Northwestern Music Cognition Lab Research: Exploring the Science of Music
Each music scientist’s job description varies, but one thing they all have in common is the goal of understanding music through empirical research.
Music scientists ask questions about music and conduct research that either affirms or shatters current notions that we hold about the world of music and how it works.
Here are some examples of questions music scientists explore:
- Is there a way to use music to help stroke patients learn to speak again?
- Does music make you smarter?
- Which came first, music or language?
Brain Anatomy
Value of a Music Degree for Studying Music Cognition
Students who major in music are presented with a wealth of opportunities to learn valuable skills that are difficult to obtain later on.
Spending your undergraduate years attempting to master an instrument, performing in ensembles, training your ear, and studying music history and theory provides you with skills and knowledge that you can draw on your entire career.
Opportunities for designing experiments and crunching numbers are available at most stages of your career, but opportunities to immerse yourself in a highly concentrated music environment are quite few and far between after your undergraduate years.
Few schools offer undergraduate programs in Music Cognition. Music Cognition laboratories offer another way to gain experience in the field.
Am I a Good Fit for Music Cognition?
While music scientists vary greatly in their backgrounds, experiences, and interests, there are a few qualities that they should possess:
- Curiosity: First and foremost, any scientist, regardless of their field, should have an insatiable curiosity about the world around them. If you find yourself asking questions about music and how it fits into the bigger puzzle of life, it’s a fantastic starting point.
- Communication: Unlike music performance, the music scientist’s work culminates in writing their findings in reports, journals, and books. Except for an occasional conference, most of the knowledge in the science world is passed through the written word. Your ability to communicate your ideas and understand the ideas of others will either make or break your career.
- Statistical Analysis: While many musicians cringe at the thought of math beyond counting to four, music scientists’ work is steeped heavily in statistical analysis and using technology to support the validity of their research. Observation and data drive the research, and a music scientist needs to be able to use tools to convert the numbers into something tangible.
- Passion: If you love what you do, whatever you do will never feel like work. It is important that you let your passion for music drive your curiosity. If you’re lukewarm about music, the work will quickly turn into drudgery.
- Interdisciplinary Knowledge: Although a music scientist investigates how music fits into the grand scheme of things, you cannot accomplish that in a vacuum. You must be able to devote time to learning about brain science, psychology, statistics, experimental design, computer programming and wherever else the rabbit hole of research leads you to discover the answers (and generate the questions) you’ll need.
The different fields of music cognition
Career Options for Music Cognition
Since the field of Music Cognition is relatively new, you won’t find many job listings for “music scientists.” But don’t let that discourage you from pursuing a career in this field.
Upon graduation, you may be able to find work as a lab/research assistant or use the skills you acquire in an entrepreneurial way.
Most of the top music scientists work in academia. They have completed a certain degree of postgraduate education and although they are music scientists at heart, they look like music theorists, musicologists, educators, or performers on paper.
Experience working in labs, crunching numbers, and learning to program, as well as just becoming a fantastic, multi-talented musician will add to your employability.
Here's a summary of skills and knowledge that can enhance your career prospects:
- Lab experience
- Data analysis skills
- Programming knowledge
- Musical talent
Music Cognition is a fascinating field of study. It is a wonderful marriage between music and science.
For some, the idea of looking at music under the microscope seems antithetical to everything that ‘music’ is. To others, discovering answers to questions that create more questions makes it all the more beautiful.