Music and Empathy

In recent years, empathy has received considerable research attention as a means of understanding a range of psychological phenomena, and it is fast drawing attention within the fields of music psychology and music education. This volume seeks to promote and stimulate further research in music and empathy, with contributions from many of the leading scholars in the fields of music psychology, neuroscience, music philosophy, and education. It exposes current developmental, cognitive, social and philosophical perspectives on research in music and empathy, and considers the notion in relation to our engagement with different types of music and media. The volume presents thirteen chapters organised into two main areas of enquiry. The first section, entitled ’Empathy and Musical Development’, explores empathy in music education and therapy settings, as well as providing social, cognitive and philosophical perspectives about our understanding of empathy in relation to musical development. The second section, entitled ’Empathy and Musical Engagement’, provides insights into the role of empathy in our engagement with music through listening and performing classical, jazz and popular domains. This book will be of interest to music educators, musicologists, performers and practitioners, as well as scholars from other disciplines with an interest in empathy research.

Elaine King is Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Hull. She co-edited Music and Gesture (Ashgate 2006), New Perspectives on Music and Gesture (Ashgate 2011) and Music and Familiarity (Ashgate 2013), and has published book chapters and articles on aspects of ensemble rehearsal and performance including the journals Psychology of Music and Musicae Scientiae. She is a member of the Royal Musical Association (Council, 2009-12) and Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (Conference Secretary, 2006-12) as well as Associate Editor of Psychology of Music. She is an active cellist, pianist and conductor. Caroline Waddington completed her Bachelors degree in music at the University of Leeds, and a Masters degree in solo performance at the Royal Northern College of Music. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Hull, where her research explores co-performer empathy in ensemble playing. Caroline also freelances as an orchestral and ensemble musician, and works as an animateur for Yehudi Menuhin's charity Live Music Now.