News on the Music Cognition Group

This Feed is now frozen. For current updates see link.

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 14:17:49 +0200

This Feed is now frozen. For current updates see link.

Sneak preview of MCGs new website (online from 1 July 2023 onward)

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 14:17:49 +0200

The website of the Music Cognition Group (MCG) has an unusually long history. Dating back to 1994, it served as the website of the Music, Mind, Machine (MMM) project until 2003. After 2003 it became the website of the Music Cognition Group (MCG) at the University of Amsterdam, online from 2003 till 2023. The current website incorporates most information of both former websites, build on up-to-date technology that will make it more sustainable. Thanks to Bas Cornelissen for its careful design.

Interested in becoming Assistent Professor in Generative AI in Amsterdam?

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 13:37:09 +0100

We are seeking to broaden our profile with respect to AI-assisted music generation and how AI-generated art can be positioned within the humanities and cognitive science more generally. The ideal candidate will be somebody comfortable engaging in the ethics and implications of using AI in artistic processes regardless of medium, with more specific expertise in how AI is (and can be) used to make music. Deadline for applications: 12 January 2023.

Can you do better than a songbird?

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 13:30:57 +0100

You are invited to participate in a scientific experiment that compares the auditory perceptions of humans & songbirds (zebra finches). You will be asked to complete an acoustic task that takes ca. 10 minutes. Can you do as well, or even better than a songbird?

Precursors of music and language in animals

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 13:17:08 +0200

Language and music are universal human traits, raising the question for their evolutionary origin. In a recent review, co-authored with Carel ten Cate (LU), we take a comparative perspective to address that question.

Big Biology Podcast "Beasty Beats: The Origins of Musicality"

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 14:34:03 +0100

In this episode of Big Biology, entitled Beasty Beats: The Origins of Musicality, Art Woods and Marty Martin talk with Henkjan Honing about the biology of musicality.

Why do we value music so much; Are there biological or social explanations for this?

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 15:01:56 +0100

A recent edition of BètaBreak –made by Frank Gelens, Rianne Verhaegh, and hosted by Spui25– about what musicality entails, what its biological underpinnings in the brain are, and why we all have musical abilities.

Preliminary announcement: MUSic-related Citizen Science Listening Experiments (MUSCLE)

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 13:00:51 +0100

MCG received a substantial grant from PDI-SSH to develop their MUSCLE infrastructure in the next few years [A flexible and sustainable infrastructure for MUSic-related Citizen Science Listening Experiments]. Job opportunities will be announced here.

Interested in a 3 year Postdoc in Amsterdam?

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 10:52:20 +0200

Are you looking for a postdoctoral position where you can combine insights from music cognition with psychometrics and cognitive science? If you are excited about doing this kind of research in an interdisciplinary environment, with a team of smart and friendly colleagues, then you may want to join us.

Interested in a 4 year PhD in Amsterdam?

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 10:53:01 +0200

Are you looking for a PhD position where you can combine insights from music cognition, cognitive behavioral ecology, and cognitive science? If you are excited about doing this kind of research in an interdisciplinary environment, with a team of smart and friendly colleagues, then you may want to join us.

Music Cognition: The Basics -- Out Now!

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 14:20:46 +0200

Music Cognition: The Basics (Routledge, 2021) considers the role of our cognitive functions, such as perception, memory, attention, and expectation in perceiving, making, and appreciating music.

Want to be an intern at MCG in 2021/22?

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:21:14 +0200

New internships / master projects at MCG for 2021/2.

Now online: Theme Issue on "Synchrony and rhythm interaction: from the brain to behavioural ecology"

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 10:57:57 +0200

This theme issue assembles current studies that ask how and why precise synchronization and related forms of rhythm interaction are expressed in a wide range of behaviour. The studies cover human activity, with an emphasis on music, and social behaviour, reproduction and communication in non-human animals.

Wetenschapsbijlage Volkskrant: Cheesecake voor de oren? [Dutch]

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 14:15:29 +0200

Muziekliefhebbers mogen tot hun grote vreugde eindelijk weer naar concerten en festivals. Maar waarom genieten we eigenlijk zo van trillende lucht? En heeft dat ook ‘nut’? De vier belangrijkste ideeën gewogen.

