stroop test in the drum-loop condition, as measured using functional Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy [ 141 ].

Experimental evidence for positive effects of rhythm on certain types of cognition accords with longstanding evidence from ethnographic literature. Specifically, rhythmic music has often been used to positively transform the experience of work otherwise experienced as negative and draining (e.g., harvesting food, military drills, and moving cargo) [ 145 , 146 ]. Similarly, musicians commonly experience “being in the groove” as a pleasant state of focus that offsets burdens associated with extended periods of high level performance (e.g., on tour) [ 125 , 129 , 147 ]. Such effects can be understood as rhythmically-driven increases in motivation and effort [ 143 ], potentially reflecting increased engagement of key cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop circuitry (see Fig. 2B ). They are particularly well-characterized in the context of physical exercise, where music can increase enjoyment and reduce perceived exertion [ 148 ], but such benefits may also extend to less muscular tasks (see discussion of the Mozart effect in Section “Another crest in the music and health hype cycle?”). In sum, the biological foundations of rhythm provide insight into how music can be applied to address challenges in mental health associated with mood, cognition, and motivation.

Music and brain reward circuitry

While the framework described so far is based on an analytic separation of tonality and rhythm, the health applications of several other core elements of musicality are better considered in terms of music as a whole. Perhaps the best example is our fundamental attraction to music, as reflected in its marked capacities to stimulate wanting, liking, and learning. Over the past several decades, neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that taking pleasure in music is closely associated with activity in classical brain reward circuitry [ 26 , 149 ], including the mesolimbic dopamine pathway between the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) [ 4 ]. Early studies used positron emission tomography with the radiolabeled dopamine D 2 receptor ligand, [ 11 C]raclopride, to show that musical frisson [ 150 ] — moments of peak neural excitement, piloerection, and “chills” that occur during music listening—are associated with surges in dopamine binding within the NAc [ 151 , 152 ]. Additional evidence that music stimulates mesolimbic reward comes from functional magnetic resonance imaging studies showing, for example, that the magnitude of an individual’s NAc response to music correlates with their subjective liking for it [ 153 ].

At the level of brain networks, functional neuroimaging studies have also found that the time-course of musically-stimulated NAc activity is tightly coupled with that of activity in the VTA and hypothalamus [ 154 ]. This has led to the proposal of a “tripartite network” at the core of musical reward, with the hypothalamic node linking desire and pleasure to autonomic and neuroendocrine effects (Fig. 3A ) [ 128 , 154 , 155 ]. Beyond this core, musical reward also engages an extended network of brain areas including the auditory, frontal, and insular cortices, as well as the amygdala and hippocampus, all of which also exhibit temporal coupling with the NAc during music listening [ 149 , 153 , 154 ]. These extended connections are presumed to situate musical reward with respect to sensory, integrative, somatic, affective, and memory-based aspects of musical responding, respectively.

A A model of the extended musical reward network including the tripartite core (red outline) and associated cortical areas and subcortical structures (gray outline). Arrows indicate significant positive temporal correlation in blood-oxygenation-level-dependent activity between the indicated areas during pleasurable music listening. Numbers refer to Brodmann areas ( B ) A close-up of the tripartite core showing dopaminergic (blue), opioideric (green), and oxytocinergic (red) circuitry hypothesized to underpin music’s capacity to stimulate social connection. In rodent models (on which this panel is based) the derivation of reward from positive social interaction requires the oxytocinergic projections from the PVN to the NAc and VTA. C Interactions within the PVN between oxytocin and CRF. Oxytocin decreases the excitability of CRF neurons in mouse hypothalamic slices, and may further inhibit CRF release by modulating CRFR1-positive neurons. Note that music may also have effects on CRF that are independent of oxytocin. ARC arcuate nucleus, CRFR1 CRF receptor type 1, NAc nucleus accumbens, POMC proopiomelanocortin, PVN paraventricular nucleus, VTA ventral tegmental area.

Lastly, as in the processing of other rewarding stimuli like food, sex, and drugs, the hedonic aspects of musical reward are partially dependent on opioidergic mechanisms. This has been shown pharmacologically, as treatment with the (predominantly μ-) opioid receptor antagonists naloxone and naltrexone significantly reduces pleasure in response to musical stimuli [ 156 , 157 ]. Thus, although the work described in this section has been carried out almost entirely with “Western” listeners, the results, taken together with the widespread enjoyment of music around the world, strongly support the sensitivity of brain reward circuitry to musical stimulation as a third core element of musicality.

Applications of musical reward in mental health

In keeping with the central importance of reward in our everyday lives, this element of musicality has extremely broad implications for mental health. Dysfunction in brain reward circuitry contributes to a wide range of psychopathology, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, conduct disorder, Tourette’s syndrome [ 158 ], and schizophrenia. This suggests that the benefits of many current musical treatments may be attributable to normalizing effects of tonality and rhythm on otherwise aberrant activity in brain reward circuitry. Thus, in addition to effects on core dimensions of mental health (e.g., anxiety, mood, cognition, and motivation), musical treatments have also been found efficacious in more specific cases of psychopathology that specifically feature reward dysfunction. Some examples include: substance-use disorder, where adding music therapy to standard treatment can improve motivation to rehabilitate and abstinence [ 159 ]; anorexia nervosa, where interactive music therapy can stimulate reductions in post-meal anxiety that exceed those of other treatments [ 160 ]; and Tourette’s syndrome, where music listening, performance, and even imagined performance, can be an effective tic suppressant [ 161 ].

Further evidence of music’s efficacy against reward-related dysfunction comes from treatments applied to prominent transdiagnostic symptoms, like fatigue [ 162 ], apathy [ 163 , 164 ], and anhedonia [ 165 ]. For example, in a study of nursing home residents age 60+ with mild-to-moderate dementia, a twelve-week interactive music therapy intervention significantly reduced apathy and improved communication, in comparison with a treatment-as-usual control [ 163 ]. The effect sizes were relatively small (SMD = 0.32 and 0.15 respectively), but given the central importance of apathy in dementia and other psychopathology [ 166 , 167 , 168 ], they represent an important starting point for further investigation. In sum, the capacity of music to modulate brain reward circuitry provides a strong mechanistic basis for its benefits across a wide variety of functional disorders in mental health. A better understanding of how and when music stimulates reward is thus critical to advancing music’s therapeutic benefits for mental health.

Converging evidence indicates that engaging in music with other people is an effective way to stimulate interpersonal affiliation and social connection [ 44 ]. Psychological experiments, for example, have repeatedly shown that interpersonal temporal coordination (or “synchrony”) in behavior—a defining feature of musical interaction—strengthens social bonds between participants. This has been measured in terms of increased feelings of affiliation and self-other similarity [ 169 , 170 ], trust behaviors in economic games [ 171 , 172 ], and real-world cooperation [ 173 , 174 , 175 , 176 , 177 ] (reviewed in [ 178 ]). Another line of evidence comes from physiological experiments showing that recreational forms of behavioral synchrony—e.g., in group singing, drumming, or exercise—can upregulate oxytocin secretion [ 155 , 179 , 180 , 181 , 182 ], downregulate cortisol secretion [ 155 , 181 , 183 , 184 , 185 ], modulate immune reactivity [ 182 , 184 , 185 ], and decrease pain [ 186 , 187 ].

In addition to behavioral synchrony, music almost certainly facilitates affiliation and social connection through inducing synchrony in affect. This is perhaps best illustrated by the Iso Principle for mood management in music therapy, one of a few core methods that remains consistent across diverse approaches and therapeutic goals [ 188 ]. Iso Principle is the practice of initiating treatment sessions with music that is parameterized to match the patient’s current mood, creating a basis of shared affect that can then be leveraged to shift mood through musical changes. While the neural basis of synchrony’s effects on social neurobiology has yet to be studied in detail (see [ 189 ] for leading hypotheses), at a psychological level it appears to work through empathetic processes that increase trust and promote openness to further interaction and direction [ 190 ].

A final line of evidence comes from ethnographic and historical observations indicating that music (and dance) are commonly associated with contexts involving high levels of social cohesion. Major examples include religious rituals, cooperative labor, and military drill, as well as overt expressions of group solidarity like political chants, football songs, and national anthems [ 145 , 146 ]. Taken together, these findings strongly support the sensitivity of neural mechanisms supporting affiliation and social connection to musical stimulation as a fourth core element of musicality.

Oxytocin and social reward

Although many artistic and aesthetic experiences are capable of eliciting intense pleasure, music stands out for the regularity with which it does so [ 157 ]. Research suggests that frisson, for example, are induced by music at about four times the rate that they are induced by other stimuli, including the visual arts and literature combined [ 191 ]. This begs the question of why music is so rewarding.

A potential hint comes from the fact that frisson are also induced at high rates by inspirational speech [ 191 , 192 ]. From a mechanistic perspective, this can be taken as support for the hypothesis that the reward potency of music (and speech) reflects high temporal predictability relative to other artistic stimuli [ 150 , 153 ], which is particularly well-suited to anticipatory aspects of reward processing [ 193 ]. At the same time, phylogenetic and developmental perspectives have given rise to the hypothesis that the reward potency of music reflects its basis in social communication [ 149 ]. In this non-mutually exclusive view, music’s capacity to stimulate reward processing also reflects the activity of evolved neural mechanisms that develop to afford the voice with major modulatory control over the rewards of social interaction.

Interest in the link between music and social reward has led many researchers to posit a role for the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin in musicality [ 5 , 44 , 149 , 194 , 195 ], following on its essential functions in affiliative behavior and social bonding (Fig. 3B ) [ 196 , 197 , 198 , 199 , 200 ]. More specifically, music can be hypothesized to stimulate endogenous oxytocin mechanisms that upregulate dopaminergic (and related opioidergic) aspects of reward processing [ 198 ], thereby increasing sensitivity to musical rewards in social context. An important corollary of this hypothesis also addresses the anti-stress effects of music [ 201 ], as music-induced oxytocin release in the hypothalamus may also modulate local corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) circuitry to downregulate activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (Fig. 3C ) [ 202 , 203 , 204 , 205 , 206 ].

Applications of sociality in mental health

Social functioning—as reflected in the structure, function, and quality of an individual’s social connections—is a critical determinant of mental health in patients across prominent psychiatric disorders [ 207 , 208 ] as well as the general public [ 209 , 210 ]. This implies that effects of musical treatment of the neurobiology of social functioning may be of even broader significance than closely related effects on brain reward circuitry. However, before describing the clinical evidence supporting such effects, it should be noted that the extent to which musical treatment must involve live interaction to impact social neurobiology is presently unclear. Sound recording is only 160 years old, which implies that the vast majority of our collective experience with music has occurred in social contexts. Accordingly, there is an important sense in which listening to recorded music, even alone, may remain inherently social in neurobiological terms. Our attribution of recorded music to a person (or people) with communicative intent is essentially reflexive [ 211 ], particularly when it comprises vocals. It is also clear that recorded music is often a potent stimulus for behavioral and affective synchrony. Thus, listening to music alone may stimulate social neurobiology in many of the same ways as live musical interaction. Nevertheless, until shown otherwise, it seems reasonable to assume that live interaction is the more potent stimulus for leveraging music’s effect on sociality (e.g., see [ 212 , 213 , 214 ]).

Operationally, social functioning is targeted by interactive approaches to music therapy designed to support interpersonal responding, coordination, and synchrony [ 11 , 215 ]. A large body of evidence supports the benefits of such approaches in autism spectrum disorders [ 216 , 217 , 218 , 219 , 220 , 221 ]. Some of this evidence is summarized in a 2022 meta-analysis of 26 controlled studies including 1,165 children with diagnoses of an autism spectrum disorder (ranging from mild to severe). This analysis compared music therapy to non-musical standard care or a “placebo” therapy over an average duration of 2.5 months (SD = 2.0), with session frequency varying from daily to weekly in shorter and longer studies respectively [ 216 ]. Directly after the intervention, significant benefits associated with music therapy included improvement in clinical global impression (risk ratio=1.22, 8 studies, 583 patients), reduced total autism symptom severity (SMD = 0.83, 9 studies, 575 patients), and better quality of life for clients and/or their families (SMD = 0.28, 3 studies, 340 patients). During the intervention, music therapy was also associated with significant improvements in non-verbal communication (SMD = 1.06, 3 studies, 50 patients) and behavioral adaptation (SMD = 1.19, 4 studies, 52 patients); in the 1–5 months following the intervention, music therapy was associated with reduced total autism symptom severity (SMD = 0.93, 2 studies, 69 patients) and improved self-esteem (SMD = 0.86, 1 study, 35 patients) [ 216 ]. For context, the overall SMD for autism interventions based on Applied Behavior Analysis (a common non-musical behavioral therapy) has been estimated at 0.36 for treating general autism symptoms (based on 14 studies with 555 patients) [ 222 ].

Further evidence supporting the benefits of music therapy for social functioning comes from studies on schizophrenia [ 223 ]. A 2020 meta-analysis of 15 controlled studies involving 964 adults diagnosed with schizophrenia or a schizophrenia-like disorder highlighted significant improvements in negative symptoms (such as flat affect, poor social interactions, and apathy) when adjunct interactive and/or receptive music therapy was compared to standard care (SMD = 0.56) [ 164 ]. This aligns with an earlier 2017 meta-analysis that more specifically investigated social functioning, reporting benefits from two controlled studies involving adults with schizophrenia in which music therapy was compared to antipsychotic medication (SMD = 0.72, N  = 160 patients) [ 224 ]. For context, the SMD of antipsychotic medications for treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia has been estimated at 0.35, based on 167 studies with 28,102 patients [ 225 ].

There is also some evidence that musical interventions can impact social functioning in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. For example, individual studies have reported significant benefits of interactive music therapy on language functioning [ 226 ] and receptive music therapy on social engagement [ 227 ]. However, reviews and meta-analyses suggest that such social effects are mainly derivative from primary benefits that reduce agitation, anxiety, and depression [ 228 , 229 ].

Finally, outside of the clinic, musical therapy has long been valued as a non-verbal path to social connection in children with special needs [ 215 , 221 ], as well as a way to combat social isolation and loneliness, particularly in older adults living alone and/or with serious disease [ 184 , 230 ]. In sum, music’s capacity to stimulate the neurobiology of affiliation and social connection is associated with benefits in multiple major mental health disorders and across the lifespan.

Individual differences in musicality

Despite strong foundations in our shared biology, there is also substantial individual variation in neural sensitivity to the core elements of musicality. At the low end of the spectrum are individuals who cannot carry a tune or dance in time, some of whom find music irritating and actively avoid it [ 231 ]. Conversely, at the high end are individuals who find it difficult to live without music, some of whom create works of art that transcend their geographic and temporal horizons [ 232 ]. This high degree of individual variation in musical appreciation and engagement implies that there may also be substantial variation in individual capacity to benefit from musical treatment. In this section and the next I review research on understanding individual variation in musicality, outlining how its measurement may be used to increase the precision with which musical treatments are applied. Accordingly, I argue that better applications of music in mental health depend not only on aligning the neurophysiological effects of music’s core elements with specific clinical targets, but also on matching treatment content to individual differences in musicality.

Psychoacoustic testing

Tests of tone and rhythm perception have long served as the primary way to measure individual differences in musicality. Performance on the most basic of these tests—e.g., measuring sensitivity to harmony and pulse—tends to be positively skewed [ 233 ], reflecting a commonplace competency for music similar to that which we possess for language [ 41 ]. Nevertheless, there is still considerable variation in basic test scores, and this is increased for tests that probe more sophisticated musical abilities [ 234 ].

Environmental factors

Researchers have traditionally sought explanations for individual differences in musicality based on environmental factors. One of the most important environmental factors is formal training , a process by which individuals explicitly learn specific motor skills and rules for music performance and composition [ 235 ]. Formal training is particularly important for explaining sophisticated musical abilities, e.g., as assessed by Goldsmith’s Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI) [ 234 ]. Another important environmental factor is musical enculturation , i.e., the process of implicitly learning the statistical properties of the music to which one is developmentally exposed. Many studies have demonstrated effects of training and enculturation on psychoacoustic tests (e.g. [ 236 , 237 ]). Though sometimes framed as evidence against biological constraints, such effects may be better considered in terms of how biological constraints manifest in the face of environmental variation [ 56 , 78 ].

Biological factors

Progress is also being made towards understanding the genetic basis of musicality [ 27 ]. Early work provided evidence that genetic factors explain surprising amounts of phenotypic variability in psychoacoustic test performance (e.g., 70–80% in tone perception [ 238 ]), as well as time spent practicing music (e.g., 40–70% [ 239 ]; see also [ 240 ]). More recently, genome-wide association (GWA) techniques have been applied to musicality [ 241 , 242 , 243 ]. The largest of these GWA studies to date has focused on rhythm perception [ 243 ]—assessed via the question “can you clap in time with a musical beat?”—in a sample of over 606,825 individuals, accessed via an academic collaboration with 23andMe, Inc. The results indicated that beat perception and synchronization depend on many genes, with variation at 69 loci spread across 20 chromosomes being significantly associated with survey responses after linkage disequilibrium pruning. Additional analyses found enriched expression of genes implicated by these loci in brain-specific regulatory elements as well as fetal brain tissue, indicating potential roles in regulating neurodevelopment. Similar analyses focused on the adult brain found enriched expression in structures implicated in rhythm and reward, including the frontal and temporal cortices, cerebellum, basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, and hypothalamus (see Figs. 2 C and 3B ).

Although complex traits like our sensitivity to rhythm are expected to be polygenic [ 243 ], some studies have also focused on associations between musicality and individual genes. One of the best studied genes in this context is AVPR1A , which encodes the vasopressin 1A receptor, a major component of the arginine vasopressin and oxytocin signaling pathways [ 196 , 244 ]. Genetic variation in the promotor region of AVPR1A has been associated with phenotypic variation in psychoacoustic test scores [ 245 , 246 ], time spent attentively listening to music [ 247 ], and being a dancer as opposed to another type of athlete [ 248 ]. Variation in AVPRA1 has also been associated with verbal memory [ 249 ], acoustic startle [ 250 ], amygdala activity [ 251 ], prosocial behavior [ 252 ], pair-bonding [ 253 ], and autism [ 254 ]. As intriguing as these associations are, however, it should also be noted that several studies have looked and failed to find associations between musical ability/behavior and AVPR1A polymorphism [ 242 , 255 ]. Other genes of particular interest include VRK2 , FANCL , MAPT , MAPK3 , GATA2 , GBE1 , GPM6A , PCDH7, SCL64A , and UGT8 among others (see [ 27 ] and [ 243 ]).

Lastly, progress in understanding the biology underlying individual differences in musicality has also come from studies of disordered music perception. Congenital amusia [ 256 ] is an umbrella term for lifelong deficits in music perception that prevent people from singing in tune [ 257 ], dancing in time [ 258 ], or deriving pleasure from music [ 259 ]. Deficits in tone perception (or tone deafness ) is the best studied form of congenital amusia: it runs in families [ 238 , 260 ] and is associated with decreased connectivity between the auditory cortices and the inferior frontal gyrus [ 261 , 262 ], potentially reflecting abnormal frontotemporal cortical development [ 263 ]. The prevalence of tone deafness is approximately 1.5%, with as many as 4.2% of people exhibiting a lesser form of impairment [ 264 ]. Deficits in rhythms perception (or beat deafness ) appears to be at least as common [ 264 ]. Finally the prevalence of music-specific anhedonia , which, as the name implies, occurs despite otherwise normal hedonic functioning, is estimated at about 5% [ 265 ].

Hypotheses for precision medicine

Faced with questions about whether a patient is sufficiently musical to engage in treatment, many music therapists provide reassurance, as a significant part of their practice is dedicated to finding adaptive ways to leverage music’s capacities to align with individual strengths [ 266 , 267 ]. While this resource-oriented approach has the benefit of allowing music therapists to work with almost anyone, the framework proposed here can potentially offer more systematic guidelines for determining whether a patient is likely to benefit from musical treatment. Fundamentally, patients with a history of strong engagement with music and keen sensitivity to its tonal, rhythmic, rewarding, and social elements would appear to be good candidates for musical treatment, especially if neurophysiological systems influenced by one or more core elements of musicality are implicated by their symptoms. Conversely, those patients who report disliking music, find it unrewarding, or otherwise qualify for congenital amusia, would seem to have a lower likelihood of benefiting.

In between these extremes are individuals whose specific musicality profiles —conceived as a series of measurements describing sensitivity to each core element of musicality—have important potential to inform decisions about treatment content. As an example, treatment for a patient with below-average tone perception, but normal sensitivity to musical reward, rhythm, and sociality could be personalized to align with their musicality profile by focusing on the neurophysiological effects of rhythm in an affiliative interactive context in which tonal elements are minimized or omitted.

