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New Aarhus professor looks into music perception

Marcus T. Pearce is newly appointed as professor of cognitive neuroscience at Aarhus University. Here he will conduct research into the psychological mechanisms that come into play when we listen to and create music.

På Center for Music in the Brain skal Marcus T. Pearce undersøge de psykologiske processer, som er forbundet med at lytte til og skabe musik. Foto: Bjørn Petersen

Marcus T. Pearce has recently started work as professor at the Danish National Research Foundation's Centre for Music in the Brain at the Department of Clinical Medicine. Utilising his background in experimental psychology and artificial intelligence, the new professor will examine how our musical experiences influence how we experience a piece of music. He will incorporate both the aesthetic and emotional experience, but also the way in which the structure of the music is perceived.

With the help of psychological experiments, computer modelling and neuro-imaging, the new professor will attempt to improve our understanding of the psychological processes associated with creating and listening to music. In the longer term, this work may open for many new possibilities ranging from utilising music for therapeutic purposes to creating advanced algorithms for suggesting playlists.

Contact
Professor Marcus Thomas Pearce
Department of Clinical Medicine – Center for Music in the Brain
Nørrebrogade 44, Building 10G, AUH NBG, 4th Floor
8000 Aarhus C
Email: marcus.pearce@clin.au.dk
Tel.: (+45) 7846 4079