NB: ny tid 14.15
Abstract
Although the role of hierarchical structure in musical harmony is widely appreciated, there are many open questions about the role of hierarchy in the perception and production of musical rhythm. I suggest that, in fact, rhythm provides some of the simplest and most elegant evidence for hierarchical cognition: rhythms are trees in time. I will also argue for a separation of the component mechanisms underlying pulse (tactus) and meter perception. Although the former is clearly shared with several animal species, the biological basis for the latter remains uncertain.
Bio
Tecumseh Fitch is Professor of Cognitive Biology at the University of Vienna and studies the biological basis of speech, music and language.