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. Following a Prologue, the volume presents twelve chapters organised into two main areas of enquiry. The first section, entitled 'Empathy and Musical Engagement', explores empathy in music education and therapy settings, and provides social, cognitive and philosophical perspectives about empathy in relation to our interaction with music. The second section, entitled 'Empathy in Performing Together', provides insights into the role of empathy across non-Western, classical, jazz and popular performance 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. 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 received her Master of Music in Solo Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music and her PhD in Music from the University of Hull, for which she carried out research on peak performance and empathy in ensemble playing. She enjoys a busy portfolio career in music performance, research and education. Caroline also has a strong commitment to arts and health work and delivers various projects in hospitals, hospices and special schools around the UK.