Neuroscience and Music

Music, often considered a human universal, exists in every culture. How do cognitive neuroscientists begin to answer questions about how music is processed in the brain? How do individuals with language and memory impairments, which makes even speaking a sentence challenging, still have a preserved capacity to sing and recall music? How is music used with clinical populations such as aphasia? This course will survey the ongoing research in music cognition as well as basic neuroscience topics, including brain anatomy. We will cover methods (EEG, fMRI) cognitive neuroscientists use to study the brain and learn how to parse through scientific papers, particularly focusing on music studies. Application process includes: online application, qualifying documents (test scores or portfolio), $40 application fee, 2 essays, transcript, 2 letters of recommendation. To be eligible for VSA, students may either submit ACT, SAT, or PSAT scores or a recent individual ability/achievement test at the 95th percentile and above in one or more subject areas. In lieu of the above mentioned test scores, students may prefer to submit a portfolio for further assessment and review. . Need-based scholarships are available with the completion of an additional scholarship application.