Defining musicality profiles

While measurements of underlying biology may improve assessments of individual differences in musicality in the future, current efforts must rely on psychoacoustic tests and surveys. Among the most promising for determining suitability for musical treatment is the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ) [ 265 ], a survey of 20 self-reported items that assess the degree to which an individual takes pleasure in different aspects of music. For individuals with normal scores on the BMRQ, further insight may be gained through a series of basic psychoacoustic tests, like the scale test and out-of-key test (for evaluating tone perception) and the off-beat test (for evaluating rhythm perception) from the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA [ 233 , 268 ]; see MBEMA for testing children aged 6 to 10 [ 269 ]). If a more comprehensive assessment is desired, clinicians can deploy the Gold-MSI (for musical sophistication) [ 234 ] or the computerized beat alignment test (for rhythm) [ 270 ].

Although not explicitly focused on music, it may also be useful to assess a patient’s level of social functioning and anxiety (e.g., with the Social Responsivity Scale [SRS] [ 271 ] and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale [LSAS] [ 272 ] respectively), as the results could inform decisions about the extent to which a musical intervention should target social functioning. Interactive music therapy can be hypothesized to be most effective in cases where social functioning and social anxiety are both low. By contrast, in cases where social anxiety (or anxiety more generally) is high, the most effective approach may instead require limiting social interaction, at least at first. In keeping with this hypothesis, interactive approaches to music therapy in dementia (where anxiety is often high) are significantly less effective than receptive approaches at reducing agitation and behavioral problems [ 229 ]. Similarly, in music therapy for autism—which is predominantly interactive—high comorbidity with anxiety disorders may help explain some of the heterogeneity in trial results (cf [ 273 , 274 ].). Lastly, in cases where a patient is unable to complete surveys or perform perceptual tests due to developmental delay or cognitive impairment, interviewing caregivers about the patient’s history of music engagement and social functioning can offer valuable insights into their potential sensitivity to musical treatment.

Idiosyncratic preferences

Beyond tailoring musical treatments to align neurophysiological effects with clinical targets and individual musicality profiles, treatments may also be customized based on individual music preferences or “taste” [ 275 , 276 ]. In receptive music therapy, for example, it’s common for patients to nominate songs they like, with therapists providing oversight for alignment with therapeutic goals [ 89 ]. One major advantage of this approach is that listening to preferred music can be especially rewarding [ 151 , 277 ]. This is often attributed to the familiarity of preferred music, which facilitates expectations, their fulfillment, and associated memories and emotions [ 150 , 278 , 279 ]. Other potential benefits of preferred music include fostering a sense of safety, enhancing engagement, and reducing stress [ 280 , 281 , 282 ]. However, personal memories and associations can also make the therapeutic value of preferred music difficult to control, especially if not carefully reviewed [ 283 ]. This is because what a person likes is not necessarily aligned with their therapeutic goals. A prime example is that people with depression often prefer music that maintains or exacerbates their sadness [ 284 , 285 , 286 ] (but see [ 285 , 287 , 288 ]). Accordingly, despite the benefits of preferred music, using novel or unknown music is advisable in some contexts.

Having already changed how people discover new music, algorithmic music recommendation systems may also find applications in mental health. However, the issue of mismatch between what a person likes and their treatment goals remains significant here as well. For example, listening to strongly preferred or popular music while attempting to focus tends to decrease task performance [ 140 , 142 ]. In the extreme, the lifestyle associated with many forms of popular music is linked to substance abuse, risk-taking, suicide, homicide, and accidental death among practitioners [ 289 ]. This highlights the fact that engagement with music is not necessarily health-positive (cf [ 290 , 291 , 292 ].). In therapeutic contexts, though, there are still many cases in which tailoring musical interventions to idiosyncratic preferences can be beneficial. For example, in receptive music therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, listening to familiar, preferred music appears to carry benefits for self-awareness [ 293 ]. Similarly, in depression, preferred music is likely to be the most effective stimulus for normalizing brain affect and reward functions, provided that it has been properly vetted to avoid stimulating negative affect. Finally, when a patient has normal sensitivity to musical reward but only within a very restricted genre (e.g., from their youth [ 294 ]), or, reports enjoying music despite poor tone and rhythm perception [ 295 ], understanding their idiosyncratic preferences may be necessary to design effective treatment.

In sum, determining the therapeutic value of aligning musical treatment with idiosyncratic preferences is of central importance for musical applications in mental health. That said, progress in this kind of preference matching should be incorporated within a broader precision paradigm as advocated here, which aims to align the specific neurophysiological effects of musicality’s core elements with specific clinical targets and individual differences in associated responsivity.

Skepticism and need

In this final section, I address several important points of skepticism regarding the premise of the biological framework presented here, i.e., the hypothesis that music can do more for mental health.

Benefits from music to mental health are already at saturation

In addition to the effects of musical treatment described above (see Sections “Applications of tonality in mental health.”, “Applications of rhythm in mental health”, “Applications of musical reward in mental health”, & “Applications of sociality in mental health”.), there is strong evidence that people derive mental health benefits from more casual engagement with music. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, more than half of 4,206 survey respondents reported engaging with music as a coping strategy, using it to derive reward, modulate mood, and/or reduce stress and anxiety [ 296 ]. Similar positive functions are apparent in pre-pandemic research as well (alongside more social functions) [ 2 , 297 , 298 , 299 ]. Associations between music and healing have also been found in many cultures throughout human history, suggesting a potentially ancient relationship [ 300 , 301 ]. Thus, even though music lies outside the mainstream of mental health care, many people are already using music to improve their condition.

Nonetheless, there are multiple ways in which music’s mental health benefits may be increased. First, expanding access to musical treatment is essential [ 302 ]; as stated in the introduction, music therapists in the US only have the capacity to treat 0.5% of adults with mental illness. I have argued that this necessitates standardizing and applying treatments within a biological framework. Second, the popular perception of music as entertainment needs to evolve to encompass its therapeutic benefits. Explaining musical treatments in biomedical terms and normalizing therapeutic modes of listening can facilitate this shift. Third, the balance in music education needs to pivot away from individual performance and back towards widespread attainment of basic skills (e.g., social singing and dancing, listening, reflecting, curating, etc.), with an explicit focus on developing lifelong tools for mental health and wellness [ 303 ].

Another crest in the music and health hype cycle?

Even if one accepts that music has expandable mental health benefits, the importance of music’s potential might still seem overblown, here and elsewhere. It is worth revisiting the Mozart effect in this context, as an example of music’s real effects and associated hyperbolic overinterpretation. In 1993, a study published in the journal Nature reported that 10 min of listening to a spirited Mozart sonata, versus speech-based relaxation, or silence, improved performance on a subsequent spatial reasoning task [ 144 ]. After being picked up by popular press, this finding was transformed into the notion that “listening to Mozart actually makes you smarter” [ 304 ], which was subsequently used to market books and other media for benefits purportedly backed by science [ 305 ]. Backlash from the scientific community in the form of criticism and further investigation eventually came to show that the Mozart effect amounts to a relatively small but replicable performance boost that generalizes to other types of music (and speech) which stimulate enjoyment and arousal (SMD = 0.37 in meta-analyses) [ 143 , 305 , 306 ]. Thus, while we should remain guarded against hype surrounding claims about music’s potential benefits, the example of the Mozart effect should also remind us not to counter hype with dismissal.

Low quality studies undermine claims of clinical value

The randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial remains the gold standard for evidence in clinical medicine. However, this approach was primarily designed to test the efficacy of drug therapies, a history that creates problems for using it to test behavioral interventions, such as music therapy or psychotherapy [ 307 , 308 ]. Central problems include: difficultly blinding patients and therapists to their assigned condition (treatment or control), designing appropriate “placebo” treatments, and perceived difficulty in standardizing treatment without jeopardizing therapeutic integrity [ 308 , 309 ]. These problems are compounded in trials that rely on self- and/or clinician-reported outcomes (which is standard in much mental health research [ 309 ]). Consequently, concerns over study quality have often been cited in expressions of doubt over music’s clinical value (e.g. [ 302 , 308 ]).

A quick survey of modern clinical research in music therapy shows that such criticism has been well-received. Improvements in control conditions and blinded outcome assessments have been gradually implemented and evidence from more carefully conducted trials has begun to accumulate. Over the last decade, there has also been a surge in meta-analytic syntheses of this work, most of which explicitly assess risk-of-bias alongside their conclusions, although they do not typically take the next step of adjusting effect size estimates accordingly (cf [ 96 , 310 ].). Overall, bias assessments suggest that the certainty of evidence supporting benefits from musical treatment in mental health is moderate to low. Nonetheless, this level of certainty is consistent with many treatments in psychiatry [ 94 ]. The assertion that studies of musical treatment are especially suspect is thus poorly substantiated. Interested readers should consult bias assessments in these meta-analyses [ 93 , 95 , 96 , 133 , 164 , 216 , 224 , 229 ], and review individual studies that exemplify high-quality research on musical treatments for conditions such as anxiety [ 311 , 312 ], depression [ 313 , 314 ], autism [ 274 , 315 ], psychosis [ 316 , 317 ], and dementia [ 318 , 319 ].

Mental health needs

In concluding this section, it is useful to briefly consider musical treatment in the context of current mental health needs. In 2007, mental health disorders were estimated to account for 14% of global disease burden [ 320 ]. In 2021, an estimated 22.8% of adults in the United States had a diagnosable mental illness, with 12.7% of adolescents having serious thoughts of suicide [ 17 ]. In opposition to this growing psychopathology, first-line treatments in psychiatry are often criticized for their limited effectiveness [ 94 , 320 , 321 ]. Quantifying this point, a 2022 meta-analytic evaluation of 3,782 clinical trials examining the most common adult mental health disorders across a total sample size of 650,514 patients estimated summary effect sizes of just 0.34 SMD for psychotherapy and 0.36 SMD for pharmacotherapy [ 94 ]. In depression, SMDs <0.88 represent changes in a patient’s presentation that are typically too small to be detected by a clinician, suggesting that the effects of standard treatments for depression commonly lack clinical significance [ 94 , 322 , 323 ]. A similar SMD threshold in schizophrenia is 0.73 [ 94 , 324 ]. It is crucial to note that small summary effect sizes in meta-analyses are averages, and thus obscure the reality that a minority of patients have experienced clinically significant benefits under current treatments (due to poorly understood individual differences in treatment response). Nevertheless, the data at hand clearly indicate that new treatments are urgently needed [ 94 ].

It is in this context that advancing new standardized music-based interventions is important, not only because music affects core dimensions of mental health through the biology of tonality, rhythm, reward, and sociality, but because these avenues present an accessible, easy-entry, and low-risk approach to addressing problems for which we need solutions. Music is poorly conceived as a panacea. Instead, it has real effects on human neurobiological functions that feature prominently in mental illness, and thus has important potential in treating their disorder.

The effects of music on mental health and wellness are drawing more attention now than ever before. Efforts to better understand music’s benefits and increase their integration into medicine are complicated by their impressive diversity and a lack of clarity regarding underlying biology. This review has addressed these challenges by synthesizing progress in music research from psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry to create a framework for defining music’s neurophysiological effects and their clinical scope in biological terms. This framework includes four core elements of human musicality: tonality , based on tone perception and the bioacoustics of vocal emotional expression, with applications targeting mood and anxiety; rhythm , based on neural resonance, anticipation, and auditory-motor entrainment, with applications targeting mood, cognition, and motivation; reward , based on engagement of classic brain reward circuitry and the reinforcement of successful communication, with broad applications in stimulating positive affect and normalizing reward function; and sociality , based on synchrony and the neurobiology of affiliation, with broad applications in treating social dysfunction and increasing social connectedness. This framework rationalizes many observed benefits of musical treatment and provides a path towards a precision approach to increasing their impact. As the world continues to change and we face new challenges to mental health and wellness, music will continue to provide real biologically mediated relief. Understanding and leveraging this fact towards better treatments and interventions in psychiatry presents an important opportunity to diversify and improve care during times of pressing need.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Drs. Dale Purves, Concetta Tomaino, and Karen Parker for comments on drafts of this manuscript, as well as Drs. Daniel Levitin, Patrick Savage, and two anonymous reviewers for constructive feedback during peer review. This work was supported by NIMH grant K01MH122730.

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Bowling, D.L. Biological principles for music and mental health. Transl Psychiatry 13 , 374 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02671-4

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Music and Science

17 research topics, 17.1 what is a research topic.

All experiments are situated within some kind of research topic . The research topic defines the body of knowledge to which we want to contribute, and can typically be associated with a collection of publications (e.g. journal articles, book chapters) in the academic literature that span multiple years or decades.

A given research topic will typically be associated with many publications from multiple researchers or research groups around the world. These publications will typically make many references to one another, with these references (‘citations’) being sometimes supportive (‘based on the findings of X, we know already that Y…’; ‘our results support the hypotheses of X, who suggested that…’) and sometimes negative (‘our results contract those of X’; ‘we disagree with the conclusions of X, because…’). Reading recent publications within a research topic is one of the best ways of quickly familiarising oneself with a particular topic; particularly helpful here are review articles , written with the explicit goal of summarising the current state of knowledge in a particular research topic, as well as outlining potential future directions.

The definition of the term ‘research topic’ is necessarily nebulous, and there is a lot of subjectivity involved in grouping the research literature into different research topics, especially as individual papers might often be associated with multiple topics. Nonetheless the notion of research topic remains useful for categorising and describing the academic literature. Here are some examples of research topics within the field of music psychology:

Music and dementia

Entrainment and social bonding

Expectation and musical pleasure

Memory for melodies

Timbre and synaesthesia

17.2 Choosing a research topic

In most cases you will join a research topic that already exists and that has already been studied by previous researchers. In this case you can inherit some of the pre-established legitimacy of that topic, but you will eventually have to establish exactly how your research will contribute beyond what exists already. In some cases, conversely, you will be trying to establish a new research topic in its own right; in such cases, you will have to think carefully about your justifications for why the research topic deserves to be studied in its own right.

Most researchers have several moments in their careers where they have to choose between several possible research topics. This can begin as early as the undergraduate degree, where one might be choosing between different candidate final-year research projects. It is important in these situations to be able to critically evaluate different research topics and decide which possibilities work best for you. Let’s go through a few different dimensions to think about:

17.2.1 Impact

Impact can be defined as the sense in which a piece of research affects the world around it. Research can have impact in many ways, but it’s often helpful to differentiate two kinds of impact:

The sense in which the research improves our understanding of the world ( basic research, also known as fundamental research);

The sense in which the research solves practical problems in the real world ( applied research). This can be achieved for example by developing a new technology that can be applied in non-research contexts, or by generating information that influences public or private policy.

The former category (fundamental research impact) is particularly challenging to quantify. It’s intuitive that some pieces of knowledge are more impactful than others, but it’s very difficult to quantify this differential in an absolute sense. A common heuristic used in academia is to count the number of citations received by a given research article or book; the idea is that the most impactful pieces of research are those that other researchers refer to a lot in their own research. This metric is clearly imperfect, and there is an ongoing drive in academia to find better replacements.

Several factors contribute to determining whether a research project has the capacity to achieve high impact.

Perhaps the topic itself has intrinsically high potential impact . Cancer research would be one such example; successful contributions in cancer research can have immensely high impact on cancer sufferers around the world.

Perhaps the topic is understudied . This most commonly happens early on in the study of a topic, when there has not yet been sufficient time for many researchers to recognise its potential.

Perhaps the topic matches your own skills particularly well. Different skillsets are useful for different research topics; this is particularly relevant in music psychology, where musical researchers will often have deep personal experience with a particular research topic. This personal experience can be useful in all kinds of ways, ranging from identifying good research questions to developing good hypotheses to recruiting suitable participants.

17.2.2 Environment

It is essential to consider whether you have the right environment available for performing your work. There are two particularly important factors to consider:

Academic input . Will you have a supervisor? (If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student, almost certainly) Does your supervisor have expertise in the planned research topic, and/or in the relevant methodologies for that research topic? Are there other people in the research group/department/faculty/institution who could also give you useful feedback on your work?

Resources . Does your planned research topic require special equipment, or large amounts of money (e.g. for funding travel to remote locations, or for recruiting participants)? If so, will this equipment/money be available from your group/department/faculty/institution? If not, are there relevant grants you can apply to (e.g. from your college/university/national funding body) that could support the work?

17.2.3 Personal interest

Different people find different things interesting. Music psychology is particularly attractive to many people, because it contains so many research topics that music enthusiasts can connect to in a deep and personal sense. One might therefore choose to study film music because of a particular personal interest in listening to film music, or to study music and dementia because of having a relative with dementia.

17.2.4 Personal development

Most research projects offer opportunities for knowledge and skill development. By working in a field, you will necessarily have to learn a lot about the relevant literature, and become something of an expert in the particular topic that you are studying. It’s worth taking some time to consider which research topics you would find most rewarding to learn so much about. Conducting scientific experiments moreover gives an opportunity to develop many practical skills, such as interviewing, survey design, programming, or data analysis; it’s worth considering which of these potential skills would be most valuable to you to learn, either because you think you would enjoy learning them, or because you think they would serve you well in the future.

Learning new skills is good, but it is also time-consuming. Generally you should choose topics that provide some balance between the familiar and unfamiliar; the unfamiliar aspects are useful learning opportunities, but the familiar aspects help you to work efficiently and effectively.

17.2.5 Cost-benefit trade-off

Lastly, it is important to evaluate the potential costs involved in the proposed research direction, and determine how they compare to the potential impact of the work. This becomes particularly relevant in the latter stages of planning process, but we’ll discuss this issue here anyway for completeness.

The most obvious kind of costs are financial costs: some research simply costs a lot of money. There are however several other kinds of costs which are often underappreciated in the project planning stage.

Time. It is important to consider time both in terms of wall-clock hours (i.e. how much time elapses before the start and end of a project) and in terms of person hours (i.e. how many hours the researchers need to spend actively working on the project). Wall-clock hours become increasingly important for research projects with short time windows and strict deadlines, for example undergraduate or masters’ projects.

Ethics. Certain projects bring personal costs, or risks of costs, to the participants. For example, a trial medical drug could harm participants through unknown side effects, or a survey about taboo behaviours could harm its participants if their anonymity were compromised. The research should only be undertaken if the likely benefits of the research outweigh the likely costs, and then only if the participants provide informed consent. All psychological research projects (even undergraduate projects) should generally go to an institutional ethics board for approval before the research is conducted.

17.3 Finding candidate research topics

It is one thing to appraise a given research topic along these different dimensions, but how do we identify candidate research topics in the first place? This is fundamentally a personal process, and so it’s difficult to prescribe a universal strategy here. Nonetheless, there are a couple of useful things worth considering:

Reading broadly. Most fields have a fair few high-level books that lay out the many research topics that make up the field. In music psychology, good examples would be the Psychology of Music (Deutsch, 2013 ) , the Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology (Hallam et al., 2017 ) , or The Science and Psychology of Music (Thompson & Olsen, 2021 ) .

Attending research talks. Listening to other people present their work is a great way to foster your own ideas. Most academic institutions hold regular seminar series concerning various research fields or topics, which typically include a mixture of internal and external speakers. The Centre for Music and Science at Cambridge holds fortnightly seminars during term-time, which you can learn more about here . In addition to this, particular research fields tend to hold regular national or international conferences, where researchers congregate to share and discuss their latest research. Attending one of these conferences (or workshops, which are essentially informal versions of conferences) can be a great way to be exposed to research topics and methodologies you had never really considered before, as well as meeting other interesting people in the field. Conferences can be expensive to attend in person, but many offer special discounts or funding to students. Moreover, if you can’t attend in person, it is nowadays often possible to watch recordings of the talks afterwards on YouTube, or at least to read the conference’s ‘proceedings’ book which compiles summaries of the research projects that were presented. The following conference series are particularly well known in music and science:

ICMCP - International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition

ESCOM - European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music

SMPC - Society for Music Perception and Cognition (US-based)

ASA - Acoustical Society of America

SEMPRE - Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (UK-based)

ISMIR - International Society for Music Information Retrieval

Deutsch, D. (2013). Psychology of music . Elsevier.

Hallam, S., Cross, I., & Thaut, M. (2017). The oxford handbook of music psychology . Oxford University Press.

Thompson, W. F., & Olsen, K. N. (2021). The science and psychology of music: From beethoven at the office to beyoncé at the gym . Greenwood Publishing Group Inc.

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Music Research Topics: 40 Topic Examples for Paper or Essay

Music Research Paper Topic Examples

Music is a universal language that transcends borders and cultures, touching the depths of human emotions and shaping societies throughout history.

It is a dynamic field with many facets, making it a fascinating subject for research and exploration.

This article provides a treasure trove of music research topics. Each topic offers a unique lens through which researchers can analyze the art form that harmonizes our world.

