Biological Foundations of Speech and Music

1 Unit · Graduate

This course examines the role of sound and the central auditory system in the experience of music and speech. Students learn the principles of acoustic signals and the neuroanatomy and physiology of the auditory system, and from this foundation explore how speech and music are processed by the nervous system. Auditory learning and the brain's ability to change with sonic experience will be explored through a range of case studies related to vocal learning (birdsong), auditory expertise (bilinguals and musicians), and training and remediation strategies for the treatment of communication difficulties. Students are shown the vital social implications of sound science through discussions of hearing health, music education, and clinical approaches to communication disorders.