ABSTRACT
Centre for Research in Human Development, University of Toronto, Canada G.Schellenberg
Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, Canada D.Hill
Centre for Research in Human Development, University of Toronto, Canada
The abilities of infants and young children may seem largely irrelevant to the consideration of musical abilities in general. Aside from isolated instances of precocity (e.g. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Michael Jackson), the music production capabilities of young children are rather limited. It is conceivable, however, that perceptual competencies in early life play a substantial role in music perception and cognition later in life. Nevertheless, music processing by adult listeners is generally believed to depend, for the most part, on long-term exposure to particular musical styles (e.g. Bharucha, 1987; Lerdahl & Jackendoff, 1983; Krumhansl, 1990). For example, Lerdahl and Jackendoff s (1983) influential theory applies largely to Western tonal music and to expert listeners. Empirical research tends to indicate, moreover, that knowledge of the principal structures of Western music (i.e. its scales and harmonies) develops throughout childhood (Krumhansl & Keil, 1982; Trainor & Trehub, 1994), becoming especially evident in adults with musical training (Krumhansl & Kessler, 1982; Krumhansl & Shepard, 1979).