Granted by NWO: Unravelling our capacity for music

Wed, 05 May 2021 13:34:53 +0200

The NWO Social Sciences and Humanities Domain Board has awarded 750k euro to MCG in the 2020 Open Competition SSH funding round. This grant allows us to study our capacity for music for the next five years. For more information see MCGs website

Music Cognition: The Basics [book in press]

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 22:06:04 +0200

In this volume, the author explores the active role that cognition might play in how music makes us feel: exhilarated, soothed, or inspired. Grounded in the latest research in areas of psychology, biology, and cognitive neuroscience, and with clear examples throughout, this book concentrates on our underappreciated musical skills.

Why Darwin was only partially wrong? (BBC Earth Podcast)

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 21:19:03 +0200

A recent episode of the BBC Earth Podcasts series is about exploring whether animals can dance to a beat and, if so, why? Presented by Emily Knight.

Toekenning NWO: Het ontrafelen van onze capaciteit voor muziek

Wed, 05 May 2021 13:35:33 +0200

Het bestuur van het NWO-domein Sociale en Geesteswetenschappen heeft MCG 750k euro toegekend vanuit de Open Competitie – SGW ronde 2020. Deze financiering geeft hen de mogelijkheid onze capaciteit voor muziek verder te onderzoeken. Voor meer informatie zie MCGs website

2021 ABC Summer School on Musicality

Sat, 27 Mar 2021 18:37:55 +0100

The Music Cognition Group (MCG) at the University of Amsterdam organizes a two-week international online ABC Summer School on musicality from 21-24 June 2021. Lectures will include Isabelle Peretz, Sandra Trehub, Elizabeth Hellmuth-Margulis, Miriam Mosing, Patrick Savage, Julia Kursell, Carel ten Cate, members of MCG, and many more tutors!

Interested in doing a Minor Music. Culture, Cognition in Amsterdam?

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 12:03:59 +0100

The minor Music, Culture, Cognition enables students to establish links between culture and cognition through the study of music across cultures. It offers a unique combination of cultural theory and methods from the cognitive sciences through a focus on music, its workings, functions and origins.

Interested in doing a Master in Amsterdam?

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:56:54 +0100

A one-year Master's programme that enables you to specialise in historical, cultural or cognitive musicology, or a combination of the three. The deadline for international students is 1 March 2021.

Where Did Music Come From? Here Are the Leading Theories.

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 19:39:12 +0100

Where Did Music Come From? Discovery Magazine Enumerates the Leading Theories.

You can now preregister for the 2021 ABC Summer School on Musicality

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:21:32 +0100

ABC Summer School on Musicality - 14-24 June 2021.
More information on how to register will follow in January 2021. N.B. You can preregister here.

Interested in a research masters course on Music Cognition?

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 16:12:40 +0100

How Music Works: Music Cognition (MSc course Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 6 EC) | Prof. dr H. Honing and guest lecturers | Fully online; Start semester 2, block 2, April 2021. Register now!

Vacature: Web Programmeur (0,3 fte)

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 16:07:18 +0100

Hou je van het ontwerpen en implementeren van interactieve websites voor verschillende platforms (desktop, smartphone, tablet)? Zou je graag in een spannende academische omgeving willen werken? Ben je iemand die goed overzicht kan houden en goed kan samenwerken? De Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen van de Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) heeft per 1 februari een vacature voor een webprogrammeur voor het spraak- en muzieklab. Deadline voor sollicitaties: 15 december 2020.

2021 ABC Summer School on Musicality

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 16:04:02 +0100

The Music Cognition Group (MCG) at the University of Amsterdam organizes a two-week international online (and potentially hybrid) ABC Summer School on musicality from 21-24 June 2021.
Lectures will include Isabelle Peretz, Sandra Trehub, Elizabeth Hellmuth-Margulis, Miriam Mosing, Patrick Savage, Julia Kursell, Carel ten Cate, members of MCG, and others.
In the next few weeks more information will be made available online at www.mcg.uva.nl/summerschool.

