How rhythm and timing structure experience: Music and social interaction

The Musicology Colloquium Series presents a talk by Laurel Trainor

Rhythms are ubiquitous in biological systems, from motor movements for locomotion to communication signals such as speech and music. I will present evidence that auditory-motor interactions for timing are present early in development and that the human auditory system uses the motor system to accomplish rhythmic timing. I will present data indicating that infants can maintain internal interpretations of ambiguous rhythm patterns and that even the premature infant brain encodes beat and meter frequencies. Finally, I will discuss the social implications of coordinated movements in human interactions from musical ensembles to pro-social behavior in infants.