(Light refreshments will be served at 2:15 pm.)

In this lecture-recital Michael Schutz (McMaster University) will perform several solo pieces for percussion to demonstrate musical implications of research on perception and cognition. His team’s research derives from practical musical questions—such as how body movements play a surprising role in shaping the musical experience. His talk will explore this issue through the context of two projects exploring the multi-sensory nature of the musical experience. The first is a novel musical illusion in which musicians use visible gestures to change the way music “sounds.” Some expert performers capitalize on the fact that although these gestures have no acoustic consequences, they are crucial in shaping the way in which audiences perceive performances. The second explores how “moving to the beat” can actually help audience’s listen more accurately, with a particular focus on the complex relationship between musical training, expertise, and musical movement. Together, these projects raise interesting philosophical questions about what music “is” and how it is best experienced. For a preview this research, please visit the Maple Lab.

Presented by—

UC MERCI, the multicampus UC Music Experience Research Community Initiative is funded by a UC MPRI 2015 President’s Research Catalyst Award.

UC Davis Department of Music

Center for Mind and Brain at UC Davis