40 Topic Examples for Paper or Essay

• The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Ecosystems
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Challenges and Opportunities
• The History and Significance of the Suffragette Movement
• Cybersecurity Threats in the Age of Digital Transformation
• The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health
• The Role of Women in STEM: Breaking Barriers
• The Economics of Renewable Energy Adoption
• The Evolution of Urbanization and Its Effects on Society
• The Cultural Significance of Traditional Foods
• The Globalization of Pop Culture: A Double-Edged Sword
• The Ethics of Genetic Engineering and Designer Babies
• The Impact of Mass Media on Political Discourse
• The Art of Storytelling: Its Power in Literature and Film
• Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity Preservation
• The Influence of Music on Emotions and Behavior
• The Role of NGOs in International Development
• The Future of Space Exploration and Colonization
• The Psychology of Addiction: Causes and Treatment
• The Evolution of Artificial Life: From Turing to Deep Learning
• The Importance of Financial Literacy in Modern Society
• The Historical Development of Human Rights
• The Impact of E-Commerce on Traditional Retail
• The Intersection of Art and Technology in the Digital Age
• The Rise of Populism and Its Implications for Democracy
• The Benefits and Challenges of Remote Work
• The Cultural Significance of Festivals and Celebrations
• The Philosophy of Mind: Dualism vs. Materialism
• The Influence of Gaming on Cognitive Skills and Social Behavior
• The Role of Education in Promoting Gender Equality
• The Implications of 5G Technology on Communication
• The Ethical Considerations in Animal Testing
• The Evolution of Language and Communication
• The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Health
• The Cultural Exchange in World Literature
• The Challenges of Cyberbullying and Online Harassment
• The Role of Sports in Building Character and Leadership
• The Importance of Early Childhood Education
• The Psychological Effects of Color on Human Behavior
• The Intersection of Religion and Science: Debates and Harmonies
• The Socioeconomic Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

How to Write a Good Music Research Paper

1. introduction.

Engage the reader with a compelling start. You can use an anecdote, a thought-provoking quote, or an interesting fact related to your music research topic. The goal is to pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading.

Provide context for your research topic and explain its significance. This is where you introduce the broader issues or themes related to your case and explain why it’s worth studying.

State your primary research question or thesis. This is the heart of your introduction, where you clearly define the specific focus of your research.

Briefly outline the scope of your paper and the topics you will cover. Give readers an overview of what to expect in the coming sections.

Present your central argument or hypothesis. This statement should be concise and clear, summarizing the main point of your research.

2. Literature Review

A literature review is a critical component of research, as it provides an essential foundation for a study. It serves to summarize existing knowledge, identify gaps, and establish the context for the research. 

After reviewing relevant literature, researchers can build on past work, avoid redundancy, and ensure that their research contributes new insights.

It also helps in shaping research questions, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies. A comprehensive literature review adds credibility and depth to research, making it an indispensable step in the research process.

3. Methodology

The methodology section outlines the systematic approach used to conduct the research, ensuring its rigor and applicability.

Data will be collected from a diverse sample of participants through structured surveys and in-depth interviews.

The study aims to recruit participants with varied musical backgrounds, age groups, and experiences to gain a comprehensive perspective.

Quantitative data will undergo statistical analysis, while qualitative data will be thematically coded to unearth patterns and insights.

4. Analysis and Findings

In this section, you present the outcomes of your research, for instance, on the psychological and emotional effects of music.

Your quantitative analysis reveals significant correlations between musical genres and distinct emotional responses.

Notably, participants report should elevate feelings of joy, nostalgia, and relaxation in response to specific genres.

The qualitative findings should enrich your understanding, emphasizing the significance of individual preferences and contextual factors in shaping emotional experiences.

5. Discussion

Here, you interpret the implications of your findings, demonstrating music’s profound impact on emotional well-being and cognitive processes.

The observed correlations between specific musical genres and emotional states underscore the therapeutic potential of music, offering new avenues for stress reduction and memory enhancement.

Mostly, this substantiates your central thesis that music is a potent tool for improving mental and emotional health, supporting the idea that it extends beyond entertainment.

However, it is crucial to acknowledge the study’s limitations, including potential biases in self-reporting and the cross-sectional design.

6. Conclusion

In the conclusion section, the research should shed light on the remarkable influence of music on human psychology.

Your findings highlight music’s significant role in shaping emotional well-being and cognitive processes.

Specific musical genres should evoke distinct emotional responses, indicating music’s potential for therapeutic applications in stress reduction and memory enhancement.

The study should underscore the need for a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between music and the human psyche.

After harnessing music’s emotional and cognitive effects, you can explore innovative interventions to enhance psychological well-being.

While your research provides valuable insights, it is essential to acknowledge its limitations and encourage further investigation into the multifaceted dimensions of music’s impact on the human experience.

7. References

References validate the credibility and academic rigor of your research. After citing reputable sources, you demonstrate that your work is built on a foundation of established knowledge and research within the field.

References provide evidence to support your arguments and claims. They show that your research is based not solely on your personal opinions but on existing and expert opinions.

Properly citing sources helps you avoid plagiarism, a serious academic offense. Plagiarism involves using someone else’s work without giving them credit, which can lead to academic penalties and damage your reputation.

References serve as a guide for readers interested in delving deeper into the topic. They can use your reference list to access the sources you consulted, promoting further learning and research.

References provide context for your research, allowing readers to see how your work fits within the broader academic conversation. This can help establish the significance of your research.

8. Appendices

Appendices are essential in research to provide additional information, such as raw data, charts, or lengthy explanations, without cluttering the main text.

They enhance comprehension and allow readers to explore details at their discretion.

9. Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments in research papers serve several vital purposes.

First and foremost, they express gratitude and recognition for the contributions of individuals, organizations, or institutions that supported the research.

Acknowledgments enhance transparency by disclosing financial support, resource access, or partnerships. They demonstrate ethical research practices and ensure that potential conflicts of interest are disclosed.

Acknowledgments play a vital role in maintaining research integrity, respecting intellectual contributions, and building a sense of academic community and collaboration.

Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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Best 100 music research topics (just updated).

If you are reading this, you are probably looking for the best music research topics for your next essay. Truth be told, choosing the right topic is very important. It can make the difference between a B and an A, or even between an A and an A+. Unfortunately, choosing the best topics is not as simple as you think. Even though the internet is full of music research topics, most of them are plain and, quite frankly, boring.

Your professor wants more than this. Let’s see why you need the most interesting topics and where you can find them. Of course, you are free to use any of our 100 topics for free and even reword them as you see fit. Read on!

Choosing Good Music Research Topics

By now, you are probably wondering why everyone keeps telling you to come up with the best music topics. The truth is that there are many, many benefits to choosing an awesome topic. Here are just some of them, so you can get a better idea of the importance of a great idea:

• Excellent music research paper topics show your professor that you really did your best to get a top grade.
• A good topic is one that you know much about. It should be relatively easy to you to research it and to write about it.
• An awesome topic will pique the interest of your professor and will keep him or her reading. You will often get bonus points for this.
• Great topics make you stand out from your classmates. Your professor will notice you, and the grade will reflect this.

Where Can You Find Decent Music Topics?

Finding amazing music research topics is easier said than done. Yes, the Internet is full of websites that are offering ideas. There are even websites where you can buy bundles of topics. However, the music argumentative essay topics you will get from these websites are not of the highest quality. Most of them are actually quite boring. And remember, you classmates are probably searching for music history research paper topics on the same websites as you do. You want your research topics on music or book review topics to be original, so your professor can have a reason to award your paper some bonus points. The best place to get excellent music topics to write about is this page. The list of ideas is updated frequently, so you can get an original topic for free right now.

Music History Research Topics

Are you looking for the most interesting music history research topics? If you do, just pick one from our list for free:

• How did the Catholic church influence Renaissance music?
• Social issues described in Baroque-period music.
• Analyze the evolution of Romantic-era music.
• How did the Baroque Opera come to be?
• Who invented Medieval music and when?
• Why has western music almost disappear in the last 10 years?
• Analyze the evolution of music in the Classical era.
• Analyzing violin music performance during the Romantic Era.

Music Argument Topics

Are you looking to find an argument and support it? Then you absolutely need to check out our exceptional list of music argument topics:

• Music today is better than music in the 90s.
• The most lucrative career for a musician.
• Music helps you memorize faster.
• The most popular kind of metal music.
• The evolution of blues songs over the last 30 years.
• Music helps children develop faster.
• Hip-hop is a misunderstood music genre.
• Jazz music is not obsolete.

Music Theory Topics

Interested in writing about music theory? Our amazing academic writers have put together a list of music theory topics for you:

• Analyze the most important aspects of modern music.
• Classical music has specific medical applications.
• Hidden symbols in Renaissance-period music.
• The unique features of Baroque-age music.
• Analyze the evolution of music in the Baroque era.
• The best music compositors in the Romantic era.
• Remarkable characteristics of Romantic-age songs.
• The peculiarities of Asian modern music.

Music Industry Topics

Writing about the music industry can be fun and entertaining. Your professor will love it. Pick one of our music industry topics and start writing:

• What do you associate rock music with and why?
• Should the music industry pay songwriters more?
• How does illegal pirating of songs affect the music industry?
• Do music sharing sites help new artists become famous.
• Analyze the evolution of music labels in the US.
• What differentiates a music label from all others?
• Music talent shows and their effects on a musician’s career.
• The difficulties of signing a contract with a major music label in the US.

Research Paper Topics on Music for High School

Are you a high school student? In this case, you will need our research paper topics on music for high school:

• The best compositors of the Baroque Era.
• What differentiates modern music from classical music?
• Notable women in classical music.
• Analyze the evolution of music in the Modern age.
• How was Beethoven’s music influenced by his loss of hearing?
• How would our world be without music?
• Does music cause negative effects on US teens?

Music Thesis Topics

Writing a thesis about music is not easy. In fact, it can be one of the most difficult projects in your academic career. Start right now by choosing one of the best music thesis topics:

• What made a musician stand out in the Baroque Age?
• The most notable musical experiments in the Classical age.
• Comparing Renaissance and Medieval music styles.
• Analyze the evolution of music in the Renaissance age.
• How did royalty in the UK benefit from music in the Renaissance era?
• Discuss a folk song from the Renaissance age.
• Differences between Asian and European classical music.

Music Controversial Topics

Music, like most other disciplines, has plenty of controversial topics you can talk about. Don’t waste any time and pick one of these music controversial topics:

• Does digital music cut the profits of musicians?
• Who owns the intellectual property to a song?
• The difficulties of getting songwriting credit.
• Illegal downloads are changing the music industry.
• Should music education still be included in the curriculum?
• Analyze medieval liturgical music.
• Music should be free for everyone to download and use.

Persuasive Speech Topics About Music

Are you required the write a persuasive speech about music? If you are, you may need a bit of help. Pick one of these persuasive speech topics about music (updated for 2023):

• Music has a significant effect on advertising.
• The changes rap music has brought to the US culture.
• Indie is a term that should not apply to music.
• Metal music should be banned from the US.
• Does listening to music have a great influence on mental health?
• The amazing evolution of music in the Medieval age.
• People should be free to listen to the music they like for free.
• The fashion industry wouldn’t be where it is today without music.

Easy Topics About Music

Perhaps you don’t want to spend 5 or 6 hours writing the research paper . You need an easier topic. Choose one of these easy topics about music and write the essay fast:

• How can one become a symbol of modern music?
• My favorite singer today.
• Which musician from the past would you bring back to life and why?
• Do politics influence modern music?
• Compare and contrast two music genres.
• Analyze the evolution of music in the modern age in the United States.
• The side effects of turning the volume too loud.
• How is classical music used in Disney movies?

Music Education Research Topics

Are you interested in talking about music education? Perhaps you’ll have some suggestions to make after you’ve done the research. Just choose one of the music education research topics below:

• Can E-Learning be applied to music education?
• Can music teachers offer distance learning services?
• The advantages and disadvantages of Zoom music lessons.
• Why are music worksheets so important for high school students?
• How did the Internet change music education?
• Why are modern music studies so important?
• Should we learn more about Asian music in school?
• How can students learn music while respecting COVID19 measures?

Highly Interesting Music Topics

We know you want a top grade on your next music research paper. We advise you to select one of these highly interesting music topics and surprise your professor:

• How did pop music came to existence and why?
• Analyze the history of hip-hop music.
• Compare metal music with classical music.
• Why is rock music so popular in the United Kingdom?
• Which song would best present our species to aliens?
• Compare and contrast Korean and Chinese music.
• Analyze the popular themes of Japanese music.
• The stunning rise of K-pop bands.

Informative Speech Topics About Music

It’s difficult to find good informative speech topics about music these days. If you want to stand out from the rest of your classmates, choose one of our topics:

• Discuss the ideas presented in romantic music.
• What do people who appreciate classic music have in common?
• Analyze the most popular Bach music.
• Describe the role of market music in the Baroque era.
• Analyze the evolution of European music.
• Ways to make classical music popular with teens in the UK.
• Discuss the most popular musical instrument in the Classical age.

Music Essay Topics for College

Are you a college student? If you want an A+ on your next research paper, use one of these music essay topics for college students:

• Does modern music contain medieval themes?
• Analyze a song from the Renaissance age.
• Why is blues music so important for our culture?
• Who invented the blues genre and when?
• Analyze the evolution of American folk music.
• Most popular names in Baroque-age songs.
• Modern interpretations of medieval songs.
• Listening to blues music can lead to depression.

Need some more music history paper topics? Or perhaps you need a list of music related research topics to choose from for your thesis. Our best paper writer can help you in no time. Get in touch with us and we guarantee that we will find the perfect music topic for your needs. You will be well on your way to getting the A+ you need. Give us a try and get an amazing research topic on music in 10 minutes or less!

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216 Awesome Music Topics That Will Inspire Your Thesis

On this page, you will find the ultimate list of 216 brand new, 100% original music topics for high school, college and university students. No, it’s not a trick! You can use any of our topics about music for free and you don’t even have to give us credit. Many of these research topics on music should work great in 2023.

In addition, we have the best step by step guide to writing a research paper right here on this page. Just like the topics, you can read the guide for free. It will help you stay focused on what’s important and ensure you don’t miss any steps. And remember, if you need assistance with your academic writing tasks, our native English-speaking writers are the most reliable on the Internet!

Writing A Research Paper About Music

So, what is music? Music is a form of art that uses sound and rhythm to create an emotional or aesthetic experience. It can be created by combining different elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre. Music is a universal language that can be found in all cultures and has been an important part of human history for thousands of years. It can evoke emotions, tell stories, and communicate ideas. Music can take many forms, including vocal or instrumental, solo or ensemble, live or recorded, and can be classified into various genres such as rock, pop, classical, jazz, and many more.

But how do you write a research paper about music quickly? Well, we have a great step by step guide for you right here.

Choose a music topic. Select a topic that interests you and that you have enough background knowledge on to research and write about. Conduct research. Use a variety of sources to gather information on your topic, including books, academic journals, online databases, and primary sources such as interviews or musical recordings. Organize your research. Once you have gathered enough information, organize your research into an outline or a mind map to help you visualize how your paper will flow. Write a thesis statement. Your thesis statement should be a concise statement that summarizes the main argument of your paper. Write a rough draft. Begin writing your paper using the information you have gathered and the outline or mind map you created. Focus on creating a clear and coherent argument, and be sure to cite all sources using the appropriate citation style. Help with coursework services can aid you in succeeding with this part. Revise and edit. Once you have completed a rough draft, revise and edit your paper to improve its clarity, organization, and coherence. Check for grammar and spelling errors, and make sure all citations are correct and properly formatted. Create a bibliography or works cited page. Include a list of all sources you used in your research, including books, articles, interviews, and recordings. Finalize your paper. After making all necessary revisions and edits, finalize your paper and ensure that it meets all the requirements set by your instructor or professor. Proofread everything and make sure it’s perfectly written. You don’t want to lose points over some typos, do you?

Easy Research Topics About Music

• The history and evolution of hip-hop culture
• The impact of classical music on modern composers
• The role of music in therapy for mental health
• The cultural significance of jazz in African-American communities
• The influence of traditional folk music on contemporary artists
• The development of electronic music over the past decade
• The use of music in film to enhance storytelling
• The rise of K-pop and its global popularity
• The effects of music on our learning abilities
• The use of music in branding in the fashion industry
• The influence of the Beatles on popular music
• The intersection of music and politics in the 1960s
• The cultural significance of reggae music in Jamaica
• The history and evolution of country music in America
• The impact of music streaming on the music industry

Opinion Essay Music Topics

• Music piracy: Should it be considered a serious crime?
• Should music education be mandatory in schools?
• Is autotune ruining the quality of music?
• Are music awards shows still relevant in today’s industry?
• Should music lyrics be censored for explicit content?
• Is it fair that some musicians earn more money than others?
• Is classical music still relevant in modern society?
• Should music festivals have age restrictions for attendees?
• Is it fair for musicians to be judged on their personal lives?
• Is the current state of the music industry sustainable?
• Should musicians be held accountable for the messages in their lyrics?
• Is the role of the record label still important in the age of digital music?
• Should musicians be able to express their political views in their music?
• Does the use of music in movies and TV shows enhance or detract from the storytelling?

Interesting Music Research Topics

• The impact of music on athletic performance
• The use of music in advertising and consumer behavior
• The role of music in enhancing cognitive abilities
• The effects of music on stress reduction and relaxation
• The cultural significance of music in indigenous communities
• The influence of music on fashion and style trends
• The evolution of protest music and its impact on society
• The effects of music on Alzheimer’s disease
• The intersection of music and technology in the music industry
• The effects of music on emotional intelligence and empathy
• The cultural significance of hip hop music in the African diaspora
• The influence of music on human behavior and decision-making
• The effects of music on physical performance and exercise
• The role of music in promoting social and political activism

Research Paper Topics On Music

• The effects of music on the brain and mental health
• The impact of streaming on the music industry
• The history and evolution of rap music
• The cultural significance of traditional folk music
• The use of music in video games to enhance the gaming experience
• The role of music in religious and spiritual practices
• The effects of music on memory and learning
• The development of rock and roll in America
• The intersection of music and politics in the 21st century
• The cultural significance of country music in the South
• The use of music in autism therapy
• The impact of social media on music promotion and marketing
• The influence of music on the LGBTQ+ community
• The effects of music on social behavior and interaction

Argumentative Essay Topics About Music

• Does music have a negative effect on behavior?
• Is streaming music harming the music industry?
• Can music censorship be justified in certain cases?
• Is cultural appropriation a problem in the music industry?
• Should musicians be held accountable for controversial lyrics?
• Is autotune a helpful tool or a crutch for musicians?
• Should music education be a required part of the curriculum?
• Is the use of explicit lyrics in music harmful?
• Should music festivals be required to have safety measures?
• Does the use of profanity in music undermine its artistic value?
• Can music be used to promote political messages effectively?
• Should musicians be allowed to profit from tragedies?

Current Music Topics To Write About In 2023

• The rise of TikTok and its impact on music promotion
• The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK music
• The use of virtual concerts and live streaming during COVID-19
• The influence of social media on music consumption and trends
• The emergence of new genres and sub-genres in popular music
• Talk about cancel culture in music
• The debate over the use of explicit lyrics in music
• The impact of climate change on music festivals and events
• The use of artificial intelligence in music production and composition
• The influence of music on political and social movements
• The rise of female and non-binary artists in the music industry
• The effects of globalization on the diversity of music around the world
• The role of nostalgia in the popularity of music from past decades

Musical Topics About Famous Musicians

• The life and legacy of Beethoven
• The impact of Elvis Presley on rock and roll
• The career and contributions of Bob Dylan
• The influence of Michael Jackson on pop music
• The musical evolution of Madonna over time
• The enduring appeal of the Rolling Stones
• The career of Prince and his impact on music
• The contributions of David Bowie to pop culture
• The iconic sound of Jimi Hendrix’s guitar
• The impact of Whitney Houston on the music industry
• The life and career of Freddie Mercury of Queen
• The artistry and impact of Joni Mitchell
• The groundbreaking work of Stevie Wonder in R&B
• The musical legacy of the Beatles and their influence on pop music

Music Research Paper Topics For College

• The cultural significance of the accordion in folk music
• The use of sampling in hip-hop and electronic music production
• The evolution of the drum kit in popular music
• The significance of Taylor Swift in contemporary country-pop music
• The effects of drug abuse in the music industry
• The role of music in shaping political movements and protests
• The impact of streaming services on the music industry and artists’ income
• The significance of the Burning Man festival in music and culture
• The emergence and growth of Afrobeat music globally
• The role of musical collaboration in the creation of new music genres
• The use of autotune and other vocal processing tools in pop music
• The effects of social and political issues on rap music lyrics
• The significance of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in pop culture
• The impact of music on emotional regulation and mental health

Our Controversial Music Topics

• The controversy of the “cancel culture” in US music
• The impact of music piracy on the industry and artists
• The ethical concerns of music sampling without permission
• The controversy surrounding lip-syncing during live performances
• The debate over the authenticity of auto-tune in music
• The controversy surrounding the use of profanity in music
• The debate over the cultural appropriation of music styles
• The controversy surrounding music festivals and their impact on local communities
• The debate over the role of music in promoting violence and aggression
• The controversy surrounding the ownership of an artist’s discography
• The ethical concerns of musicians profiting from songs about tragedies and disasters

Captivating Music Thesis Topics

• The role of music in promoting social justice
• The impact of music streaming on album sales
• The significance of lyrics in contemporary pop music
• The evolution of heavy metal music over time
• The influence of gospel music on rock and roll
• The effects of music education on cognitive development
• The cultural significance of hip-hop music in America
• The role of music in promoting environmental awareness and activism
• The impact of music festivals on local economies
• The evolution of country music and its impact on popular music
• The use of music in advertising and marketing strategies

Classical Music Topic Ideas

• The influence of Baroque music on classical music
• The history and evolution of the symphony orchestra
• The career and legacy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• The significance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
• The evolution of opera as an art form
• The role of women composers in classical music history
• The impact of the Romantic era on classical music
• The use of program music to tell a story through music
• The significance of the concerto in classical music
• The influence of Johann Sebastian Bach on classical music
• The contributions of Antonio Vivaldi to the concerto form
• The use of counterpoint in classical music composition
• The role of chamber music in classical music history
• The significance of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah in classical music

Interesting Music Topics For High School

• The history and evolution of the piano as a musical instrument
• The significance of Beethoven in classical music
• The impact of Elvis Presley on US music
• The emergence and growth of the hip-hop music genre
• The role of music festivals in contemporary music culture
• The effects of technology on music production and performance
• The influence of social media on music promotion and distribution
• The effects of music on mental health and well-being
• The role of music in popular culture and media
• The impact of musical soundtracks on movies and TV shows
• The use of music therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder
• The significance of the Coachella Music Festival in modern music culture
• The cultural significance of the ukulele in Hawaiian culture

Awesome Music Research Questions For 2023

• Should musicians be required to use their platform to promote social justice causes?
• Is music piracy a victimless crime or does it harm the industry?
• Should music venues be required to provide safe spaces for concertgoers?
• Is the Grammy Awards selection process biased towards mainstream artists?
• Should music streaming services pay musicians higher royalties?
• Is it appropriate for music to be used in political campaign advertisements?
• Should music journalists be required to disclose their personal biases in reviews?
• Is it ethical for musicians to profit from songs about tragedies and disasters?
• Should music education be funded equally across all schools and districts?
• Is it fair for record labels to own the rights to an artist’s entire discography?
• Should music festivals have more diverse and inclusive lineups?
• Should musicians be allowed to use drugs and alcohol as part of their creative process?

