CMS Seminars

Abstract Music evolution theories in the past two decades have mostly focused on human communication and social bonding. But a notable fact about music is that it is cross-culturally used to communicate with invisible beings and in religious contexts. What does this mean for a cultural evolutionary theory of music, and for...

Abstract The ability to read and perform from written notation is a fundamental skill in many fields of music performance. While for many musicians, staff notation is both transparent and flexible, a medium that can be used fluently and imaginatively, it is frequently experienced as complex and difficult — as a form of...

Abstract Musicality in children is inherently rich and diverse. However, it is often reduced to receptive abilities and its structure and measurement remain debated. In this talk, I will first discuss the structure of musicality and outline what could be key components. I will then review how musicality has been measured...

Abstract In the 1950s and 60s, the critic and broadcaster Hans Keller created a method of wordless music analysis. He would compose analytical interludes that wove between the movements of a particular piece or separate numbers on a concert program, which were designed to show how those diverse stretches of music hang...

Abstract The core of the seminar is a presentation and discussion on psycho-acoustic effects in bells. Scott will give an introduction on bells and how they are used as musical instruments. Bill will then explain a newly developed technique for visualising the complex modes of vibration in bells. He will then demonstrate...