Explore the science, history, and social forces that shape music.
This authoritative study invites readers to see how rhythm, language, psychology, and culture converge in musical thought and evolution.
From the physics of sound to the social life of music in ancient civilizations and modern society, this edition unpacks how music mirrors human life. It blends acoustics, physiology, mathematics, psychology, and sociology to explain what music is, how it works, and why it has mattered through time.
- Foundations: how sound, timbre, rhythm, and harmony arise and interact
- Interfaces: the relationships between music, language, and social life
- History and culture: music’s development across civilizations and eras
- Inquiry into the mind: how memory, intelligence, and imagination engage with music
Ideal for readers of musicology, cultural history, and cognitive science who want a clear, field-spanning view of music’s laws and its unfolding story.