Fantastic Music Topics For Research

• The evolution of the electric guitar in rock music
• The cultural significance of the sitar in Indian music
• The impact of synthesizers on contemporary music production
• The use of technology in the creation and performance of music
• The influence of Beyoncé on modern pop music
• The significance of Kendrick Lamar in contemporary rap music
• The effects of misogyny and sexism in the rap music industry
• The emergence and growth of K-pop music globally
• The significance of Coachella Music Festival in the music industry
• The history and evolution of the Woodstock Music Festival
• The impact of music festivals on tourism and local economies
• The role of music festivals in shaping music trends and culture
• The effects of music piracy on the music industry
• The impact of social media on the promotion and distribution of music
• The role of music in the Black Lives Matter movement

Catchy Music Related Research Topics

• Is hip-hop culture beneficial or harmful to society?
• Is it ethical to sample music without permission?
• Should music streaming services censor explicit content?
• Is auto-tune a valid musical technique or a crutch?
• Does the music industry unfairly exploit young artists?
• Should radio stations be required to play a certain percentage of local music?
• Is the practice of lip-syncing during live performances acceptable?
• Is music education undervalued and underfunded in schools?
• Does the use of profanity in music contribute to a decline in society?
• Should music venues be held accountable for the safety of concertgoers?

Informative Speech Topics About Music

• The history and evolution of jazz music
• The cultural significance of classical music in Europe
• The origins and development of blues music in America
• The influence of Latin American music on American popular music
• The impact of technology on music production and distribution
• The role of music in expressing emotions and feelings
• The effects of music therapy on mental health and wellbeing
• The cultural significance of traditional music in Africa
• The use of music in films and television to create mood and atmosphere
• The influence of the Beatles on popular music and culture
• The evolution of electronic dance music (EDM)
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and unity
• The impact of social media on the music industry and fan culture

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• Frontiers in Psychology
• Research Topics

Music Cognition

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About this Research Topic

Music, its power over us, its functions in cognition and behaviour, its origins and evolution remain a scientific mystery. 2400 years ago Aristotle asked, “why music, just mere sounds, remind states of soul?” Kant was not able to explain and account for the role of music in human life: “it merely plays

Today, contemporary thinkers, evolutionary biologists, psychologists, and musicologists still cannot explain music and its primary function and role in human life. Pinker, following Kant, has suggested that music is “auditory cheesecake,” that just happens to “tickle the sensitive spots.” A few years ago, Nature published a series of essays on music. Their authors agreed that “none… has yet been able to answer the fundamental question: why does music have such power over us?” “Music is a human cultural universal that serves no obvious adaptive purpose, making its evolution a puzzle for evolutionary biologists”.

At present there are many open and unanswered questions regarding the origins of music, its fundamental role in human life and culture, as well as the biological functions of music cognition. We welcome contributions that provide new theories and emerging evidence that will promote a fuller scientific understanding of the origins and historical evolution of music and music cognition. Some of the questions surrounding this achallenge include:

• - Did music and cognition evolve jointly? What might the implications of this be in terms of the evolution of biological species? What are the cognitive functions of music? Are there particular cognitive functions that music provides? Or is music biologically unnecessary to humans and other species?
• - Is music similar to language in some way, or is this a misleading analogy? Has music originated alongside with language or are these abilities evolutionary unrelated? Do music and language share a joint evolutionary precursor or function? What has been the role of language prosody in this evolution? Is music in different cultures related to any aspects of language in these same cultures? What does neuroscientific and psychological data and evidence suggest about relations between language and music? What can we learn from the brain about particular responses to music? Are there specific specializations related to music? Is there a unique function of music or is music merely neurobiological “entertainment”? Are historical changes in musical styles random statistical variations or are there relationships between musical styles and historical cultural changes?
• - Animal voices appear to unify emotional and semantic content. Humans can consciously differentiate the two. Is this related to the origins of music and language or is there some other evolutionary function?
• - Is human music similar to birdsong? Was the origin of music in evolution driven by sexual selection, like peacock tails? Is music an “honest signal”?
• - Is music’s adaptive value related to sexual selection? Or is it related to the social benefits of group living and cultural survival? Does it relate to child rearing and motherese?
• - Is music simply a non-adaptive pleasure-seeking behaviour?
• - Many people listen to music because of emotions it evokes. What is the adaptive function of musical emotions? Do emotions from musical experiences contribute for human adaption or exaptation? Are there specific emotions related to music? How these emotions can be measured?

Important Note : All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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Music’s power over our brains

Armed with more interest and funding, researchers are investigating how music may enhance brain development and academic performance and even help people recover from COVID-19

Vol. 51, No. 8 Print version: page 24

• Cognition and the Brain
• Neuropsychology

One of the most poignant early images of the coronavirus pandemic was of Italians playing music and singing from their balconies even as the virus ravaged their cities. Others soon followed suit, including pop stars streaming live performances from their homes and choirs sharing concerts via Zoom—all trying to provide connection during a frightening and uncertain time.

Of course, music has been bringing people together for millennia, and not just during crises. And in the last few decades, investigators have been training their attention on the so-called universal language of music—how it affects our brains and how it might be used to facilitate health and healing. That interest is now being fueled by new research attention and funding: In June, the Global Council on Brain Health, an independent science and policy collaborative devoted to understanding brain health, released a report concluding that music has “significant potential to enhance brain health and well-being for individuals of different ages and different levels of health” and making recommendations for future study. And last year, Sound Health , a program launched by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Kennedy Center, in association with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), awarded $20 million over five years to support its first 15 research projects on the topic, including several headed by psychologists.

“Why is music so captivating for us?” asks Thomas Cheever, PhD, staff assistant to NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD, for Sound Health and a program director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “The more we understand about that, the more fascinating it’s going to be, and the more we are going to learn about how the brain works in general.” Psychologists and neuroscientists are particularly interested to find out which neural pathways are affected by music, how music influences children’s development, and how music interventions may help people with a range of physical and mental health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, delirium and Parkinson’s disease.

And they are adding COVID-19 to the conditions they are trying to ease. Babar A. Khan, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, for example, is using a Sound Health grant to test a music intervention with patients who have delirium, including those with COVID-19. Delirium—an acute, short-term condition marked by confusion and emotional disruption—afflicts as many as 80% of patients who are in the intensive care unit for respiratory failure, including those with COVID.

If the intervention proves helpful, says Khan, “it will be used immediately during the course of the current pandemic.”

Enhancing child development

One ongoing research interest is how music may affect youth in terms of language development, attention, perception, executive function, cognition and social-emotional development. Psychologist Assal Habibi, PhD, an assistant research professor at the University of Southern California Dornsife’s Brain and Creativity Institute, has been investigating these topics for the past seven years in collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, known as YOLA, an after-school program that brings low-income youngsters together to learn, play and perform music. Now in its final year, the study has been tracking brain and learning outcomes of 75 children who are either participating in YOLA, a community sports program or no after-school program.

Data published from the first few years of the intervention show that YOLA participants gradually develop auditory and cognitive advantages over youth who aren’t involved in music. After the second year of the study, the YOLA participants showed greater ability to perceive pitch, rhythm and frequency of sounds, as well as enhanced development in the auditory pathway, the neurological route that connects the inner ear to auditory association areas in the brain ( Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience , Vol. 21, 2016). After the third and fourth years in the program, they also began to perform better on tasks unrelated to music, including on executive function tasks involving working memory and delayed gratification—likely because of the discipline required to patiently learn pieces of music, Habibi says. In addition, youth involved in YOLA showed greater development in brain areas related to language and auditory processing, and greater neuronal connectivity in the corpus callosum, the nerve bundle that connects the brain’s right and left hemispheres ( Cerebral Cortex , Vol. 28, No. 12, 2018).

“We obviously expected their musical skills to get better,” she says, “but it seems a broad range of other skills are also impacted by music.”

Habibi now has a grant from the NEA to follow these same children into adolescence to see whether the brain benefits they derived early on translate into real-life behaviors and decisions as teens—choice of peers, for example, or whether they show up to class. She also has an NIH Sound Health grant to compare differences in executive functioning among bilingual youth who are learning music and those who are learning music but only speak one language.

“As a developmental psychologist, I don’t think there’s just one pathway to better executive function in children,” she explains. “So, it will be interesting for us to identify different mechanisms and understand how each one works.”

Music and mental illness

Researchers are also exploring whether music may prove to be a helpful therapy for people experiencing depression, anxiety and more serious mental health conditions. A study of 99 Chinese heart bypass surgery patients, for example, found that those who received half an hour of music therapy after the operation—generally light, relaxing music of their own choice—had significantly lower self-reports of depression and anxiety than those who rested or received conventional medical check-ins in the same time frame ( Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery , Vol. 15, No. 1, 2020). Meanwhile, in conjunction with the Global Council on Brain Health’s strong endorsement of more research on music and brain health, an AARP survey of 3,185 adults found that music has a small but statistically significant impact on people’s self-reported mental well-being, depression and anxiety.

Others are examining whether music interventions could benefit those with serious mental illness. Yale experimental psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist Philip Corlett, PhD, for example, will use a Sound Health grant to test an intervention in which people with schizophrenia come together to write and perform music for one another. The work builds on Corlett’s developing model of schizophrenia, which maintains that people with the disorder have difficulty revising and updating their views of self and reality based on newly emerging events, considered a central feature of the healthy human brain. Making music with others—which involves both positive social interactions and a type of expression with predictable outcomes—could allow participants to experience more realistic predictions and hence foster their sense of predictability and security, he hypothesizes.

“If we can show that music-making changes the mechanisms that we think underwrite these symptoms [of schizophrenia],” Corlett says, “then we can figure out its active ingredients and ultimately come up with ways to deliver this to people who need it.”

Therapy for older adults

The impact of music on older adults’ well-being is likewise of keen interest to researchers, who are looking at how music therapy may help verbal fluency and memory in people with Alzheimer’s disease ( Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease , Vol. 64, No. 4, 2018) and how singing in a choir may reduce loneliness and increase interest in life among diverse older adults ( The Journals of Gerontology: Series B , Vol. 75, No. 3, 2020). Music even shows promise in preventing injury: A study by Annapolis, Maryland–based neurologic music therapist Kerry Devlin and colleagues showed that music therapy can help older adults with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders improve their gait and reduce falls ( Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports , Vol. 19, No. 11, 2019).

Still others are investigating how music can help people recover from serious illnesses and conditions, including, now, COVID-19. In a pilot study, Khan of Indiana University showed that patients with delirium on mechanical ventilators who listened to slow-tempo music for seven days spent one less day in delirium and a medically induced coma than those listening to their favorite music or to an audio book ( American Journal of Critical Care , Vol. 29, No. 2, 2020). Now, with his Sound Health grant, he is comparing the effects of slow-tempo music or silence on 160 participants with delirium, including COVID-19 patients on ventilators in hospitals in Indianapolis.

Studies like these underscore music’s potential as a safe and effective medical intervention, as well as the importance of conducting more research on which kinds of music interventions work for whom, when and how, including during this difficult time, adds Cheever.

“How do we get [music therapy] into the same realm as other interventions that are the standard of care for any given indication?” he says. “The answer to that, I think, is a solid evidence base.”

Further reading

NIH/Kennedy Center Workshop on Music and the Brain: Finding Harmony Cheever, T., et al., Neuron , 2018

Effects of Music Training on Inhibitory Control and Associated Neural Networks in School-Aged Children: A Longitudinal Study Hennessy, S.L., et al., Frontiers in Neuroscience , 2019

Decreasing Delirium Through Music: A Randomized Pilot Trial Khan, S.H., et al., American Journal of Critical Care , 2020

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How to do Research on Music

Selected Subject Headings

Listed below is a sample of a few broad Library of Congress subject headings—made up of one word or more representing concepts under which all library holdings are divided and subdivided by subject—which you can search under and use as subject terms when searching online library catalogs for preliminary and/or additional research, such as books, audio and video recordings, and other references, related to your research paper topic. When researching materials on your topic, subject heading searching may be more productive than searching using simple keywords. However, keyword searching when using the right search method (Boolean, etc.) and combination of words can be equally effective in finding materials more closely relevant to the topic of your research paper.

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Get 10% off with 24start discount code, suggested music research topics.

• Clarinet and Piano Music
• Dance Music
• Guitar Music
• Motion Picture Music
• Musical Form
• Music—Philosophy and aesthetics
• Music Theory
• Percussion Ensembles
• Popular Music
• Sonatas Piano
• Songs (High voice)
• Vocal Music

Selected Keyword Search Strategies and Guides

If your topic is “the negative influences of rap music,” for example, enter “negative influences” and “rap music” with “and” on the same line to locate sources directly compatible with the primary focus of your research paper. To find research on more specific aspects of your topic, from your list of keywords that you developed alternate with one new keyword at a time in between (for example, “bad language and rap music,” “culture and rap music,” “criticism and rap music,” “evolution and rap music,” “styles and rap music,” etc.).

For additional help with keyword searching, navigation or user guides for online indexes and databases by many leading providers—including Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, EBSCO, H.W. Wilson, OCLC, Ovid Technologies, ProQuest, and Thomson Gale—are posted with direct links on library Web sites to guides providing specific instruction to using whichever database you want to search. They provide additional guidance on how to customize and maximize your searching, including advanced searching techniques and grouping of words and phrases using the Boolean search method—of your topic, of bibliographic records, and of full-text articles, and other documents related to the subject of your research paper.

Selected Source and Subject Guides

As part of your preliminary research to find appropriate resources for your topic, information source and research guides are available at most public and academic libraries and are keyword searchable through your library’s online catalog (to search and locate guides, enter your “subject” followed by these keywords one search at a time: “information sources,” “reference sources,” and “research guide”). Printed guides available for this subject area include

Information Sources in Music , edited by Lewis Foreman, 444 pages (Munich, Germany: K. G. Saur, 2003)

Music: A Guide to Reference Literature , by William S. Brockman, 254 pages (Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1987)

Music Reference and Research Materials: An Annotated Bibliography , 4th ed., by Vincent H. Duckles and Michael A. Keller (New York: Schirmer Books, 1993)

In addition to these sources of research, most college and university libraries offer online subject guides arranged by subject on the library’s Web page; others also list searchable course-related “LibGuides” by subject. Each guide lists more recommended published and Web sources—including books and references, journal, newspaper and magazines indexes, full-text article databases, Web sites, and even research tutorials—that you can access to expand your research on more specific issues and relevant to your research paper topic.

Selected Books and References

Biographical dictionaries.

Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians , 9th ed., edited by Nicolas Slonimsky, 6 vols., 4,220 pages (New York: Schirmer Books, 2001)

Music’s most comprehensive biographical dictionary ever written, this extensively updated and expanded, six-volume edition contains more than 15,000 brief biographies of composers, musicians, and performers from every genre, including more than 3,000 new additions contributed by editors and leading specialists. Famed music writer Theodore Baker originally wrote this popular reference in 1900, followed by esteemed musicologist and editor Nicolas Slonimsky—from the fifth through eighth editions—who died in 1995.

Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians since 1990 , 2 vols. (Detroit, Mich.: Gale Group, 2003)

Chronicles more than 550 personalities in rock, pop, hip-hop, blues, electronica, musical theater, soundtrack, classical, country, R&B, jazz, folk, Latin, and world music. Includes selective discography, bibliography, and Web sites.

Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Classical Musicians , edited by Nicolas Slonimsky, Laura Kuhn, and Dennis McIntire, 1,595 pages (New York: Schirmer, 1997)

An important single-volume reference work, this solidly written and researched tome, edited by Nicolas Slonimsky, follows the same format as Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians but profiles the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Contemporary Musicians: Profiles of the People in Music , 68 vols. (Detroit, Mich.: Gale Group, 2010)

With 68 volumes and counting, this cumulative reference series thoroughly profi les more than 4,500 important musicians from all genres of music—blues, classical, country, folk, gospel, jazz, New Age, rap, rock, and more. A cumulative index accompanies the set. Series is available in an e-book version.

The Encyclopedia of Popular Music , 3rd ed., edited by Colin Larkin, 8 vols. (New York: Grove, 1998).

Praised by The London Times as “absolutely invaluable . . . a work of almost frightening completeness,” this eight-volume reference, compiled by music expert Colin Larkin, is regarded as the most authoritative volume ever produced covering rock, pop, and jazz artists. Featured from cover to cover are expertly written biographies of more than 14,000 artists. Each entry includes vital information of interest to music scholars, music lovers, and researchers—critical discographies, record titles and release dates, key dates, and assessments of each artist’s contributions. Also provided is an extensive index of song titles for easy reference. The series has since been updated in a fi fth concise edition by London’s Omnibus Press.

Popular Musicians , edited by Steve Hochman, 4 vols., 1,253 pages (Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, 1999)

Nicely organized and well-written four-volume set featuring more than 500 alphabetically arranged biographies on a wide range of contemporary artists from the fi elds of country, blues, disco, rock, folk, hip-hop, and more. Profi les discuss each artist’s musical style, debut album, band members, and awards, complete with discography. Also includes a bibliography, index of album and song titles, and a glossary of terms.

Dictionaries and Thesauri

Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music , 5th ed., edited by Michael Kennedy and Joyce Bourne, 864 pages (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007)

Derived from the Oxford Dictionary of Music, this outstanding, fully updated reference—perhaps the most authoritative dictionary of its kind—features more than 14,000 comprehensive entries covering musical terms, works, composers, librettists, musicians, singers, and orchestras. Areas of interest include a list of works for major composers, histories of musical instruments, and coverage of living composers and performers.

The Great Song Thesaurus , 2nd ed., by Roger Lax and Frederick Smith, 774 pages (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999)

First published in 1984, this revised second edition offers immediate access to information on more than 11,000 American and English songs, alphabetically arranged. Divided into 10 sections, entries list the composer, lyricist, year of popularity, and recording artists for each song. Includes a song lyric line index to each featured song.

International Dictionary of Black Composers , edited by Samuel A. Floyd, 2 vols., 2,000 pages (Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1999)

This indispensable single-subject dictionary features 185 authored essays, including analysis and full-page portraits, of famous black composers from the last 300 years. Entries offer a diverse range of information, including complete discographies and lists of compositions (by genre) and print works.

The New Grove American Dictionary of Music , 4th ed., edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock and Stanley Sadie, 4 vols., 2,736 pages (New York: Grove, 1986–1992; 2002)

Focusing on American music, this dictionary contains a wide range of articles on such items as American composers, groups, ensembles, prominent U.S. cities, popular styles, genres, and uniquely American instruments.

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musician s, 2nd ed., edited by Stanley Sadie, 29 vols., 25,000 pages (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001)

With more than 29,000 entries, this thoroughly updated 29-volume set with index offers comprehensive coverage of world and popular music, packed with information on 20th-century artists, composers, musical history, and much more.

