Music and the brain: Multisensory integration in music production and perception

I propose that we study music and the brain for our student topic. Since music and the brain is a very broad topic, I suggest that we focus on multisensory integration between the auditory and motor modalities in the production and perception of music. In the following proposal I will give a background to the broad topic of music and the brain by briefly discussing the role that music plays in brain development and how music may be used to treat various disorders and deficits. In my opinion, one of the most interesting aspects of music and the brain is the role of multisensory integration, or cross-modal coordination, in production and perception. For this topic I propose that we read and discuss Schneider 2002 to illustrate neurophysiological and structural differences in the auditory cortex of musicians and non-musicians, Baumann 2007 for an overview of an audiomotor coordination network that exists in professional musicians, and Lahav 2007 to understand the role that mirror neurons may play in a human audiomotor recognition network. By understanding how music is integrated across different modalities, we will be better equipped to understand the underlying mechanisms of music in production and perception, as well as in development and therapy.