A Natural History of Music

Arlington Community Education has partnered with Scholarium, a collaborative non-profit organization that promotes dialogue between academia and the public, providing academics with opportunities to introduce their ideas to new audiences outside the formal university setting. Join us for the first Scholarium class.

Music is a human universal. From vocal songs or simple clapping to string orchestras playing Beethoven, from all-night drumming to quiet lullabies, every culture has some form of musical expression—and usually more than one. But what is music? Why do we do it? And why don’t our closest animal relatives, chimpanzees or other apes, seem to do it, too?

This survey of the comparative study of music within an evolutionary and cultural framework will draw on recent research in cognitive motor science, behavioral biology, anthropology, and even philosophy. We will discuss the surprising similarities between the rhythmic abilities of humans and birds; the possible relationship between music and language; and the role of music in social life.

An expert in the biology and cognitive science of music, Dr. Connor Wood received his PhD from Boston University in 2016. His dissertation focused on the role of collective rhythm in ritual. Dr. Wood’s passion is uniting rigorous scientific and humanistic perspectives on questions about human nature.

This six-week series costs $135.