The New Harvard Dictionary of Music , 4th ed., edited by Don Michael Randel, 1,008 pages (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University, 2003)

This scholarly, single-volume reference features more than 6,000 accurate and concise articles on music of the 20th century. Included are discussions of all styles and forms of music—from jazz to rock—and musical instruments written by more than 70 experts in each field. More than 220 drawings and 250 musical examples complement the text.

Encyclopedia

The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music , edited by Bruno Nettl and Ruth M. Stone, 9 vols. (New York: Garland, 1997–1978.)

This ambitious reference series fully examines the cultural appeal of music around the world by topic, by region, and by ethnic group. Each entry gives the same detailed treatment of its subjects, with discussion of the social aspects of music and the different musical traditions of ethnic groups or countries. Included with each volume are CDs of previously unrecorded music, reference lists of bibliographic sources, and resource guides. In 2008, Routledge Press published a revised two-volume set, The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of Music.

Selected Full-Text Article Databases

Academic Search Premier  (Ipswich, Mass.: EBSCO Publishing, EBSCOHost, indexing/abstracting: 1984– , full text, 1992– )

Provides full-text access to more than 2,340 scholarly publications covering all areas of academic study. Enables keyword searching of words within the titles of articles, subject headings, author names, and abstracts. Popular journals covered include American Music (1993– ), Black Music Research Journal (2002– ), and Perspectives of New Music (1993).

Billboard  (New York: Billboard Music Group, 1896– )

This online database contains the entire text since 1963 of this leading weekly music publication covering all aspects of the music and home entertainment industries, including the latest news, record sales, music videos, products, and personnel changes; available through Billboard Music Group, ESBCO Publishing’s Academic Search Premier (January 8, 1994– ), International Index to Music Periodicals Full Text (January 27, 1996– ), Lexis Nexis Academic (January 5, 1991– ), ProQuest DataTimes (March 1991– ), Thomson Gale’s Business & Company Resource Center (January 1, 1991– ), and Contemporary Women’s Issues (1996–2000), among others, and updated weekly. Full-image reproductions of back issues from the first issue in 1896 (renamed Billboard Advertising after it went monthly) are accessible on microform; articles can be cross-searched using the print edition of the Billboard Index.

Expanded Academic Index ASAP  (Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale InfoTrac, 1980– )

Offers indexing, abstracts, and full text of many scholarly journals embracing all disciplines, including such music journals as Dance Magazine, Down Beat, Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, and Opera News.

General Reference Center  (Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale InfoTrac, 1980– )

Indexes popular and general magazines, reference books, and newspapers with information on current events, popular culture, the arts and sciences, sports and more, with full text access. Magazines referenced include Down Beat (1980– ) and Rolling Stone (1980– ).

JSTOR  (Ann Arbor, Mich.: Journal Storage Project, 1996– )

Consists of more than 730,000 full-text scholarly journal articles. ProjectMUSE (Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990– ) Offers worldwide subscription access to the full text of more than 100 scholarly journals in the arts, humanities, and more, including literature and criticism, histories, and studies of the visual and performing arts.

Selected Periodicals

American Music: A Quarterly Journal Devoted to All Aspects of American Music  (Pittsburgh, Pa.: Society for American Music/Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 1983– , quarterly)

Published quarterly by the Society for American Music and the University of Illinois Press, this journal covers all aspects of American music and music in the United States. Each issue contains scholarly reviews of books, music, recordings, and other media. Tables of contents of current and past issues, from 1983 to the present, can be found under the heading “Publications” at the society’s Web site ( http://www.american-music.org/ ).

American Record Guide  (Washington, D.C.: Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation; Cincinnati, Ohio: Record Guide Productions, May 1935– , bimonthly)

Established in 1935, American Record Guide is the oldest record review magazine of classical music and music in concert. Each issue features more 500 reviews, written by more than 80 freelance writers and independent critics, and overviews surveying the recordings of various composers.

Down Beat  (Elmhurst, Ill.: Maher Publications, July 1934– , monthly)

This popular magazine contains everything of interest to contemporary musicians and educators, including news, articles, how-to features, interviews, and reviews. Content of current issues and an archive of previously published issues are searchable and retrievable online at the publication’s Web site:  http://www.downbeat.com/ .

Fanfare: The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors  (Tenafl y, N.J.: J. Flegler, September 1977– , bimonthly)

Launched in September 1977 by publisher Joel Flegler, this bimonthly magazine is for serious aficionados of classical music. Each issue features reviews of classical recordings, industry articles, and profiles and interviews with artists and composers. Current reviews and the table of contents of the most recent issue are accessible online at  http://www.fanfaremag.com/ .

Goldmine  (St. Clair Shores, Mich.: Arena Magazine Co., 1974–85; Iola, Wisc.: Krause Publications, 1985– , biweekly)

First published in 1974, Goldmine focuses on collecting and the history of modern music in all genres—alternative, big band, blues, classical, country, folk, rock, and more. Published biweekly, each issue is packed with the latest collecting news, discographies, histories, interviews, reviews, and calendar of upcoming events. Subscribers have complete online access to the content of current issues and archived material.

Metal Hammer  (TeamRock, Axel Springer AG, United Kingdom, 1986 -, monthly)

Metal Hammer (sometimes MetalHammer) is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by TeamRock, and in several other countries by different publishers.  Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music. Web site:  http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/ .

Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association  (Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1934– , quarterly)

Intended for music librarians, this quarterly journal, published since 1934, offers well-written, scholarly articles covering all areas of music librarianship but also various subject areas useful to student researchers, including book reviews, bibliographies, discographies, music histories, and reviews of sound recordings and digital media. Content of past journals is covered in JSTOR from 1934 through 1998, and other educational library databases, including Expanded Academic ASAP.

Rolling Stone  (San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, 1967– , monthly)

Rising to fame in the late 1960s and 1970s, this popular monthly magazine, founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason, features timely and topical articles on current events, music, and the music industry, including interviews and music reviews.

Selected Web Sites

All-Music Guide  ( http://www.allmusic.com/ )

This definitive source offers keyword searching of information about artists, albums, songs, styles, and record labels, and subsections on every music genre with overviews by decade.

American Memory Project: Performing Arts  ( http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ )

Online collection of the Library of Congress featuring various memorabilia and music collections, such as sheet music, folk music recordings, jazz photography, and the Leonard Bernstein collection.

Billboard  ( http://www.billboard.com/ )

Published weekly in print and online, this premier music periodical is an excellent source of information on trends and changes in music, including new releases, musical artists, popular music charts, such as Billboard’s “Hot 100” and “Billboard 200,” and more.

Grovemusic  ( http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/public/book/omo_gmo )

By subscription, full-text access to Grove’s and Oxford’s library of highly acclaimed music dictionaries and encyclopedias, with advanced searching of subjects. Integrates the entire contents of The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Source material includes authoritative articles, biographies, and background information covering all aspects of music.

Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators  ( http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/ )

Principally designed to enhance curriculum and professional growth of educators, this directory of online guides, a part of the online Discovery Channel School, offers a categorized list of many useful Web sites on a variety of subjects, including performing arts and music.

Librarians’ Index to the Internet: Music Topics  ( http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=13&cid=1&tid=10746&parent=6705 )

General resource list covering music topics from A to Z.

Open Directory Project: Arts: Music  ( http://www.opendirectoryproject.org/Arts/Music/ )

This extensive collection of music Web sites compiled and organized by category includes sites on bands and artists, instruments, people, regions, and styles of music.

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Music: Developing Topics & Research Questions

• About this Guide
• Researching Musicians
• Developing Topics & Research Questions
• Evaluating Information
• Finding Streaming Videos
• Citing Sources
• Getting Research Help

Developing a Research Question Takes Research

When the scope of your paper is too big, it's hard to dig through information and to write a paper wit any depth. The goal of most research papers in college is to seek a possible answer to a particular questions related to a topic. A research question, when not too broad or too narrow, helps guide and focus your paper.

The question should also be one in which you haven't decided on a pre-determined answer. You may find that looking for sources that provide a certain answer may be too limiting. The answer you are expecting might not be supported by evidence.

Brainstorm & do some pre-research

The research question isn't a question you make up at the top of your head. It's normal to start with a broad topic in mind. After doing some brainstorming about a topic, you will need to do some reading to find an angle to pursue, and, even then, your question may change as you find more information later.

Ask questions

From your pre-research, think about questions you might be able to ask regarding the topic. Most scholarly research examines fairly narrow topics and looks at relationships between concepts. One way to limit the scope of your topic is to ask who, what, where, when, why, and how questions.

Be flexible

It's okay to continue to tweak your question; the end result should be that you have answered the question you've laid out in the introduction, even if the introduction is the last paragraph you actually end up revising in your final paper.

Picking Your Topic IS Research

North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, 3:10

OER Book Chapters

• The Qualities of a Good Research Question from LibreTexts
• Research Questions from Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research, Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries

Research is a Process

Anna Eisen (2:35)

Encourages students to develop background knowledge to create a research question.  Research questions should have topic, question and significance.  The narrator suggests using the following formulation:  I’m studying  _______________ to investigate ______________ in order to understand. Complex research questions take time to create.

Keeping your research question in mind, if you can answer TRUE to the statements below, your research question is probably workable.

• It cannot simply be answered with a yes/no. 
• It has social significance/a problem associated with it.
• There is reliable evidence available to address it.
• It has appropriate scope.

Be careful about investigating questions that you think you already have the answer to.

Choosing a Manageable Research Topic

PfauLibrary (3:42)

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1 Research questions: Performing Music Research . Aaron Williamon, Jane Ginsborg, Rosie Perkins, and George Waddell, Oxford University Press (2021). © Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198714545.003.0002

• Published: March 2021
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Chapter 1 of Performing Music Research considers how to develop effective research questions, outlining ways of formulating them so that they are clear and answerable. Different assumptions about the world underlie different research questions, which in turn seek different kinds of knowledge. Therefore, when designing research, it is essential to understand the nature of the knowledge that is to be generated. The chapter explores some of the ways in which this understanding can be framed in a study and shows how it feeds into and shapes the whole process of research design.

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MTG - Music Technology Group

The interdisciplinarity of music research: the perspective of the music technology group of the upf.

Back The Interdisciplinarity of Music Research: The Perspective of the Music Technology Group of the UPF

Music is a complex human phenomenon that can be approached and studied from many perspectives. So it is essentially a multidisciplinary object of study. However, given that most education and research institutions are organized around traditional academic disciplines, the interdisciplinary study of music poses huge academic challenges.

In most European countries the practice of music, thus the study of music making, is taught in Conservatories, while the study of the music phenomenon happens at universities scattered over different departments or faculties. It is different in the UK, USA, and in countries that also follow the Anglo-Saxon education model. In these countries, music is an academic discipline present in most universities with its own music faculty, thus making it somewhat easier to develop interdisciplinary approaches to music education and research.

Each academic discipline is defined by the corresponding university faculties, by learned societies, and by the journals in which the practitioners publish their research results. Each discipline tends to converge to a common practice, based on favoring specific research methodologies and by defining evaluation criteria with which to assess the work done within it. This is a dynamic process that evolves in time, but at a any moment there is a general agreement on what the relevant topics to work on and what are the proper ways to tackle them are.

There are music-focused disciplines within practically all fields of knowledge. The most traditional and broadest research discipline is Musicology, whose origin is in the humanities but that has evolved to include subdisciplines covering methodologies and objectives from a variety of fields. Examples of subdisciplines include Historical Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Systematic Musicology, or Computational Musicology. Within natural sciences, Music Cognition emerged as a discipline to study the brain-based mechanisms involved in the cognitive processes underlying music. Within physics, Musical Acoustics has a long tradition studying music producing instruments. Music Education has also developed its own research personality. A more recent discipline is Sound and Music Computing, which studies music from a computer science perspective. Somewhat different are the research approaches within the practice-based topics. Music Composition, Music Theory and Electronic Music have active research communities and the research around music performance has also emerged as an academic discipline in its own right.

The biggest disciplinary challenge in music relates to practice-based research approaches, i.e. when a creative artefact is the basis of the contribution to knowledge, which is the case in areas like composition or performance. In countries like UK, practice-based research is well recognized by the different stablished academic organizations and research assessment processes, but most countries are far from this situation.

At the Music Technology Group of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona ( https://www.upf.edu/web/mtg ) we carry out interdisciplinary research in music from the constraints and opportunities that our context gives us. Our case can be used as an example from which to learn some of the challenges that this type of research faces.

Origins and context of the MTG

The MTG was created in 1994 in the context of a research institute of the UPF dedicated to Digital Media and affiliated to its Department of Communication. Then, when several engineering degrees were started in 1999 and the Department of Information and Communication Technologies was created, the MTG moved to this new department. In parallel, the MTG has always been closely connected to a cultural organization dedicated to Electronic Music, Phonos ( https://www.upf.edu/web/phonos ), and has been collaborating with a music conservatory, Esmuc ( http://www.esmuc.cat/ ). These basic facts give an idea of the interdisciplinary nature of the MTG.

Being in an engineering department forces us to emphasize the engineering disciplinary personality. To support our interdisciplinary nature, we stablished and maintain collaborations with institutions and research centers from other disciplines. The UPF and our department are quite open and supportive of these collaborations, hence we have been able to preserve our interdisciplinary nature.

The faculty, researchers and students working at the MTG come from diverse origins and backgrounds. Typically, they have major computer science training and some musical expertise, but also have experiences in other fields. They all have joined the MTG because they love music and most of them maintain an active musical practice outside their academic work.

Within our engineering context, the research we do pertains to computer science topics such as signal processing, machine learning, human computer interaction, or software engineering. Within these, we explore new approaches and methodologies that can work best for sound and music signals and applications. Then, in collaboration with our partners, we combine our core engineering expertise with topics such as cognition, musicology, composition, education and acoustics.

With this disciplinary context and from these research approaches, the MTG is able to be active in quite a number of interdisciplinary research topics while contributing to a wide variety of social and industrial needs.

Research and activities of the MTG

The MTG aims to contribute to the improvement of the information and communication technologies related to sound and music, carrying out competitive research at the international level and at the same time transferring its results to society. To that goal, the MTG aims to strike a balance between basic and applied research while promoting interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate knowledge and methodologies from both scientific/technological and humanistic/artistic disciplines.

From the way we think about music research and higher education, we have developed an ecosystem within which we can educate future professionals in the field and have a social impact in the process. Apart from the educational programs in which we are involved and the research projects we carry out, we are very active in cultural and social initiatives that are closely tied to our academic activities. Phonos gives us the possibility to be active in cultural and artistic initiatives, accessing funds for them and collaborating with organizations outside the traditional academic context. The Esmuc gives us the collaboration with the practice-based context that is not present at the university, mainly music composition and performance.

To help understand the interdisciplinary nature of our research, I shall present two broad examples of research topics that we are working on.

Computational music analysis underlies most of our research. We study and process music signals developing technologies for specific applications. We analyze audio recordings of different music repertoires in order to identify their musical characteristics. For example, we aim to automatically describe the melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic characteristics of a musical piece or repertoire, extracting musical features with which we can compare pieces and organize large music collections in accordance to them. In order to carry out this type of research, signal processing and machine learning techniques are combined with musicological and music theory approaches. The resulting technologies can be of use for developing music recommendation or music education systems.

Musical interfaces are another broad research topic within which we design and develop interfaces for music making. We study traditional musical instruments from an interaction perspective and develop computer interfaces that can be used to make music in different contexts and for different applications. This is a highly interdisciplinary topic that can cover many technical and scientific disciplines together with practice-based music topics. We seek to build musical instruments with which people can express themselves.

Conclusions

The interdisciplinary nature of music research requires organizations that can cross disciplinary boundaries. That is not easy because of the way that most higher education institutions are structured. In the Music Technology Group at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona we have been able to get around this by developing an ecosystem in which we can join forces with researches from different disciplines, working together and carrying out projects collaboratively. 

However, the context of the MTG is still not ideal for taking advantage of the full potential of music research. A better institutional context could be developed by joining several research groups from different disciplinary contexts, thus establishing a unified framework in which a variety of disciplines would hold the same weight and for which there would be specific funding to promote multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary projects. This is a worthy initiative to push for, both for the benefit of music and our society.

Originally published on: Higher Education in the World 7 2019 - Humanities and Higher Education: Synergies between Science, Technology and Humanities. pp. 115-117. ISBN: 978-84-09-14675-8

Categories:

Sdg - sustainable development goals:, related assets.

• 25th anniversary of the MTG
• Interview with Xavier Serra on the radio program "Solistes" - Catalunya Radio
• Emilia Gómez and Xavier Serra interviewed in the UPF's magazine 360
• Participation of the MTG to the International Conference on Computer Supported Education
• 2nd Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Sound, Movement, and the Sciences (SoMoS)

10 Music Passion Project and Research Ideas For High School Students

By Alex Yang

Graduate student at Southern Methodist University

7 minute read

Music is a universal language that transcends borders and time periods, holding a profound significance in our society. Whether it's rhythmic beats that get people dancing, meaningful lyrics that convey complex emotions, or the intricate melodies that stir the soul, music has the power to evoke feelings and even inspire action.

As a result, music is often offered in many high schools as classes that students can take, like choir, band, and orchestra. However, if you feel like your passion for music goes beyond just time that you dedicate in school or playing one particular instrument, then you might want to consider doing a music passion project.

How to Find Your Music Passion Project Focus

Choosing what music passion project to do can be a difficult task, but you can make it easier for yourself by distinguishing between two project types. The first are projects that will involve learning how to produce music and the second is conducting research into the science or history of music. Both can be fulfilling project ideas , but conducting research will obviously involve more reading and writing, and creating music will involve more experimentation with software and/or instruments, so think about how you’d like to spend your time and what you’d enjoy doing most!

10 Music Passion Project and Research Ideas

1. can music help your brain heal.

Aim: Exploring whether music can act as an effective therapy following traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Project description:

This project will delve into the cognitive, behavioral, and functional effects of music therapy following TBI. What happens to brain activity as examined through fMRI with implementation of music therapy? Are there changes in neurotransmitter release? Is there a measurable behavioral and cognitive effect?

Concepts and skills: Neurotransmitters, traumatic brain injury , therapy

Idea by music research mentor Samantha

2. Community engaged music activity 

Aim: Organizing and planning a music event and learning about the nuances of event planning

Have you ever dreamed of putting together a concert for your community, school, or family gathering? For this project, come up with an interesting idea, write a proposal letter to potential sponsors , network and find collaborators, arrange and oversee rehearsals, and put a wonderful show together! You should also consider how you’d like to advertise the event, whether it’s a show or more of a competition, and how to set up the proper sound system for the event.

Concepts and skills: Event planning, community service, marketing, leadership and delegation 

Idea by music research mentor Parisa

3. Why does Bach sound like Bach? 

Aim: Learning about counterpoint and understand how it’s used in music

Project description: 

We revere master composers like Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart but their monumental works were not just a product of genius inspiration. Rather, a lost tradition of counterpoint pedagogy deserves a good deal of credit for giving classical music its characteristic sound and polish. In this project, dive into counterpoint and develop an understanding of how it works and how it’s been applied to classical works.

Concepts and skills: Counterpoint, music composition

Idea by music research mentor Lucien

4. Music psychology

Aim: Exploring a specific topic about how the brain engages with music

How does the human brain process music? How does music engage our perception and what does it do to us? If you're interested in the intersection of music and perception, a research project on the topic of music cognition or music psychology would be perfect for you. In such a project, you would narrow down on a particular music topic or question (ex. What is perfect pitch? What kinds of methods do music psychologists use? How does the brain handle rhythm?) and work to create a research paper or creative project around this line of inquiry.

Concepts and skills: Neuroscience, music psychology, writing a research paper

Idea by music research mentor Natalie

Explore the Fine Arts through research

Polygence pairs you with an expert mentor in your area of passion: literature, drama, film making, theatre, writing, poetry. Together, you create a high quality research project that is uniquely your own. We also offer options to explore multiple topics, or to showcase your final product!

5. Music listening experiment

Aim: Conducting a study to learn about why people like the music that they do

Music listening is personal - you may like music that others don't, and that's ok! It's all a part of the subjective experience of appreciating music. What we still don't know a lot about is why people enjoy certain types of music. Is it shaped by what we listened to growing up, by our friends, or by our experiences playing and/or dancing to music? Create a study that asks others what they like or dislike about specific types of music and why, and summarize your takeaways.

Concepts and skills: Survey design and analysis, music appreciation

6. Scoring a scene 

Aim: Creating your own musical score from scratch and learn how music impacts film

Have you ever been amazed by soundtracks from films like Interstellar and the Godfather? This is your opportunity to create your own score for a sample scene from a film. Come up with the initial idea for what happens visually in the scene and then brainstorm how you want the viewer to feel through the score. Then, begin to arrange your musical score! For inspiration, you can research several movies and their music to understand how the music elevates the viewing experience.

