Music and language : the case for music in linguistic curricula and research
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Date
2006Item status
Restricted AccessAuthor
Houston, David Andrew Samuel
Metadata
Abstract
This dissertation offers an interdisciplinary argument in favour of integrating empirically
grounded musicological evidence into linguistic curricula. Phonological,
syntactic, and neurological convergences between music and language are identified
and supported by existing research. However, differences in semantic content
and the deliberateness ascribed to a musical or linguistic event inhibit the extent to
which a music-language comparison can advance without qualification. In order to
create a forum appropriate for the breadth of this discussion, two experiments were
conducted. The first experiment presents a unique music-linguistic phenomenon,
suggesting that the major and minor modes in music are non-arbitrarily associated
with certain linguistic stimuli (kiki and bouba, respectively) in accord with
their phonetic characteristics (e.g. vowel and consonant quality). This topic is considered
in the light of evidence from synaesthesia and sound symbolism. Having
endeavoured to show the relevance of a joint discussion on music and language, the
second experiment explores the level of accord within the linguistic and musical
academic communities (university students and teachers/researchers) on salient
themes relative to such a discussion. A questionnaire formwas administered, with
results indicating that an insufficient amount of interdisciplinary agreement exists to
facilitate a productive exchange and evaluation of ideas. Interdisciplinary topics and
epistemological implications are discussed.