The quest for musicality

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 20:49:50 +0200

Apes are genetically very similar to people, and yet they do not possess our musicality, whereas some birds flawlessly stick to the beat. How on earth can that be the case? Professor of Music Cognition Henkjan Honing wants to explore our capacity for music right down to our genes.

Interested in doing a literature or master thesis at MCG?

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 10:50:48 +0200

The Music Cognition Group has several internships available each academic year. Virtually all projects are related to ongoing research. An overview of the projects can be found on this link.

Interested in doing a PhD on a topic related to Music Cognition?

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 17:23:31 +0100

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) currently has a PhD position available at the Faculty of Science starting on 1 September 2020 (or as soon after that as possible). N.B. The deadline for applications is 17 February 2020.

Interested in a research masters course on musicality?

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 13:47:16 +0100

How Music Works: Music Cognition (MSc course Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 6 EC) | Prof. dr H. Honing and guest lecturers | Start semester 2, block 2, April 2020. Register now!

What makes us musical animals? Recording of ISMIR 2019 Keynote

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 15:48:50 +0100

In his presentation, Henkjan Honing embarks upon the quest to discover the cognitive and biological mechanisms that underpin musicality.

Buchpremiere in Berlin

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:35:24 +0200

Die Niederländische Botschaft in Berlin lädt Sie gemeinsam mit dem Henschel Verlag herzlich zur Premiere von Henkjan Honings Buch Der Affe schlägt den Takt am 1. November 2019 ein.

ANMELDUNG:
Unbedingt erforderlich unter
bln-pcz@minbuza.nl
oder +49 30 20956420
Bitte bringen Sie zur Veranstaltung ein Ausweisdokument mit.

Sind Tiere musikalisch? Finden Sie es heraus! Nächste Woche in Ihrer Buchhandlung. [German]

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 10:54:38 +0200

Sind Tiere musikalisch? Dieser Frage geht der niederländische Musikwissenschaftler Henkjan Honing in seinem Buch „Der Affe schlägt den Takt. Musikalität bei Tier und Mensch.“ nach. Eine Spurensuche in Laboren von Verhaltensforschern und Neurobiologen. Christoph Vratz hat das Buch gelesen.

ABC Lecture Robert J. Zatorre: Why do we love music?

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 17:23:40 +0200

In this lecture Prof. Zatorre will propose that pleasure in music arises from interactions between cortical loops that enable expectancies to emerge from perceived sound patterns, and subcortical systems responsible for reward and valuation. This model integrates knowledge derived from basic neuroscience of reward mechanisms with independently derived concepts, such as tension and anticipation, from music theory. It may also serve as a way of thinking more broadly about aesthetic rewards.

Henkjan Honing geïnstalleerd als lid van de KNAW [Dutch]

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 14:52:20 +0200

Tijdens een feestelijke bijeenkomst zijn op 16 september 2019 de nieuwe leden van de KNAW geïnstalleerd. Leden van de KNAW, vooraanstaande wetenschappers uit alle disciplines, worden gekozen op grond van hun wetenschappelijke prestaties.

Lorentz Workshop on Synchrony and Rhythmic Interaction: from 29 Jul 2019 through 2 Aug 2019

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 16:22:51 +0200

Lorentz Center Workshop from 29 Jul 2019 through 2 Aug 2019on 'Synchrony and Rhythmic Interaction: Group Timing Behaviors from Neurons to Ecology'. Co-Organised by Andrea Ravignani, Michael Greenfield, Patricia Backwell, Sonja Kotz and Henkjan Honing.

This cockatoo thinks he can dance...

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 20:42:23 +0200

Researchers have become convinced that Snowball, a YouTube sensation, and perhaps other animals, share humans’ sensitivity to music. He certainly has his own moves.

Now translated: The Evolving Animal Orchestra. In Search of What Makes Us Musical.

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 13:03:30 +0200

“The perception, if not the enjoyment, of musical cadences and of rhythm,” wrote Darwin in his 1871 book The Descent of Man, “is probably common to all animals.” The latter is the motto of Henkjan Honing's new book, translated in English as The Evolving Animal Orchestra (MIT Press).