Concepts and skills: Musical composition, film scores, creativity

Idea by music research mentor Cody

7. Mini-musical 

Aim: Writing your own short musical

Write a short dramatic piece featuring original characters, music, and lyrics, about anything ranging from, say, a dinner date gone wrong to an epic period piece about the history of the Hotel St. George in Brooklyn Heights. Whatever you're passionate about, let's musicalize it!

Concepts and skills: Lyric writing, historical research, musical composition

Idea by music research mentor Farrah

8. Obscure genre research

Aim: Finding a niche music genre and understanding what makes it unique

Everyone is familiar with genres like pop, country, rap, and EDM, but what other niche genres are there that people haven’t explored yet? Research obscure and niche music genres, uncovering their history, key figures, and cultural significance. See if you can also discover what kinds of people like to listen to this niche genre and why it appeals to them.

Concepts and skills: Primary and secondary research, interviews/surveys, music appreciation

9. Musical mentorship program

Aim: Creating a mentorship program for young musicians and helping grow musical instruction in your community

Establish a mentorship program where experienced musicians in high school guide and inspire students in your school district’s middle or upper elementary schools. Mentors can offer personalized advice, lessons, and support to younger students, and this instruction can help supplement the work that full-time music teachers do. As you design this program, think through how you’d match mentees with their mentors, and how you would find designated times and places for them to meet.

Concepts and skills: Outreach and communication (for finding mentors and talking to teachers), interpersonal skills, logistics and event planning

10. DIY music production tutorials

Aim: Creating your own tutorials for music and learning how to grow your audience as a content creator

If you’re already experienced with music production using software, this could be a great next step for you! Create a YouTube channel or blog where you share tutorials on DIY music production techniques , where you can cover any topic you’d like or specifically the ones you feel you’re strong at. This can allow you to practice your skills while also learning how to build an audience, which is crucial for “making it” in the music industry in general!

Concepts and skills: Content creation, marketing, entertainment

How to Showcase Your Music Passion Project

After you’ve put in the time to research and polish your passion project, it’s time to decide how you want to showcase your project . In many of the project ideas above, there seems to be a natural endpoint or product that you’re trying to create (e.g., a musical score for a film, or creating a music mentorship program). That’s great, but also consider how you can reveal the story of your project and the work it took. For example, if you’re creating a musical score, you can start a vlog showing your behind the scenes process and inspiration for creating the score. That way, at the end of the project you not only have a musical score to show others, but you also have content that showcases the story of your work, and this can really help you stand out. 

Examples of Music Passion Projects Done by Polygence Students

We want to share some great examples of music passion projects completed by Polygence student alumni!

Nishanth created a project where he used a data set of over 2000 Western classical music tracks to train an algorithm to identify which classical composer made a certain piece. Nishanth wrote a research paper discussing his findings ( Using Machine Learning to Predict Classical Composers from Audio ) and also shared the code he used for the prediction algorithm.  

Benjamin was able to create a love song from scratch , where he first started by studying music theory and attending production lessons, before writing the initial lyrics and choosing melodies. Benjamin chose to showcase his work online and you can listen to his original song on YouTube !

Jasmita wrote a research paper exploring the concept of listening to background music while learning new material . In Jasmita's study, she looked into the effects of listening to familiar and unfamiliar music on performance during a reading comprehension task.

Learn more about Jasmita’s research project experience with Polygence !

Compose Your Own Music Passion Project

In this article, we covered how to find your music passion focus, shared 10 different research and passion project ideas, and also discussed how to showcase your project once it’s complete.

If you’re interested in pursuing a music passion project, Polygence’s programs are a great place to start and learn from excellent mentors who are well-versed in music and its intersections with neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology.

Related Content

Best Music Competitions for High School Students

Why Passion is Important for Success in Work and Life

How I Advocated for Students as an Admission Officer when They Wrote About Passion Projects

Mastering Self-Learning: Guidelines for Highly-Motivated Middle and High School Students

Why Research Mentorship is Critical for High School Students

How to Brainstorm Your Way to Perfect Research Topic Ideas

Feeling Inspired?

Interested in doing an exciting research project? Click below to get matched with one of our expert mentors!

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Cognitive Crescendo: How Music Shapes the Brain’s Structure and Function

Corneliu toader.

1 Department of Neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; [email protected] (C.T.); [email protected] (B.-G.B.); [email protected] (L.A.G.); [email protected] (A.B.); [email protected] (D.-I.D.); [email protected] (A.V.C.)

2 Department of Vascular Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology and Neurovascular Diseases, 077160 Bucharest, Romania

Calin Petru Tataru

3 Department of Opthamology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania

4 Central Military Emergency Hospital “Dr. Carol Davila”, 010825 Bucharest, Romania

Ioan-Alexandru Florian

5 Department of Neurosciences, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Razvan-Adrian Covache-Busuioc

Bogdan-gabriel bratu, luca andrei glavan, andrei bordeianu, david-ioan dumitrascu, alexandru vlad ciurea.

6 Neurosurgery Department, Sanador Clinical Hospital, 010991 Bucharest, Romania

Associated Data

All data are available online in libraries such as PubMed.

Music is a complex phenomenon with multiple brain areas and neural connections being implicated. Centuries ago, music was discovered as an efficient modality for psychological status enrichment and even for the treatment of multiple pathologies. Modern research investigations give a new avenue for music perception and the understanding of the underlying neurological mechanisms, using neuroimaging, especially magnetic resonance imaging. Multiple brain areas were depicted in the last decades as being of high value for music processing, and further analyses in the neuropsychology field uncover the implications in emotional and cognitive activities. Music listening improves cognitive functions such as memory, attention span, and behavioral augmentation. In rehabilitation, music-based therapies have a high rate of success for the treatment of depression and anxiety and even in neurological disorders such as regaining the body integrity after a stroke episode. Our review focused on the neurological and psychological implications of music, as well as presenting the significant clinical relevance of therapies using music.

1. Introduction

The inherent complexity of music renders it a multifaceted subject that eludes simple definitions. While many describe it as an ordered arrangement of sounds, musical elements such as harmony or the bass line require intricate understanding and considerable effort to master. In this research, our focus is on the neurological and psychological benefits of music listening, especially the potential usage of musical therapies, and how the brain might respond during varied activities set within a musical context [ 1 ].

Music is a universal phenomenon that utilizes a myriad of brain resources. Engaging with music is among the most cognitively demanding tasks a human can undergo, and it is identified across all cultures; therefore, it underscores its fundamental human nature [ 2 ]. The proclivity to create and appreciate music is ubiquitous among humans, permeating daily life across diverse societies [ 3 ]. This inherent connection to musical expression is deeply intertwined with human identity and experience. Molnar-Szakacs further emphasizes music’s unique capacity to evoke memories, stimulate emotions, and enrich social interactions [ 3 ]. Historical examples underscore the therapeutic potential of music. For instance, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) was purportedly composed to alleviate a count’s insomnia, underscoring music’s therapeutic potential [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The profound emotional impact of music, whether it be the melancholy evoked by a nocturne from F. Chopin or the elation induced by W. A. Mozart, has inspired ongoing research into its relationship with emotions and psychological disorders [ 7 ]. Fundamental to understanding music are the concepts of pitch perception, rhythm perception, and tonality perception.

1.1. Pitch Perception

Predominantly processed in the auditory cortex, pitch perception pertains to the brain’s handling of sound information. The auditory cortex features a tonotopic map wherein specific regions are sensitive to distinct frequencies. Human auditory perception ranges from 20 to 20,000 Hz, with distinct pitches resonating at precise locations on the basilar membrane. Yost et al. expound that understanding pitch necessitates a grasp of the biomechanical mechanisms and neurological shifts in sound as well as the diverse ways pitch can be conceptualized and potentially quantified [ 8 ]. Often, pitch is defined as the attribute of sound that sequences it from low to high levels. Musically, pitch aids in recognizing melodies and discerning intervals, with quantification methods ranging from equal-temperament tuning scales to the perceptive mel scale [ 9 ].

For instance, a standard 1000 Hz tone delivered at a 40 dB sound pressure level corresponds to 100 mels on the mel scale. It is important to note that variations in perceived pitch proportionately influence mel values. Much of pitch perception research delves into complex sounds, with the pitch of basic tones like sinusoids determined by frequency. Intricacies in encoding high-frequency and low-frequency tonal signals differentiate them, and while amplitude modulation is absent in simple tonal sounds, temporal mechanisms might play a role in low-frequency pitch perception [ 10 ].

In summary, understanding sound transformations, coupled with a range of definitions and measurement techniques, is imperative for accurate pitch perception. This encompasses melody recognition capacity, interval discernment, and frequency perception, with various mechanisms, both spectral and temporal, influencing pitch perception [ 11 ].

1.2. Rhythm Perception

Beat perception engages specific brain regions associated with motor planning and timing, notably the basal ganglia and the supplementary motor area. Interestingly, even passive listening to music can activate these neural domains [ 12 ]. The ability to discern a steady pulse underlying a rhythmic stimulus defines beat perception. This inherent pulse, which rhythmically structures the music, is an elemental consistency that the human cognitive apparatus innately detects. By accentuating beats in specific patterns, we can synchronize our movements (e.g., dancing or foot tapping) and regulate our temporal perception, culminating in the creation of meter. Rhythmic perception necessitates a combination of interval-based (absolute) timing and beat-based (relative) timing. While interval-based timing is observed in both humans and various animal species, beat-based timing might be unique to humans [ 13 , 14 ].

Motor theories centered on timing are primarily focused on beat-based timing. Active motor engagement seems to actively mold our perception of beats. For instance, the negative mean asynchrony effect, where one’s taps often precede the actual beat, underscores the pivotal role of anticipation in beat-based timing. Humans establish rhythmic timing anticipations and maintain a versatile perception of the intrinsic rhythmic architecture, even when confronted with alterations in tempo. Notably, rhythm perception is not merely passive; it is influenced by an individual’s active cognitive processing and volitional control, underpinned by metric interpretation [ 15 ]. Moreover, the very act of motor engagement shapes the perception of beats, manifests bodily movements, enhances temporal perception, and influences interpretations of ambiguous rhythms. Both overt motor actions and their covert counterparts play a role in refining perceptual sharpness. Even in scenarios devoid of visible motion, there is accumulating evidence that motor engagement modulates the perception of beat and meter. Contemporary research posits that the motor system not only influences beat perception but can also augment synchronicity with music [ 13 ]. Faster movements can also modulate the perceived pace of music segments [ 16 ].

To encapsulate, beat perception involves recognizing a steady pulse amidst rhythmic stimuli, a process that is dynamically shaped by motor activity, conscious modulation, adaptive tempo perception, and anticipatory mechanisms. Remarkably, even in scenarios devoid of overt motion, our sense of rhythm and meter remains intricately linked with the motor system [ 17 , 18 ].

1.3. Tonality Perception

The comprehension of key and harmony in music engages distinct neural domains, including the auditory, prefrontal, and parietal cortices. Scientific investigations are currently delving deeper into understanding the brain’s intricacies in processing musical harmony. The notion of harmony primarily stems from the amalgamation of sounds in Western tonal music. Within this musical paradigm, pitches are hierarchically arranged based on their congruence within a specific tonal context. Scales utilized in Western tonal compositions emanate from this pitch hierarchy. While the behavioral science community acknowledges the hierarchical essence of pitch organization, the neural substrates underpinning it remain a realm of exploration [ 19 ].

In a distinct study centered on J. S. Bach’s compositions, researchers probed the psychological relevance of musicians’ conception of tonality. Here, musically trained listeners were tasked with singing the first scale that resonated with them post hearing snippets from Bach’s Preludes in The Well-Tempered Clavier. The selected tonic (starting note) and mode (major/minor) were then juxtaposed against Bach’s original specifications. The data revealed that listeners could often discern the designated tonic and mode merely from the initial quartet of notes. However, as the piece progressed, there was a marked tendency to gravitate toward tonalities divergent from the original key, notably within the initial eight bars. By the concluding quartet of bars, the original tonic was often reaffirmed. Such findings not only spotlight the cognitive intricacies of tonality perception but also align with the postulations of music theorists regarding tonal discernment by listeners [ 20 ].

Tonality serves as the linchpin in music, underpinning the creation and comprehension of musical constructs such as melodies. A contemporary dynamic theory on musical tonality posits a nonlinear response of auditory neuron networks to musical stimuli. This tonal cognition, the intrinsic interconnections perceived amidst tones, arises from the robust and harmonious associations among brain frequencies, a phenomenon attributable to nonlinear resonance [ 21 , 22 ].

2. Materials and Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search on PubMed database for the most relevant articles regarding music studies, musicology mechanisms, and music-based therapies. For the search formula, we used the following terms: “pitch perception”, “rhythm perception”, “tonality perception”, “memory encoding”, “limbic system”, “neuroplasticity”, “motor coordination”, “evoked memories”, “rehabilitation”, and “music-based therapies”. Initially, PubMed database showed 341 studies. Furthermore, each title of those articles was reviewed to include minimally one of the searching terms. Those studies that did not respect the inclusion criteria or were focused on other subjects besides musicology were excluded. After the analyses, only 132 studies were included in our study.

In this comprehensive review segment, we delve into existing studies, results, and theoretical postulations regarding the neurological implications of music and its therapeutic applications. The aim is to furnish a meticulous analysis of the current state of knowledge within this field, accentuating pivotal research endeavors, methodologies, and discoveries. Subdivisions within this section are delineated based on thematic content, research domains, or specific dimensions of the topic.

3.1. Emotion and Reward Mechanisms in Musical Perception

Music possesses the unique capability to induce profound emotional responses, often intertwined with personal memories of significance. The neuroscientific underpinnings of this phenomenon suggest that music’s emotive power is rooted in the activation of the brain’s reward system. Notable neural regions involved include the nucleus accumbens and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, elucidating the intrinsically rewarding and emotionally charged nature of musical experiences.

3.1.1. The Interplay of Music with the Limbic System

Central to our emotional resonance with music is the limbic system, an intricate assembly of neural circuits and pathways. Key components of this system, such as the amygdala—responsible for emotional processing—and the hippocampus—integral to memory consolidation—become activated during musical exposure ( Table 1 ). Such neural activities account for the evocative power of music to invoke vivid emotional and mnemonic experiences. The consequential effects can be observed when an individual is emotionally transported to a distinct temporal or spatial context upon hearing a particular musical piece or when a gamut of emotions is experienced in response to auditory stimuli [ 23 ].

Brain areas activated during music listening. Auditory cortices from temporal lobe and limbic system areas are the most frequently implicated brain regions in music processing, as well as other eloquent areas depicted in the table.

During passive listening to unfamiliar yet positively perceived music, there was a spontaneous activation in both the limbic and paralimbic regions. Consistent with prior research on passive auditory experiences, primary and secondary auditory cortices displayed activations, corroborating findings from studies that analyzed listening to either monophonic or harmonized auditory sequences [ 24 ]. Furthermore, there were observed activations in the temporal pole, subcallosal cingulate gyrus, affective segment of the anterior cingulate cortex, retrosplenial cortex, hippocampus, anterior insula, and nucleus accumbens. It is plausible that these observed neuroanatomical patterns are a result of the intricate musical nature of the stimuli, which were highly favored by the participants. There is a prevailing theory suggesting that the left hemisphere predominantly facilitates positive emotions. This is in line with our findings that indicate a predominance of limbic and paralimbic activations on the left side, potentially mirroring the participants’ positive aesthetic reactions. The acquired functional neuroanatomical insights augment existing literature on music–emotion interplay, especially those employing high-temporal-resolution methodologies such as electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography [ 23 ].

Contrasting minor with major melodies showed multiple activation sites ( Figure 1 ) with the right parahippocampal gyrus (RPHG) being an eloquent brain area ( Figure 2 ). Another discernible activation, when subjected to cluster-level correction, spanned both the left and right ventral anterior cingulate cortex (VACC) (BA 24) and extended into the left medial frontal gyrus (LMFG) within the medial prefrontal cortex (BA 10) ( Figure 3 ). Remarkably, the inverse contrast (major over minor) did not yield significant activations. In a peak-voxel analysis, the response to the chromatic scale was intermediary when juxtaposed against the major and minor mode melodies for three of the aforementioned regions. These differential responses between the chromatic scale and melodies were not statistically significant, with an exception. Within the LMFG, the chromatic scale evoked the most prominent (least negative) response, trailed by the minor and subsequently the major mode. Notably, the contrast between the chromatic scale and the major mode was statistically significant in this context [ 25 ].

Activation pattern during music listening task. The transversal MRI sequence shows the overall cerebral activation pattern. The lower part of the image will be further explained in Figure 2 , while the upper part will be specifically described in Figure 3 .

A sagittal MRI sequence is shown, which depicts significant neural activity in the right parahippocampal gyrus.

A sagittal MRI sequence is shown, which shows significant neural activity in the right anterior cingulate cortex (BA 24), left anterior cingulate cortex (BA 24), and left medial frontal gyrus (BA 10).

VACC activation is generally associated with affective processing, while its dorsal counterpart is linked with cognitive functions [ 26 ]. Moreover, the existing literature indicates that the VACC displays heightened sensitivity to emotional content characterized by negativity or sadness [ 27 ]. The observed engagement of the VACC might be consistent with the perception of minor mode melodies as possessing a sadder tonality in comparison to major melodies. Notably, prior neuroimaging research on mode-based contrasts has not reported VACC activation in contrasts between minor and major modes [ 28 ].

The detected involvement of the left medial frontal gyrus (LMFG) may be attributed to its robust neural connectivity with the anterior cingulate cortex and other limbic systems. Such a connectivity profile underscores the proposed function of the medial prefrontal cortex as an integrative nexus for emotional input from these associated regions [ 29 ].

Research encompassing neuropsychology, neurophysiology, and health science domains suggests that patients in a low-awareness state exhibit both anatomical and behavioral divergences in response to auditory stimuli. These differences underline the auditory channel’s pivotal role in evaluating such patients. More specifically, the distinct auditory responses between individuals in a vegetative state (VS) and those in a minimally conscious state (MCS) when exposed to emotionally significant auditory stimuli imply that interventions incorporating personally resonant auditory content could lead to discernible outcomes, thus aiding diagnosis. However, diagnostic endeavors are often confounded by non-intentional emotional, or “limbic”, reactions observed in VS patients [ 30 ].

Multiple studies have documented elevated neural activity in MCS patients when exposed to emotionally significant auditory cues, suggesting these individuals possess the capability for discriminatory auditory responses. For instance, Boly et al. observed that stimuli like distress calls or a patient’s own name elicited more extensive neural activations compared to irrelevant noises [ 31 ]. In addition, cognitive-evoked potentials in response to an individual’s own name differed from those induced by other names, reinforcing the clinical premise and observational data that personally significant stimuli are more likely to induce pronounced behavioral alterations [ 32 ].

3.1.2. Music Seems to Encourage Enhanced Connectivity between the Auditory and Emotional Regions of the Brain

Listening to music engages not only the auditory cortex, responsible for sound processing but also several emotional centers within the brain. For instance, a musical composition perceived as melancholic might enhance the connectivity between the auditory cortex and the hippocampus, a region integral to memory and emotional processing. This interconnection can trigger the recollection of somber memories or evoke feelings of sadness.

Activations were prominently observed bilaterally in the anterior sections of the middle and superior temporal gyri. Prior research has identified the anterior temporal lobe’s involvement in comprehension at the sentence level, distinct from the temporal assimilation of significant auditory cues. Notably, this region’s activation is rather selective for sentence-level stimuli. It does not exhibit pronounced responses to unstructured meaningful auditory cues like word lists or random sequences of environmental noises. Nevertheless, it does react to both coherent sentences and nonsensical pseudoword sentences. The study’s authors noted the unresolved question of whether this region also becomes active during musical engagements [ 33 ].

Positron emission tomography (PET) studies focused on auditory imagery for music have documented the active involvement of the supplementary motor areas (SMAs) during image generation. This indicates the SMA’s potential role in an internalized “singing” process during auditory imagery tasks [ 34 , 35 ]. However, these studies did not explicitly associate SMA activity with the rhythmic elements of music. Notably, research involving patients with SMA lesions unequivocally demonstrates their difficulties in replicating rhythms [ 36 ]. The observed diminishing correlation of SMA activity with rhythmical performance following each alteration in the degree of temporal deviations from the reference interval ratio (DRIR) mirrors the decline in SMA activity as a motor task is reiterated. This parallel highlights the analogous motor-related neural activations during both motor activities and musical perception [ 37 ].

3.2. Motor Systems

Engaging in musical activities necessitates intricate motor tasks that demand precise timing and coordination. The cerebellum, an integral part of the brain dedicated to timing and motor coordination, demonstrates heightened activity among musicians. Other motor-related regions, such as the premotor cortex and the basal ganglia, play pivotal roles in both producing and perceiving music. Comprehensive motor systems, spanning from fine motor skills to broad motor coordination, are crucial for regulating the physical actions inherent in playing a musical instrument or singing [ 38 ].

