1.8 Biomusicologist

By Debra Hall and Crystal Patillo

Provided by Kenan Fellows Program.

In this lesson, students will learn about the field of biomusicology. They will investigate current scientific research and understand how researchers often must work in teams to achieve their goals.

Learning outcomes

Students will

• identify ways researchers gather evidence.
• understand that researchers often work in teams to conduct studies.
• learn about the field of biomusicology.
• learn about current research in the field of biomusicology.
• learn what a person must to do in order to become a biomusicologist.
• draw a Venn diagram demonstrating the relationship between biology and music.

Teacher planning

Time required

One 45-minute class period

Materials needed

• computer
• science notebook

Teacher background information

The following information on biomusicology is excerpted from Wikipedia and includes citations from “An Introduction to Evolutionary Musicology,” The Origins of Music, edited by Wallin, Merker, and Brown.

Biomusicology is the study of music from a biological point of view. The term was coined by Nils L. Wallin in 1991. Music is an aspect of the behaviour of the human and possibly other species. As humans are living organisms, the scientific study of music is therefore part of biology, thus the “bio” in “biomusicology.”

Biomusicologists are expected to have completed formal studies in both biology or other experimental sciences and musicology including music theory. The three main branches of biomusicology are evolutionary musicology, neuromusicology, and comparative musicology. Evolutionary musicology studies the “origins of music, the question of animal song, selection pressures underlying music evolution,” and “music evolution & human evolution.” Neuromusicology studies the “brain areas involved in music processing, neural and cognitive processes of musical processing,” and “ontogeny of musical capacity and musical skill.” Comparative musicology studies the “functions and uses of music, advantages and costs of music making,” and “universal features of musical systems and musical behavior.”

Applied biomusicology “attempts to provide biological insight into such things as the therapeutic uses of music in medical and psychological treatment; widespread use of music in the audiovisual media such as film and television; the ubiquitous presence of music in public places and its role in influencing mass behavior; and the potential use of music to function as a general enhancer of learning.”

Activities

1. Discuss how researchers gather information about birds and generate a list of methods such as observation, data collection, etc.
2. Explain the field of biomusicology. Describe how scholars become biomusicologists and some of their areas of study. Write key terms and phrases on the board. Discuss what scientists are researching today by visiting the Wild Music website to read about collaborating researchers and their work.
3. Discuss how researchers work together to identify problems and solutions. Emphasize that they often work in teams and each team member contributes to the results.
4. A researcher at Duke University in North Carolina, Steve Nowicki studies the ecology and evolution of animal behavior, with an emphasis on birds. Visit the Nowicki Lab website to see his bird research. Nowicki also served as a member of the Duke University Pep Band from 2004 to 2006. Discuss how his science and music background would help him to become a biomusicologist.
5. Group students into research teams to create a Venn diagram for music and science to see how they work together in biomusicology. Once the teams have finished their diagrams, re-create the Venn diagram as a class incorporating everyone’s ideas.

Assessment

In their science notebooks, ask students to answer the following questions.

• What is a biomusicologist?
• What kinds of things does a biomusicologist study?
• How can you become a biomusicologist?

Students should be assessed based on their participation, Venn diagrams, and science notebook entries.

Critical vocabulary

biomusicology

the study of music from a biological point of view

career

the particular occupation for which a person is trained

• Next: Fourth and fifth grade lessons

National Standards

In addition to meeting objectives of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, this lesson plan addresses the following national standards.

Content Standard A: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

• Understanding about scientific inquiry.

Content Standard E: Science and Technology

• Abilities of technological design
• Understanding about science and technology

Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science

• Science as a human endeavor

Contents: BioMusic

Section 1: Second and third grade lessons

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