Music and Speech Science Day

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Abstract

For decades, it has been a matter of debate whether and how music, speech and language are linked in the brain. Yet, despite all efforts and ever refined tools and methods, conclusions have remained mixed. In the present talk, I will draw on ideas of a common precursor of both domains—best captured by the term »prosody«. I will discuss whether prosody in its (i) phonological, (ii) syntactic, and (iii) pragmatic functions can build bridges between the two domains and may constitute the missing link that makes anatomical music-language overlap unnecessary and cross-domain interactions possible.

The Music and Speech Science day is organized by Dr. Anna Fiveash at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behavior and Development at Western Sydney University, Syndey, Australia. Speakers Reyna Gordon, Srishti Nayak and Daniela Sammler will talk about intersections between music and language from the perspectives of genetics and neuroscience. The event will conclude with a panel discussion between the scientists and the audience.