The Illiterate Listener

Since infancy we humans have had a high perceptual sensitivity to both the melodic, rhythmic and dynamic aspects of speech and music. It is, as far as we know, a uniquely human talent for perceiving, interpreting and appreciating music, dating as far back before words were spoken, or even invented. Music has an intriguing way with our hearing, our memory, our emotions and our expectations. As a listener we are often unaware of the active role we play when determining what music is exciting, comf