How does music affect the brain and mind? First, describe how sound information is sensed and perceived by the brain, then discuss and evaluate the developmental and emotional evidence for the effect of music on the brain and mind.

How does music affect the brain and mind? First, describe how sound information is sensed and perceived by the brain, then discuss and evaluate the developmental and emotional evidence for the effect of music on the brain and mind.

To address this question, you will need to demonstrate that you understand how the sounds of music are sensed and perceived. Then you will need to present and critically evaluate some of the empirical evidence. This evidence should include:

• Developmental evidence (e.g., Are there any brain changes associated with learning an instrument? Are there cognitive and behavioural benefits associated with musical training?)

• Emotional evidence (e.g., What happens to the brain when we listen to music? How can music affect mood? Are different kinds of music associated with different emotional responses?)

  
  

  Starting References

  Warren, J. (2008). How does the brain process music? Clinical Medicine, 8(1), 32.

  This reference is a review paper. That means the authors didn’t conduct an experiment themselves, but they have synthesized and described the existing literature on the topic. This will be useful for your discussion of how sound is sensed and perceived by the brain.

  Koelsch, S. (2014). Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(3), 170- 180.

  This reference is also a review paper. It is very detailed and complex, so some of the information might not be relevant for this essay. However, this paper will be useful for your introduction, and you can check through the reference list to find other relevant experiments to help make your argument.

  Habibi, A., Cahn, B. R., Damasio, A., & Damasio, H. (2016). Neural correlates of accelerated auditory processing in children engaged in music training. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 21, 1-14.

  This reference is an experimental paper. The authors conducted a longitudinal study examining how music training impacts auditory development in children. Being engaged in music training did confer some advantages in auditory processing – What where they? What does this evidence suggest about the effect of music on the brain and mind?

  
  

  Some tips for writing your essay INTRODUCTION (250-300 words)

  The Introduction needs to set the context of the essay, explain why the topic is important, and state the thesis (contention) in one or two paragraphs.

  • Provide a general orientation to the topic and its importance.

  • Define key terms. Some terms can mean slightly different things depending on the context, so it

    will be important that you define what you mean here. The same can be said for other terms you will likely use. When you write essays, you want to ensure the reader can follow along with what you’re saying and being clear with your definitions is an important part of that.

  • State the aim of the essay.

  • Explain what information about the effect of music on the brain and mind is gained by examining

    developmental and emotional evidence.

  • Describe what types of evidence you are going to present (I.e., a road map/signpost). Your

    Introduction should finish by telling the reader where the essay is going.

  o For example, “This paper will begin by discussing the evidence for (or against) X…” “Then,

  it will be argued that Y…”

  
  

  MIDDLE SECTION (1000-1200 words)

  The middle section, made up of 3-4 paragraphs of about 150-250 words each, is where you provide the evidence for your argument. The purpose is to build points, develop ideas, and support the main contention. Each paragraph should treat one topic (e.g., developmental studies) and will need to include:

  • A topic sentence to succinctly orient the reader to what the paragraph will be about • Description and evaluation of two or more experimental research studies
  • In-text citations to acknowledge sources of evidence
  • Finish with an explanation/linking sentence

  Use the paragraph as a unit of composition. The topic sentence should define the content of the paragraph. The subsequent sentences should describe the evidence for the point you’re making.

  
  

  CONCLUSION (100-150 words)
  In a single paragraph, concisely summarize your own argument and present an overall conclusion that

  answers the essay question.

  • Restate the aim of the essay and summarize the content briefly (what evidence did you present?)

  • How strong is the evidence and what is your conclusion: does music affect the brain and mind?