Fine Motor Control: Precision in playing musical instruments necessitates exceptional motor control, specifically in muscles such as the fingers and hands.

Finger Dexterity: Musicians cultivate nuanced finger motions, granting them the capability to adeptly handle their instrument’s keys, strings, or frets. This proficiency enables diverse pitch generation and the execution of intricate melodies or chords. Notably, pianists, aspiring to master compositions like Liszt’s “Transcendental Studies”, S. 139, or Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 21 “Waldstein”, Op. 53, commonly practice upward of 6 h daily [ 39 ].

Hand Coordination: Instruments such as pianos or guitars necessitate meticulous coordination between hands. A harmonious interplay is required where one hand typically manages the melody or leads, while the counterpart offers harmonic or rhythmic accompaniment [ 40 ].

Embouchure Control: Wind instrument performers, encompassing flutists and trumpeters, are reliant on meticulous muscle control of their mouth and lips for tone production and airflow modulation [ 41 ].

Gross Motor Coordination: Distinct from precision-centered fine motor control, gross motor coordination emphasizes the integration of larger muscle group activities.

Body Movement: Many musicians incorporate physical gestures to accentuate rhythm or enhance their presentations, such as rhythmically swaying or foot tapping [ 42 ].

Posture and Breathing: Vocalists and wind instrument practitioners stress the importance of appropriate posture and breath management. Optimal posture underpins efficient breathing, ensuring voice projection and breath modulation [ 43 ].

Sensorimotor Integration: An intimate synergy between motor coordination and sensory feedback is paramount for musical endeavors.

Visual Feedback: Musicians harness visual indicators like music notations or the synchronized actions of co-performers to facilitate timing coordination and group harmonization [ 44 ].

Tactile Feedback: Musicians depend on tactile sensations and muscle memory, underpinning finger positioning and pressure modulation on their instruments [ 45 ].

Auditory Feedback: By closely monitoring their auditory output, musicians can fine-tune pitch, pace, and tonal quality. This auditory feedback loop enables real-time adjustments, promoting accuracy [ 46 ].

In summation, the intricate interplay of fine motor skills, gross motor coordination, and sensorimotor integration embodies the complexity of musical performance. Through relentless training and practice, musicians refine their motor capabilities, striving for both mastery and evocative expression.

3.2.1. Music and Rhythm Processing

Music, at its core, engages our motor systems predominantly through the element of rhythm. The basal ganglia and the supplementary motor area (SMA) stand out as pivotal neural regions governing rhythm processing. Specifically, the basal ganglia take center stage in organizing movements, determining timing and sequencing, and forecasting forthcoming rhythmic beats [ 47 , 48 ].

To delve deeper into rhythm cognition within music, one should familiarize oneself with the PRISM framework. This framework elucidates three central mechanisms: precise auditory processing, synchronization of brain oscillations to rhythmic stimuli, and the interplay between sensory perception and motor action known as sensorimotor coupling. Collectively, these mechanisms facilitate rhythm processing in both musical and speech domains [ 48 , 49 ].

Accurate Auditory Processing: This entails discerning minute time deviations and provides the bedrock for rhythm perception, enabling the detection of intricate temporal patterns.

Brain Oscillation Synchronization: This mechanism concerns the brain’s ability to anticipate ensuing events and conform to hierarchical rhythm structures. It ensures the alignment of rhythmic components, contributing to the holistic rhythm experience [ 47 ].

Sensorimotor Coupling: This establishes a link between perception and execution, implicating the motor system in tasks like timing, prediction, and integrating auditory cues with motor actions.

The PRISM framework offers an innovative lens through which rhythm processing in music and speech is perceived. By illuminating shared neural mechanisms between music and speech, this model enriches our understanding of rhythm processing, thereby opening avenues for further research, particularly in the arena of speech and language impediments [ 48 ].

However, beyond the neurocognitive realm, rhythm perception and production are intertwined with cultural nuances. While cognitive and physiological components might offer a universal rhythm perception baseline, cultural experiences undeniably play a significant role. Infants, for instance, exhibit an inclination toward rhythmic patterns emblematic of their culture’s music, suggesting cultural influences even at infancy [ 50 ]. Cultural aspects also influence language rhythm perception, with speech patterns often mirroring a given culture’s musical rhythms. A comparison between Western and East African music presents a stark difference in rhythm complexities and significance, highlighting the cultural diversity in rhythm processing [ 51 ].

Furthermore, cultural disparities might not only dictate how rhythm is perceived but also the range of rhythmic frequencies one aligns with. For instance, African music’s inherent metrical ambiguity might afford listeners the flexibility to engage with multiple rhythmic levels, diverging from the more rigid Western musical counterparts [ 52 ].

In summary, rhythm’s multifaceted nature intertwines neural processing with cultural nuances. Cultural exposure and familiarity undoubtedly mold our rhythmic preferences and processing capabilities, underscoring the intricate relationship binding music, language, and societal constructs [ 14 ].

3.2.2. Music and Motor Coordination

Playing a musical instrument, especially the piano, is a testament to the intricate dance of our motor systems. Brain scans of musicians highlight heightened activity in regions like the motor cortex and cerebellum, both critical for motion and coordination. Notably, the cerebellum emerges as the linchpin for fine motor control and timing, skills indispensable to instrumentalists. Music is not just an art; it reshapes the brain. Lifelong musical tutelage can cause an enlarged motor cortex and cerebellum, imprinting physical markers of musical expertise [ 53 ].

One striking feature of our motor system is its redundancy. With a plethora of joints and muscles at our disposal, multiple movement combinations can yield the same outcome. Renowned pianists like Martha Argerich and Dinu Lipatti exemplify this by leveraging redundancy to achieve specific acoustic effects, each using unique motor configurations [ 54 ]. This fluidity arises from neuroplasticity, where the neuromuscular system continually reshapes itself, enhancing the finesse of advanced motor activities. By juxtaposing skilled versus novice pianists, researchers probe into the interplay of neuroplasticity, motor redundancy, and the nuanced organization of piano-playing movements. While gauging the long-term impact of training remains challenging, such comparisons offer valuable glimpses into the artistry of motor skills [ 55 ].

The redundancy in pianists’ motor systems is multilayered. They can achieve the same note with various force and movement patterns at the fingertip, navigate multiple joint combinations to produce identical fingertip movements, and leverage various forces to generate the same joint rotation [ 56 ]. Amidst this intricate web, muscular torque stands out. It is birthed from the balance of forces exerted by opposing muscles around a joint. Given the motor system’s richness, pianists have countless ways to strike a single note. Masters of the craft excel in navigating this maze by optimizing energy use, achieving physiological efficiency. Their prowess is evident in their enhanced coordination, minimal muscle discomfort, and adeptness at offsetting mechanical interactions [ 50 ].

How pianists employ joint rotations and balance various forces exemplifies the interplay of kinematic and kinetic configurations. Elite pianists adopt strategies like optimized postures and sequential joint movements, optimizing movement and conserving muscle energy. By harnessing gravity, they also conserve energy when pressing keys, further showcasing motor redundancy. A consistent finding in studies contrasting expert versus novice pianists is the former’s unique upper limb motion organization, honed through rigorous practice. Such an organization is attuned to physiological efficiency, minimizing energy costs for known tasks. It is no surprise then that seasoned pianists, even in demanding performances, manage to retain their performance quality, all while fending off muscle fatigue [ 57 ].

In a fascinating dive into the world of jazz improvisation, Setzler M and colleagues explore how mutual coupling influences the coordination dynamics of professional jazz performers. The study revolves around understanding the interplay of rhythmic and tonal patterns as musicians exchange and spontaneously produce musical elements. With expert pianists from the vibrant New York City jazz circuit as participants, the study juxtaposes a unique one-way scenario, where a pianist improvises to a pre-recorded duet, against two dynamic duo conditions: a coupled setting where both pianists are improvising in real-time. While the one-way setup showcases unilateral coordination, in the duo scenario, the pianists adjust to each other’s rhythms and tones. The catch? The improvisations are uninhibited by any predefined song structure, key, or tempo [ 58 ].

The study dives deep into the data, examining parameters like tonal consonance (how harmoniously musical combinations sound) and onset density (the extent of rhythmic activity). The findings are illuminating: when pianists are connected and responding to each other in the duo setup, they consistently exhibit enhanced coordinated behavior. They create more harmonious tonal structures and display heightened rhythmic synchronization, compared to the unilateral one-way condition. Notably, these observations align with both the pianists’ personal experiences and the auditory preferences of lay listeners [ 58 ].

But why does this matter? The implications of this research are manifold. Firstly, it propels the domain of collaborative action studies and music technology. By understanding the nuances of how mutual coupling impacts musical coordination, we gain insights into complex, unrestrained coordination typical of stellar artistic performances. Such insights go beyond controlled lab environments. Moreover, the findings can shape the future of interactive music systems, potentially revolutionizing how ensemble performances are evaluated in musical training. The study’s roster boasts 28 seasoned pianists, all with robust backgrounds in jazz improvisation, along with a diverse listening panel comprising both jazz maestros and undergraduate psychology students. In essence, this research provides a valuable lens into the intricate dance of coordination during musical improvisation, shedding light on how it elevates the quality of the resultant melodies [ 59 ].

3.2.3. Music and Rehabilitation

Music’s healing touch has progressively found its way into motor rehabilitation, offering a rhythmic respite to those grappling with motor skill challenges. Music-based therapeutic interventions, for instance, have emerged as powerful tools for stroke patients, helping them regain lost motor functions. The rhythmic predictability embedded within music seems to have a harmonious effect on patients with Parkinson’s disease, addressing their movement-related issues like gait and timing disruptions. This rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS), as is known, offers an external rhythmic pulse that works wonders in steadying and regulating motor timing. This incorporation of music in treating age-related neurological ailments is backed by numerous studies [ 6 ].

The global surge in age-related neurological disorders, propelled by an aging population, has escalated the economic burdens associated mainly with non-acute treatments. This has ignited the quest for cost-efficient rehabilitative methods to complement traditional approaches like physiotherapy. While there is a limit to how much adult brain neurogenesis can contribute to healing, functional restoration does not share this limitation. Shifting from targeted training of impaired functions, some modern methods are championing a holistic rise in brain activity through sensory and cognitive stimulations [ 4 ].

Research has illuminated how musical pursuits like playing an instrument can reshape the brain. Even mere listening to music has been observed to bolster neuronal connections in certain brain areas, such as the auditory and visual cortices. Music’s therapeutic touch extends to post-operative recovery as well, alleviating pain and anxiety and reducing the dependence on painkillers [ 60 ]. Certified music therapists employ both active and receptive music-based therapies, encompassing musical expressions ranging from singing to playing instruments [ 61 ]. While initial studies revolved around music’s impact on acquired brain injuries, comprehensive investigations into its effect on major neurological diseases are still unfolding [ 6 ].

The review delves into music-based therapies’ impact on ailments like stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis, gauging the therapies’ efficacy through randomized controlled trials. The “effect size” metric offers insights into the degree of improvement observed [ 5 ].

Further, the study zooms in on the potential of dance and RAS in rehabilitating individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) [ 62 ]. Preliminary evidence champions the benefits of dance and RAS in enhancing physical functionalities, especially areas like balance, walking, and cardiorespiratory fitness in CP patients. Despite the extensive categories in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), there remain research voids, especially in areas concerning participation and environmental factors [ 63 ]. Bridging these gaps, the review synthesizes quantitative rehabilitation findings within the ICF framework, pinpointing further research avenues. It concludes by celebrating dance and RAS’s potential in enhancing not just physical processes but also emotional expression, social interactions, and overall well-being [ 64 ].

3.2.4. Entrainment

Entrainment, a captivating phenomenon where we unconsciously synchronize our movements to an external rhythm, emerges as an inherent human response when engaged with music. This almost involuntary response—be it foot tapping or dancing—is not just about moving to the beat. It is an intricate interplay of various brain regions responsible for auditory processing, motor functions, and even prediction [ 65 ].

Music, a rich tapestry of sensory, cognitive, and emotional experiences, is not just about the melody or rhythm. When we engage with music, it evokes a spectrum of emotions—from joy and sorrow to more nuanced feelings like wonder or nostalgia. These complex emotions do not necessarily fit into conventional neuroscientific emotion categories, leaving a vast realm still largely unexplored [ 66 ]. The authors delve deep into these intricate emotions, suggesting they are possibly birthed from the confluence of multiple brain areas, including those responsible for attention, motor functions, and memory, intertwined with emotional and motivational pathways. Such an understanding holds profound implications, especially in therapeutic realms, potentially aiding conditions marred by attention, motor, or affective disruptions [ 67 , 68 ].

“New Music” presents another dimension to our musical discourse. Unlike its classical counterpart, defining “New Music” is like capturing lightning in a bottle—it is ever-evolving, challenging norms, and shunning traditional tonality and rhythms. The listener, when immersed in the world of New Music, must recalibrate their cognitive tools to truly appreciate this avant-garde genre. While it is a mosaic of styles, some dominant shades include the second Vienna School, electronic synthesis, microtonal music, and more [ 9 , 69 ]. Branching further, genres like Ambient Music and Postclassical Minimal emerge, each with its unique essence.

Recognizing the need for a deeper dive into “New Music” and its neurological interplay, a dedicated research topic was launched, casting a wide net from embodied cognition to technological impacts and even neuroimaging techniques like EEG and fMRI [ 9 ]. The selected studies ventured into diverse terrains—from tempo perceptions, the philosophy of sound objects, and networked music performances to the nuances of atonal music, especially with pioneers like Arnold Schönberg at its helm [ 70 ]. Truly appreciating New Music mandates unconventional cognitive frameworks, from embodiment to heightened attention to recurring or absent elements. Functional brain imaging, though still in its nascent stages, promises insights into our cerebral engagement with these novel musical narratives. While the current discourse sheds light on New Music’s mysteries, a harmonious symphony of extensive and collaborative research is imperative for a deeper understanding [ 71 ].

3.3. Memory

Music and memory share an intimate bond. Often, a song can trigger a cascade of vivid memories, while melodies and lyrics, even from years past, can be effortlessly recalled. Such connections correlate with activations in areas like the hippocampus, pivotal in memory storage and retrieval.

3.3.1. Memory Encoding with Music

Harnessing a song’s melody and rhythm can be a powerful mnemonic device. Information set to a catchy tune tends to stick, an approach adopted in education to teach topics ranging from languages to science.

Smith et al. (1985) posited a compelling idea—using music as a backdrop during the encoding of words can be a catalyst in context-dependent memory during retrieval. This effectively boosts the recall of the encoded words [ 72 ]. Extending this thought, there is mounting evidence that suggests music’s potency in facilitating episodic encoding of events [ 73 ]. Across various studies, employing musical stimuli like background tunes or sung texts consistently showed improvements in verbal memory for both standard [ 74 ] and clinical groups [ 75 , 76 ]. However, while these studies underscore music’s ability to enhance the recall of encoded items, most have not delved into the musical context during the retrieval process. Among those that did, outcomes have been mixed [ 77 ].

Using fNIRS studies, it has been found that musical backdrops during verbal material encoding can bolster both item and source memory, linked to the modulation of prefrontal cortex activity [ 78 ]. However, some limitations exist, primarily since these studies only compared musical contexts to silence, leaving unanswered questions regarding the impact of non-musical auditory stimulations on memory.

Contrary to the majority, El Haj et al. (2014) proposed that musical backgrounds might impede source memory performance across age groups, adding more layers to the ongoing debate [ 77 ].

Ferreri et al. (2015) shed more light on the subject, indicating that specifically a musical backdrop (and not just any sound) can enhance verbal encoding. The ongoing discussion shifts to which specific elements of music augment memory. Past research has indicated that factors like perceptual characteristics, the emotional undertone, and interpretive variations in musical stimuli play pivotal roles in boosting memory and learning [ 79 ]. Adding depth to this understanding, it is noted that emotional inputs modulate musical memory akin to their influence in other domains [ 80 ].

A salient aspect of the music–memory nexus is the role of rewarding stimuli in cognitive tasks. Music stands tall as one of the most rewarding stimuli, and recent insights suggest its potential in augmenting cognitive performance [ 81 ].

3.3.2. Evoking Memories

Music has an uncanny ability to immerse us back into past moments, often reviving the very emotions we felt during those times. This phenomenon arises because music not only captures the essence of our emotional state when memories form but also acts as a potent cue to rekindle them. Thus, a mere tune or lyric can instantaneously propel us to a distinct time or place, evoking associated feelings.

This intricate bond between music and memory has led to the term “musical memory”. This refers to the unique connection between certain songs and personal experiences, elucidating why particular melodies can instantaneously remind us of specific past events or people.

Music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs) are often charged with intense emotions—be it joy, excitement, or nostalgia [ 82 ]. For instance, a study by Janata et al. (2007) found that popular music-triggered MEAMs were profoundly emotional. They noted that when participants resonated deeply with a song, they were more inclined to associate it with a personal memory [ 83 ]. Neuroimaging research supports the emotionally charged nature of MEAMs and illuminates music’s ability to evoke memories of varying specificity [ 84 ]. Such revelations underscore music’s prominence as a memory catalyst.

Research also explores music’s role in memory recall among Alzheimer’s patients. For instance, Foster and Valentine (2001) noted that Alzheimer’s patients retrieved more personal memories post music exposure compared to when exposed to white noise or silence [ 85 ]. Similarly, a study by Irish et al. (2006) found that Alzheimer’s patients exhibited enhanced episodic memory recall when exposed to Vivaldi’s Spring from the Four Seasons [ 86 ]. However, since music in these studies played in the background and not as a direct memory cue, the results showcase music’s influence on memory recall but do not differentiate music-evoked memories from those elicited by other stimuli.

When pitting memories triggered by music against those by faces, the former emerged as more vivid. However, the total number of internal details remained consistent across both. The primary distinction was in external details—face-induced memories contained more such details, often rich in semantic information about the pictured individual [ 87 ]. Interestingly, gender dynamics were evident in memory retrieval; women consistently described more vivid autobiographical memories than men, regardless of the cue. Several studies have hypothesized that this could be attributed to gender-specific encoding styles, with women registering memories more intricately. Additionally, Piefke et al. (2005) proposed that men and women employ distinct cognitive strategies during memory retrieval [ 88 ]. Another variable impacting the vividness of autobiographical memories is age. Typically, older adults recall memories that are less specific and contain fewer episodic details compared to their younger counterparts [ 89 ].

3.3.3. Neurological Basis

Our understanding of music’s influence on the brain is intricate, involving numerous regions that process auditory information, emotions, and memories.

During music perception, the auditory cortex plays a central role, processing the sound. Simultaneously, areas associated with emotional responses, like the amygdala, and memory, such as the hippocampus, become activated. The medial prefrontal cortex is particularly interesting; it springs into action when we hear familiar tunes. It is also significant to note that this region is one of the last to degenerate in Alzheimer’s disease, hinting at its role in the robust link between music and autobiographical memories.

Delving into the neural mechanics of music performance, Langheim et al. (2002) discovered activations in various brain areas, including the supplementary motor and premotor regions, right superior parietal lobule, right inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral midfrontal gyri, and the bilateral lateral cerebellum, during imagined musical performance. Notably, they did not observe activation in primary sensorimotor areas and auditory cortices [ 90 ]. The specific activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus is believed to be tied to music production. This idea is reinforced by other studies highlighting the involvement of this area in selective attention, working memory, and motor synchronization with auditory cues [ 91 , 92 ].

In another exploration, Nirkko et al. (2001) demonstrated that playing a musical sequence on a violin led to activation in several brain regions. Notably, they highlighted the involvement of bilateral fronto-opercular regions, suggesting their role in timed motor sequences present in both music and language production [ 93 ].

Another crucial region, the superior temporal gyrus, processes complex patterns formed by individual musical notes [ 94 ]. Platel et al. (1997) observed that the activation of specific parts of this gyrus, coupled with the left inferior frontal gyrus, indicates semantic access to melodic elements [ 95 ].

Popescu et al. (2004) noted early activations around primary and secondary auditory cortices, as well as in posterior parietal areas post stimulus onset [ 96 ]. These regions are critical for language and music processing. Furthermore, activations in the supramarginal and postcentral gyri have been associated with processing the basic attributes of sound [ 97 ]. Meanwhile, music listening’s impact on the precuneus has been documented in several studies, emphasizing its role in sound processing [ 98 ].

In sum, our brain’s reaction to music, whether in perception or production, is a symphony of neural activations across multiple regions, underpinning our rich emotional and cognitive experiences with melodies.

3.3.4. Music in Therapeutics

Music, renowned for its potent link with memory, has been harnessed therapeutically in numerous medical scenarios. In conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, where individuals frequently grapple with short-term memory loss, familiar tunes can rekindle past memories and experiences. This often enhances mood and bolsters social interactions. In the realm of stroke rehabilitation, music therapy has been instrumental in assisting patients in regaining verbal memory ( Figure 4 ).

