Music and imaginary hearing

Music and imaginary hearing

All In The Mind

Dr Rebecca Gelding is a cognitive scientist who investigates what is going on in the brain as people imagine musical pitch and rhythm. As part of the series This Sounds Like Science, you can explore music on a different level in a free lunchtime event by Dr Gelding, presented by City Recital Hall and Inspiring Australia. In an upcoming program, All in the Mind will feature an interview by Sana Qadar with Dr Gelding, so stay tuned—in the meantime, here's a short extract about some topics being discussed at her talk on Tuesday, 18 February, at the City Recital Hall.

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1:5812 Feb 2020

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The Magic of Imaginary Music: Insights from Dr. Rebecca Gelding

Imagining music is one of the components in improvising or in composing. But there's no study that I know of that has directly tested objectively someone's imagery ability and then tested their creativity in composing or improvising.

Ever wondered what happens in your brain when you imagine a melody? Dr. Rebecca Gelding, a cognitive scientist, dives into this fascinating topic in an episode of 'All In The Mind'. Hosted by Lynne Malcolm, this podcast explores the mental universe, and in this episode, Dr. Gelding sheds light on how our brains process musical pitch and rhythm, even when we’re just imagining them.

During a free lunchtime event, she invited soprano opera singer Sarah Toth to lead the audience in an interactive improvisational opera. The crowd chose everything from the mood to the key, experiencing firsthand how powerful music imagery can be. Dr. Gelding’s research suggests that imagining music is a crucial component in both composing and improvising.

While there’s no direct study linking imagery ability to creativity in music, her findings open up exciting possibilities for understanding the brain's complexity and music's transformative power. Tune in to discover how imaginary music can evoke emotions and enhance creativity, offering new ways to think about music and its impact on our lives.

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