The Mind behind the Musical Ear: How Children Develop Musical Intelligence

By Jeanne Bamberger

Book Overview

When we listen to music, what exactly do we hear? How do we come to hear in new ways? In The Mind behind the Musical Ear, Jeanne Bamberger focuses on the earliest stages in the development of musical cognition. Beginning with children's invention of original rhythm notations, she follows eight-year-old Jeff as he reconstructs and invents descriptions of simple melodies such as Hot Cross Buns and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. In a running commentary on Jeff's discoveries and a series of dialogues between herself and two imaginary college students who take different approaches to music, Bamberger reflects on the thinking strategies that guide Jeff at various moments in his musical development. This approach allows the reader to experience the discovery process along with Jeff and the two students as they sort out fundamental and commonly held assumptions about music.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674576071
• ISBN13: 9780674576070
• Release Date: October 1991
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.0" x 6.5"