Musical Expression & Perception in the New York Times

The New York Times article To Tug Hearts, Music First Must Tickle the Neurons by Pam Belluck is a fantastic look at issues of musical expression and perception that could lead to engaging discussions and projects in a variety of music class and ensemble settings.

In addition to having students read and discuss the article it might be worth modifying some of the included experiments in contexts ranging from composition to performance. The article could also serve as a springboard into issues such as interpretation, musicalicty, expression, and musical cognition.  The article might give pause to music educators as we consider the extent to which students are provided opportunities to determine how best to play a phrase expressively.

Belluck’s articles does an excellent job of articulating complex concepts related to music cognition and perception through the eyes and ears of  researchers and musicians. This quiz based on research by Dr. Daniel Leveitin and mentioned throughout the article could also work well in the classroom/ensemble.

By addressing some of the points raised in the article and related quiz, students would be able to put theory to practice and engage with music beyond a sole focus on technique or “playing what is on the page”  in terms of strict adherence to the notation and markings as is. Why not have students perform or create musical excerpts multiple ways, record their various interpretations, listen back to the recordings, and discuss their decision and the results? This could help students think like creative musicians and develop critical ears.