The Relationship of Music and [Emotion]: An Experiment in Areas of Brain Activity

Authors

Caleb Cuzner, Brigham Young University
Steve Ricks, Brigham Young University
Neal Bangerter, Brigham Young University

Keywords

music, emotion, brain activity, MRI study, instruments

College

Fine Arts and Communications

Department

Music

Abstract

In order to study the relationship between music and color in areas of brain activity, I proposed to have participants’ brains scanned by an MRI machine while seeing different colors and listening to contrasting music samples. After learning that aural and visual response use completely different areas of the brain, the study was modified to instead connect emotions to music, since emotional response to music can be mapped in the brain. Based on the resulting data, I wrote a composition to be played by DuoX, a group in Amsterdam. This composition was written in segments, and the performers chose which segment of music to play next from a notated path based on what emotions they were feeling. I traveled to Amsterdam to watch the performance. The performers’ choices were then compared to the results of the MRI study.

Recommended Citation

Cuzner, Caleb; Ricks, Steve; and Bangerter, Neal (2018) "The Relationship of Music and [Emotion]: An Experiment in Areas of Brain Activity," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2018: Iss. 1, Article 95.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2018/iss1/95