Neurocognitive Aspects of Musical Improvisation and Performance

Shama Rahman; Joydeep Bhattacharya

doi:10.1007/978-981-287-618-8_15

Neurocognitive Aspects of Musical Improvisation and Performance

Shama Rahman^*
, Joydeep Bhattacharya

^*Corresponding author for this work

Academy of Music

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Improvisation is a bedrock of human creativity; it is ubiquitous in musical performance and is considered one of the most abstract and complex aspects of (musical) behaviour. Many scientists still believe that creativity and musical improvisation are too difficult to subject to empirical enquiry. However, musical creativity is an excellent means to study cognitive processes such as pattern formation and recognition, top–down attentional control, expectation, imagery, aesthetics and embodied cognition. Furthermore, musical improvisation is usually an intensely pleasurable experience, whereby the creator finds him- or herself in an optimal relationship between his/her capabilities and actions, similar to a flow-like creative state. In this chapter we present our current neurocognitive understanding of several facets of musical creativity.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Multidisciplinary Contributions to the Science of Creative Thinking
Editors	Giovanni Emanuele Corazza, Sergio Agnoli
Publisher	Springer Singapore
Pages	261–279
Number of pages	19
Edition	1st
ISBN (Electronic)	9789812876188
ISBN (Print)	9789812876171, 9789811012488
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-618-8_15
Publication status	Published - 30 Jul 2015

Publication series

Name	Creativity in the Twenty First Century
Publisher	Springer
ISSN (Print)	2364-6675
ISSN (Electronic)	2364-6683

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

User-Defined Keywords

Flow Experience
Divergent Thinking
Gamma Power
Dorsal Premotor Cortex
Musical Style

Access to Document

10.1007/978-981-287-618-8_15

Cite this

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Neurocognitive Aspects of Musical Improvisation and Performance. / Rahman, Shama; Bhattacharya, Joydeep.
Multidisciplinary Contributions to the Science of Creative Thinking. ed. / Giovanni Emanuele Corazza; Sergio Agnoli. 1st. ed. Springer Singapore, 2015. p. 261–279 (Creativity in the Twenty First Century).

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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Neurocognitive Aspects of Musical Improvisation and Performance

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