This book is based on a course taught successfully at Stanford University for ten years, "Cognitive Psychology for Musicians." It covers fundamentals of cognitive psychology and psychoacoustics with particular emphasis on auditory and musical examples.

How hearing works and how the brain processes sounds entering the ear to provide the listener with useful information are of great interest to psychologists, cognitive scientists, and musicians. However, while a number of books have concentrated on individual aspects of this field, known as psychoacoustics, there has been no comprehensive introductory coverage of the multiple topics encompassed under the term. Music, Cognition, and Computerized Sound is the first book to provide that coverage, and it does so via a unique and useful approach.

The book begins with introductory chapters on the basic physiology and functions of the ear and auditory sections of the brain, then proceeds to discuss numerous topics associated with the study of psychoacoustics, including cognitive psychology and the physics of sound. The book has a particular emphasis on music and computerized sound. An accompanying audio CD includes many sound examples to help explicate the text.

From the book flap:

"This volume spendidly meets the need for an up-to- date introduction to musical psychoacoustics in a collection of wide-ranging chapters by some of the most distinguished scholars in the field. I recommend it highly as a text and reference for undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals." Fred Lerdahl, Fritz Reiner Professor of Music, Columbia University.

"This collection of well-written chapters introduces readers to a range of current findings from musical acoustics, physical acoustics, and psychological experiments. The text is easy to read, and ideal for undergraduate and graduate students from varying disciplines." Caroline Palmer, Dept. of Psychology, Ohio State University.

"A welcome and valuable teaching resource. Oriented toward classroom teaching, the book presents topics in an accessible, engaging style. The breath of coverage is greater than that typically found in a single volume and provides an excellent introduction to the rich diversity of the field." Lola L. Cuddy, Professor of Psychology, Queen's University at Kingston, Canada.

"This volume provides a fine, readable introduction to many topics related to music perception and computer music in a way that neatly complements other current texts. Written in a fresh, approachable style, but having significant scholarly depth, it will prove useful both as a textbook and for individuals interested in this burgeoning field of research." Richard Ashley, Department of Music, Northwestern University.

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ALL: Find the CD Sound Examples here.
(Subsequent printings do not include the CD)