ABSTRACT
After speech, music is arguably the most important type of sound stimulus for humans. But music remains something of a mystery. It seems to satisfy no obvious biological need, yet it has the power to move us in ways that few other forms of human expression can. Why do certain combinations of notes and rhythms have the ability to affect us in this way? The chapter will discuss the perception of music in relation to what we have learned so far in the book about the mechanisms of hearing. The chapter also provides a brief introduction to “higher level” processes such as memory and emotion. Finally, the chapter describes some of the theories that have been proposed to explain the most puzzling aspect of the story: Why music exists at all.>
