Embodied Music Cognition And Mediation Technology
by Marc Leman /
2007 / English / PDF
3.2 MB Download
Digital media handles music as encoded physical energy, but
humans consider music in terms of beliefs, intentions,
interpretations, experiences, evaluations, and significations. In
this book, drawing on work in computer science, psychology, brain
science, and musicology, Marc Leman proposes an embodied
cognition approach to music research that will help bridge this
gap. Assuming that the body plays a central role in all musical
activities, and basing his approach on a hypothesis about the
relationship between musical experience (mind) and sound energy
(matter), Leman argues that the human body is a biologically
designed mediator that transfers physical energy to a mental
level -- engaging experiences, values, and intentions -- and,
reversing the process, transfers mental representation into
material form. He suggests that this idea of the body as mediator
offers a promising framework for thinking about music mediation
technology. Leman proposes that, under certain conditions, the
natural mediator (the body) can be extended with artificial
technology-based mediators. He explores the necessary conditions
and analyzes ways in which they can be studied. Leman outlines
his theory of embodied music cognition, introducing a model that
describes the relationship between a human subject and its
environment, analyzing the coupling of action and perception, and
exploring different degrees of the body's engagement with music.
He then examines possible applications in two core areas:
interaction with music instruments and music search and retrieval
in a database or digital library. The embodied music cognition
approach, Leman argues, can help us develop tools that integrate
artistic expression and contemporary technology.
Digital media handles music as encoded physical energy, but
humans consider music in terms of beliefs, intentions,
interpretations, experiences, evaluations, and significations. In
this book, drawing on work in computer science, psychology, brain
science, and musicology, Marc Leman proposes an embodied
cognition approach to music research that will help bridge this
gap. Assuming that the body plays a central role in all musical
activities, and basing his approach on a hypothesis about the
relationship between musical experience (mind) and sound energy
(matter), Leman argues that the human body is a biologically
designed mediator that transfers physical energy to a mental
level -- engaging experiences, values, and intentions -- and,
reversing the process, transfers mental representation into
material form. He suggests that this idea of the body as mediator
offers a promising framework for thinking about music mediation
technology. Leman proposes that, under certain conditions, the
natural mediator (the body) can be extended with artificial
technology-based mediators. He explores the necessary conditions
and analyzes ways in which they can be studied. Leman outlines
his theory of embodied music cognition, introducing a model that
describes the relationship between a human subject and its
environment, analyzing the coupling of action and perception, and
exploring different degrees of the body's engagement with music.
He then examines possible applications in two core areas:
interaction with music instruments and music search and retrieval
in a database or digital library. The embodied music cognition
approach, Leman argues, can help us develop tools that integrate
artistic expression and contemporary technology.
