Music, Mind, and Medicine

Catalog description

Explores intersections among music, medicine, psychology, and neuroscience from empirical as well as historical and social perspectives. How does music impact the brain-body, and what functions can it have in medical and social healing? Topics covered include music therapies for patients with Alzheimer's Disease, neural plasticities associated with echolocation in Blind persons; the role of sound in Autism Spectrum Disorder therapies; and the cultivation of haptic listening in Deaf cultures. Later units deal with music as a tool for regulating mood and attention and the impact of silence/noise on human health. Throughout, we engage in sustained contemplation of neurodivergent and intersensorial models of aurality, expanding our awareness of how and to whom we listen, and contemplating how music can enhance human health and well-being. Involves reading, writing, listening, and hands-on experimentation. Offered as BETH 317 , COGS 318 , and MUHI 317 . Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.