The potential of music-based interventions in the neurological realm is immense, particularly in mending motor or cognitive functions. However, the design of these interventions often targets a specific pathology group. Among these, the evidence is most compelling for bolstering motor skills in stroke patients. It is imperative to approach these findings with caution; there is a risk of attributing improvements solely to the interventions, overlooking the role of natural recovery. Some studies, for instance, that employed bimanual piano training or gait training to musical cues, may not have utilized the most accurate measures to gauge improvements in coordination, dexterity, or balance. Nevertheless, the adaptability of music-based interventions in a clinical setting is noteworthy. They can be tailored to the individual, offering both a progression in therapy and personalization in treatment choice [ 99 ].

One salient area where music-based interventions shine is in addressing cognitive–motor interference, a common challenge in many neurological ailments [ 100 ]. Parallel executive deficits can sometimes hinder the effective rehabilitation of cognitive or motor shortcomings [ 101 ].

Here, music-based approaches emerge as dual-task training, transcending mere motor or cognitive training. Consider, for instance, an intervention utilizing a musical instrument. Here, the act of producing music, which involves moving parts of the body like the fingers (motor system), dovetails with the cognitive system, which processes new musical data, such as rhythm or pitch. This is especially pertinent, as significant cognitive–motor disruptions arising from such dual tasks are prevalent in many neurological conditions and can escalate the risk of falls [ 102 , 103 ].

This image depicts examples of the main possibilities of clinical therapies using music. The given context is music therapies and daily music listening in various situations, such as in groups or individually and active or passive listening. Music offers multiple cognitive advantages and might be perceived in multiple ways which are described as “capacities”. Underlying mechanisms of music processing were aforementioned in this study, audio-motor functions and neuroplasticity being of high interest. Multiple behavioral-cognitive benefits, as well as motricity and psychological status, are highly improved [ 61 , 104 ].

In essence, the therapeutic power of music, weaving together cognitive and motor systems, can be a beacon of hope in the multifaceted landscape of neurological rehabilitation.

3.4. Language Processing

Music and language are intricately linked, both weaving together structured sequences of sound and resonating in similar domains of the brain’s left hemisphere. Evidence suggesting that musical training can bolster language skills lends weight to the idea that the neural mechanisms underpinning both might overlap.

3.4.1. Musical Training’s Influence on Language Skills

It has been established that musical education can enrich language abilities. This is likely due to the shared demands both disciplines place on discerning differences in pitch, timing, and tone. Musicians often exhibit heightened skills in phonetic discrimination (the capacity to differentiate between speech sounds), enhanced verbal memory, and superior reading capabilities. Furthermore, rhythmic competencies, which are sharpened through music, correlate with improved reading and linguistic prowess.

The nexus between musical training and intelligence has been a subject of rigorous debate in recent times. Music training and its duration have been consistently linked with higher intelligence across age groups, from children to adults [ 105 , 106 ]. This relationship is evident in various studies, where notable differences in non-verbal reasoning skills emerge between those with and without musical training [ 107 , 108 ]. Moreover, a correlation exists between non-verbal intelligence and musical aptitude. However, a potential confounder is the fact that children who receive music lessons often hail from affluent backgrounds, which could potentially skew the interpretation of these findings, especially in studies relying on correlation [ 109 , 110 ].

Recent data reveal that consistent participation in music playschools augments the development of phoneme processing abilities and vocabulary in children aged 5–6. In contrast, dance lessons did not exhibit a comparable impact. The disparities in children’s development crystallized over our two-year monitoring period. Interestingly, children exposed to both musical and dance education did not display a noticeable edge in vocabulary development. One theory is that these children had relatively high scores at the onset, leading to a potential ceiling effect as the study progressed. However, by the study’s conclusion, children who only attended music playschool and initially exhibited lower scores gravitated toward the higher-scoring group. This suggests that music-centric activities might especially benefit children who initially lag in linguistic tasks, at least within the observed age bracket of 5–6 years [ 111 ].

In essence, the confluence of music and language is undeniable, and the enriching impact of musical training on linguistic skills is evident, shedding light on the profound interconnectedness of these domains.

3.4.2. Music and Speech Prosody

Music’s ties to the prosody of speech are compelling. Prosody, encompassing pitch, rhythm, and volume, is pivotal for embedding emotion and context in speech. Notably, these facets are fundamental to music, underlining a profound link between the musical and the expressive elements of language.

However, the waters are murkier when exploring pitch. While studies on pitch perception distinctly delineate between global and local processing, research on human voice recognition often treats pitch as a unified acoustic/perceptual element. The role of pitch in identifying talkers remains an enigma. Idiosyncratic prosodic alterations, especially the dynamics of the F0 contour, prove useful for distinguishing speakers [ 112 ]. However, absolute pitch height is another identifier, rooted in the individual’s unique laryngeal structure. For instance, by adjusting the pitch of synthetic speech, one can shift listeners’ perception of the number of dialogue participants [ 113 ]. A focus on individual differences can illuminate pitch perception’s role in talker identification, potentially disentangling the different ways pitch is processed in this context. Earlier studies indicate that global and local pitch processing can be separated, especially when linked to other linguistic proficiencies like reading [ 114 ]. Connecting differences in global versus local pitch perception with listeners’ variability in talker identification can provide a clearer understanding of pitch’s role in this process.

Long-term musical training is reputed to enhance pitch discernment [ 115 ]. This perceptual edge extends beyond musical pitch, touching the linguistic realm. A compelling connection between music and language is evident in studies examining lexical tone processing. For instance, musical training or aptitude can predict non-tonal language speakers’ prowess in identifying lexical tones [ 116 ] and in mimicking them, as well as their competency in learning them [ 117 ].

These findings, which underscore improved talker identification via experience in music and language, carry significant ramifications for understanding auditory perception’s adaptability. The evidence suggests that long-term engagement with music or consistent lexical tone use can augment listeners’ pitch sensitivity. This challenges the rigid compartmentalization of cognitive systems dedicated to music, language, and talker identification, pointing toward a more fluid, interconnected cognitive landscape [ 118 ]. In essence, music and language are not just standalone entities but intertwined realms, each enriching the other.

3.4.3. Therapeutic Applications

The bond between music and language not only provides insight into cognitive function but has also been harnessed for therapeutic means. A salient example is melodic intonation therapy ( Table 2 ), a method designed to assist aphasia patients (those who have lost language abilities typically due to brain damage, often resulting from a stroke) in regaining their speech. By engaging a patient’s preserved musical processing abilities, the therapy facilitates language recovery.

Optimal profile for a patient with high responsiveness to melodic intonation therapy.

However, the therapeutic application of this connection has seen a myriad of interpretations. Initial accounts [ 119 ] present deviations from the original protocol, indicating the use of three pitches instead of the initially outlined two. Anecdotal evidence further showcases this diversity: therapists, based on observational data from across the U.S., each bring their own flair to the technique. Variations range from employing two pitches with specific intervals and crafting unique melodies for phrases incorporating multiple pitches to using the piano as an accompaniment or even tapping a sequence of notes on a patient’s arm as words or phrases are sung. Such diverse interpretations, while possibly tapping into right hemisphere regions pivotal for speech, might deter therapists lacking a musical foundation from adopting the therapy, given its intricate nature [ 120 ].

Additionally, the act of tapping the left hand could activate the right hemisphere’s sensorimotor network, responsible for both hand and mouth movements [ 121 ]. This action might bolster sound–motor mapping—an essential facet of meaningful vocal exchanges. Moreover, akin to the consistent beat of a metronome, tapping could offer a rhythmic guide, ensuring regular pacing and ongoing cues for the production of syllables [ 122 ]. In essence, the nuanced interplay between music and language has profound therapeutic potential, albeit varied in its execution.

4. Discussion

Music training has been identified as a catalyst for neurological transformation, exemplifying the phenomenon of neuroplasticity. Notably, individuals with a background in music often exhibit more pronounced auditory and motor regions compared to their non-musical counterparts. Such changes have far-reaching implications, encompassing areas like memory enhancement and heightened attention [ 123 ].

4.1. Anatomical Adaptations

Long-term involvement in musical endeavors can result in discernible anatomical shifts within the brain. Such transformations mirror the refined skills inherent to musicians, encompassing areas like auditory discernment, sound-associated emotional interpretation, and intricate motor control. Musicians, for instance, typically possess a more substantial corpus callosum—the neural bridge uniting the brain’s two halves. This could arise from the necessity of synchronized hand movements or the amalgamation of sensory–motor data. Moreover, regions governing motor functions, like the precentral gyrus, often exhibit greater development in musicians. Likewise, areas pivotal for auditory functions, such as the superior temporal gyrus, are frequently more evolved [ 124 ].

4.2. Operational Modifications

Beyond anatomical alterations, enduring musical training can usher in functional adaptations. When undertaking specific tasks, musicians often demonstrate unique brain activation patterns, emphasizing the brain’s adaptability in response to persistent training. For instance, the auditory cortex in musicians may exhibit heightened activity during music perception, signifying their adeptness in deconstructing musical elements [ 125 ].

4.3. Neurochemical Interactions and Neuronal Growth

Musical interactions influence more than just the brain’s physical contours; they also modulate its internal chemistry. Engaging with musical elements can spur dopamine release, linked with pleasure sensations, serotonin, regulating mood, and oxytocin, associated with social trust and bonding [ 126 ]. Furthermore, music might bolster neurogenesis, or the genesis of novel neurons. Preliminary animal research suggests that music exposure can amplify hippocampal neurogenesis, a core component in learning and memory. While promising, particularly concerning conditions like Alzheimer’s, further studies are imperative for a comprehensive grasp [ 127 ].

4.4. Cognitive Enhancement through Music

Music-induced neuroplasticity can elevate cognitive prowess, transcending just musical abilities. Musical children often outpace their non-musical peers in areas like reading, linguistics, and mathematical proficiency. Additionally, their attention span, memory, and executive functionality are frequently more advanced. Such augmentations are theorized to emerge from the transfer effect, where proficiency in one domain (e.g., music) amplifies skills in another (e.g., math). In essence, the cognitive tools sharpened by musical immersion—such as pattern detection and motor coordination—might be applicable across diverse domains [ 128 ].

4.5. Therapeutic Application of Music

The neurological adaptability influenced by music has been harnessed therapeutically, especially in neurorehabilitation post traumatic events like strokes [ 129 ]. Music-centric therapies can instigate restorative neuroplasticity. An illustration is music-supported therapy, wherein patients rehabilitate motor functions by playing musical instruments. Playing instruments mandates recurrent, meticulous movements, essential for reinstating motor command. Furthermore, the intrinsic reward of music amplifies patient motivation [ 130 ]. Another intervention, melodic intonation therapy (MIT), targets non-fluent aphasia patients, aiding their speech recovery. This method capitalizes on the brain’s adaptive potential, utilizing unharmed singing capacities to reinvigorate linguistic prowess [ 131 ].

An important point of view for an efficient rehabilitation process is using comprehensive approaches, especially in those patients who suffered a myocardial infarction or an ischemic stroke. In a recent study [ 132 ] focused on the effect of implementing robot-assisted physiotherapy technology for heart infarction treatment, great results were obtained in ADLs (activities of daily living) and motor functions. Moreover, in ischemic stroke scenarios, multidisciplinary combined healthcare management provides a better outcome, and by utilizing therapeutic modalities and behavioral-cognitive tests, assessing psychomotor status, and implementing robotic-based therapies, significant results are obtained [ 133 ]. Therefore, all the available therapeutical possibilities have to be used according to the patient’s status for a decrease in morbidity and mortality, as well as the patient’s ability improvement and reintegration into society. In this context, the capacity of music to reconfigure our brains, sharpening various abilities, provides an outstanding avenue as a therapeutic tool in healthcare situations.

5. Conclusions

The compendium of research synthesized in this review, titled “Cognitive Crescendo: How Music Shapes the Brain’s Structure and Function”, serves as a seminal contribution to the burgeoning interdisciplinary field at the intersection of musicology, cognitive neuroscience, and clinical psychology. By dissecting a range of subtopics—from rudimentary perceptual features such as pitch, rhythm, and tonality to complex interactions involving emotion, memory, and motor systems—the review offers a comprehensive, integrative framework for understanding how music orchestrates a vast array of neurocognitive processes.

One of the salient contributions of this review is its focus on the bidirectional interactions between music and the limbic system, which has elucidated the underlying neurobiological mechanisms by which music modulates emotional states. The evidence for enhanced connectivity between auditory and emotional regions of the brain brings a new layer of complexity to our understanding of affective regulation and provides fertile ground for future investigation into targeted music-based therapeutic interventions. Regarding motor systems and coordination, the review casts a spotlight on the neural entrainment mechanisms that facilitate synchrony between external rhythmic stimuli and internal neural oscillators. These findings are particularly germane for envisaging music-based rehabilitation paradigms, and the integration of rhythmic elements could revolutionize existing therapeutic approaches.

Furthermore, the review explicates the linguistic dividends of musical training, providing compelling empirical support for shared neural resources between musical and language processing. The implications here are not merely academic but could inform educational curricula that seek to leverage musical training for enhanced linguistic and cognitive skills in children and adults alike. As a corollary to the wide-ranging topics covered, this review also outlines a number of prospective avenues for research. For instance, the operational modifications and neurochemical interactions triggered by chronic exposure to music demand longitudinal studies to ascertain the sustainability of these neural changes. There is also a discernible gap in the literature concerning how these cognitive enhancements translate to real-world skills and well-being, an area ripe for further empirical inquiry.

Another promising avenue for exploration pertains to the therapeutic applications of music. While the existing literature, as summarized in this review, posits a strong case for music as a potent therapeutic tool, the exact protocols, durations, and modalities through which optimal therapeutic outcomes can be achieved remain to be standardized.

In summation, this review serves as both an analytical repository and a conceptual springboard, illuminating the multifaceted ways in which music interacts with the human cognitive apparatus. Its contributions are manifold, offering academic, clinical, and pedagogical insights that advance our understanding of the potent neurocognitive effects of musical engagement. By highlighting nascent areas warranting further exploration, this review not only synthesizes current knowledge but also catalyzes future interdisciplinary research aimed at decoding the myriad ways music intricately shapes our brains and our lives.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, C.T. and C.P.T.; methodology, C.P.T. and I.-A.F.; software, R.-A.C.-B.; validation, B.-G.B.; formal analysis, L.A.G.; investigation, C.T. and I.-A.F.; resources, A.B.; data curation, D.-I.D.; writing—original draft preparation, R.-A.C.-B. and B.-G.B.; writing—review and editing, B.-G.B. and L.A.G.; visualization, C.T.; supervision, I.-A.F.; project administration, A.V.C.; funding acquisition, A.V.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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67 Popular Music Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best popular music topic ideas & essay examples, 🎓 good research topics about popular music, ⭐ simple & easy popular music essay titles.

• The Concept of Pop Music Deriving from rock and roll, Pop music found its distinctiveness in the 1950s to not only become one of the world’s most listened style of popular music, but also one of the very few styles […]
• Popular Music: Meaningful Contributions to Social and Political Change Music has different classifications depending on various factors including the period in which the music was developed, the type of instruments that the musicians use, the cultural identity of the society that subscribes to the […]
• Roots of Contemporary Popular Music In conclusion, the popularity of R&B music is attributed to the fact that many young white listeners preferred this type of music over country music because it was more colorful and rhythmic than country music.
• The Evolution of Popular Music The economic evolution of consumerism in the late 19th century and the early 20th century was marked by the advent of credit and the growing popularity of consumer goods.
• The Influence of Radio on American Culture and Popular Music The rise of a national audience was one of the remarkable changes in popular music during the first half of the twentieth century.
• Social Commentary in Pop Music Industry Thus, using the emotional potential of music, a popular artist has the opportunity to give the listener a deeper sense of the problem underlying the message of the song.
• Popular Music at the Times of Racism and Segregation The following work will compare and contrast the compositions of Louis Armstrong and Scott Joplin and examine the impact of racism on popular music.
• Popular Music: Curtis Mayfield’s and Bob Marley’s Songs The most distinct feature that the songs “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield and Bob Marley’s One Love”, is the message that they are trying to communicate to the audience.
• American Popular Music and Its Evolution Compared to the country blues popular in the 1900s, classic female blues combines its features with urban theater music, and “Crazy Blues” is one of the first songs of this genre.
• The National Center for Popular Music This was due to the untimely closure of the National Centre for Popular Music. People referred to it as a museum, but in a real sense, it was not or it was because the music […]
• The National Centre for Popular Music in Sheffield The design of the building, which has unusual features acquired a number of nicknames that are local like curling stones, drums and kettles as the drum tops that were to rotate in the wind no […]
• The Cultural Production of Popular Music While most people in this debate express their opinion that the role of digital technologies in the development of music is positive, there exists a category of participants who argue that digital technologies kill the […]
• Origins of Popular Music: Discussion The organization of listening in the correct room, along with the separation of music from medieval ritual, the development of specialist musicianship, commercial publishing and the invention of synoptic scores enshrined the individual performer or […]
• History of Pop Music in the Early 20th Century Jansen has given a detailed analysis of the musical and the particular song and he suggests that the sheet music and the performance reveal a combination of different types of ragtime music.
• American Popular Music History It is only possible to produce it in economic industries, which look at the popular music in terms of monetary value in which it is considered as a commodity.
• The Dynamic Between the Popular Music’ Sound and Look The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dynamic between the sound and the look of two representatives of the Soul Jazz music genre Adele Laurie Blue Adkins and Amy Winehouse.
• Popular Music and Accompanying Visual Representation Essentially, popular music is the kind of music that is distributed to wide audiences through the music industry. To address the question, it is needed to explore the connection between music and visual representation.
• Korean Pop Music and Youth Identity Korean pop music has become a powerful genre that connects many youths to their counterparts in different parts of the world.
• Disco, Rock, Jazz and Popular Music: Comparison With the support of God, the songs encourage the audience to believe in the power of God to overcome the unfortunate events.
• “Pop Music, Pop Culture” by Chris Rojek The title specifically prepares the reader for the interconnection between culture and popular music, as it is one entity that is a great part of human society and the music industry.
• The Impact of Korean Popular Music From the paradigms of influences, the paper discusses the implications of the K-pop on the Korean social values and foreign influences.
• Canuck Rock: A History of Canadian Popular Music Besides, the book helps one understand the evolution process of the Canadian music industry.”Canuck Rock” is a determined assessment of the inception and development of trendy music in Canada starting from the late 1950s to […]
• Popular Music in Uzbekistan It is aimed at demonstrating the wit of the participants to each other and the spectators. Apart from the folk music of Uzbek, modern pop music in the country is also significant.
• Pop Music Nature and History Classical music was for the high class, the affluent in the society, but the rapid urbanization brought by the industrial revolution came with a type of music popular to the middle and lower classes.
• Popular Music and Thinking Errors The message in the lyrics of rock songs is mostly that life is not worth living with the lyrics filled with numerous pessimistic and angry lines.
• Western Popular Music Influence in Asia
• Popular Music of the Chinese Culture
• Culture Industry: Avant-Garde Struggles in Popular Music
• Payola: The Dirty Side of Popular Music
• Sexuality and Gender: Popular Music and Cultural Identity
• Cultural Impact of Popular Music on Society
• The Driving Force Behind Popular Music
• Historical Relationship Between Art and Popular Music
• Popular Culture and History: Representations of the Past in British Popular Music
• Similarities Between Classical and Popular Music
• Today’s Pop Music May Have Too Much Sex, Not Enough Love
• Value Chain Envy: Explaining New Entry and Vertical Integration in Popular Music
• The Popular Music Culture of the 1980s
• Values Portrayed in Popular Music
• The Relationship Between Popular Music and Sexuality
• American Popular Music: A Wide Variety of Styles and Trends in Society
• The Most Important Impulses of the Popular Music Field
• Popular Music Encourages Recreational Drug Use Among Adolescents
• Consumer Choice and the Popular Music Industry: A Test of the Superstar Theory
• Popular Music: Theory, Method and Practise
• Popular Music and Populist Politics
• The Issues Surrounding the Attempts to Control the Content of Popular Music
• Courses on Popular Music, Film, Advertising and Television
• Vietnam War’s Effect on Popular Music
• Censoring Offensive Lyrics and Images Portrayed in Current Popular Music
• Production and Use of Contemporary Western Popular Music
• Economics and the Ecology of Creativity: Evidence From the Popular Music Industry
• Popular Music: The Creative Process
• Existentialism and Its Impact on Popular Music Essay
• Contrast Between Popular Music and Jazz
• Popular Music and a Political Position
• The Aesthetics for American Popular Music
• K-Pop and Korean Popular Music
• The Internet and Value Co-Creation: The Case of the Popular Music Industry
• Music and Modern Literature: Impact Literature at Popular Music
• Gender Stereotyping of the Women in American Popular Music
• Popular Music Perpetuates Rape Culture
• Bob Dylan and Popular Music
• Social Change and Popular Music
• Popular Music, Gender, Sexuality, and Cultural Identity
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IvyPanda . "67 Popular Music Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/popular-music-essay-topics/.