MCG searches for an enthusiastic and well-organized student assistant / P.A.

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 14:39:32 +0200

The Music Cognition Group (MCG) searches for an enthusiastic and well-organized student assistant / P.A. acting as a first point of contact with people from both inside and outside MCG, starting 1 August 2019 (1 y, 0.2 fte).
N.B. The deadline for applications is 15 June 2019.

23 May 2019, Promotie van Carlos Vaquero Patricio in Agnietenkapel

Thu, 23 May 2019 05:25:11 +0200

Carlos Vaquero Patricio onderzoekt in zijn proefschrift "What Makes a Performer Unique? Idiosyncrasies and Commonalities in Expressive Music Performance. " de productie en perceptie van de uitvoering van muziek. Hij bekijkt met name hoe de expressie van uitvoerders wordt bepaald en begrensd door hun eigen idiosyncratische speelstijl én door de partituur.

Master Class on Musicality and Genomics : Call for Abstracts (Deadline: April 15, 2019)

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 20:36:42 +0100

Academy Colloquium & Master Class ‘Deciphering the biology of human musicality through state-of-the-art genomics’

Preceding the Academy Colloquium (funded by the Dutch Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences), a Master Class will take place (19 June) for young researchers, PhD-students, and master students in the fields of music cognition, psychology, and genetics.

Participation in the Master Class is free. The top three applicants with a proposal related to music cognition, musical abilities and/or genetics will be selected to present their work during the Master Class.

For more information, see https://www.knaw.nl/en/news/calendar/academy-colloquium-deciphering-the-biology-of-human-musicality-through-state-of-the-art-genomic and http://www.mcg.uva.nl/musicality2019

What Makes Music Special to Us?

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 18:41:34 +0100

Article on musicality in Nautilus Science. "Human musicality is clearly special. But what makes it special? Is it because we appear to be the only animals with such a vast musical repertoire? Is our musical predisposition unique, like our linguistic ability? Or is musicality something with a long evolutionary history that we share with other animals?"

Searching for talented women for 6 tenure track positions at the UvA Faculty of Science

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 13:59:24 +0100

The @UvA_Amsterdam is searching for talented women for 6 tenure track positions at the UvA Faculty of Science.

N.B. The deadline for applications is 04 February 2019.

Interested in doing a PhD on a topic related to Music Cognition?

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 10:33:45 +0100

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) currently has a PhD position available at the Faculty of Science starting on 1 September 2019 (or as soon after that as possible). N.B. The deadline for applications is 20 January 2019.

Preliminary Announcement: Lorentz Workshop on Synchrony and Rhythmic Interaction.

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 13:39:05 +0100

Preliminary announcement: 2019 Lorentz Center Workshop on 'Synchrony and Rhythmic Interaction: Group Timing Behaviors from Neurons to Ecology'. Co-Organised by Andrea Ravignani, Michael Greenfield, Patricia Backwell, Sonja Kotz and Henkjan Honing.

Preliminary Announcement: KNAW Colloquium and Master Class on Musicality and Genomics

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:51:03 +0100

Academy Colloquium Deciphering the biology of human musicality through state-of-the-art genomics. N.B. By invitation only.

Book Review of The Origins of Musicality

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 13:30:39 +0100

Andrea Ravignani (Vrije Universiteit Brussel /Sealcentre Pieterburen) wrote an elaborate review of The Origins of Music (2018, The MIT Press) that appeared last week in Perception.

Overzicht publiekslezingen 2018 [Dutch]

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 18:40:37 +0100

Overzicht van publiekslezingen over muzikaliteit.

Media aandacht n.a.v. verschijnen 'Aap Slaat Maat' [Dutch]

Sun, 19 Aug 2018 15:56:45 +0200

"In essentie is de mens een muzikale diersoort, en waarom zou hij de enige zijn? Is muzikaliteit niet juist een eigenschap van alle dieren, een vermogen met een duidelijke biologische basis, zoals Charles Darwin vermoedde? Deze vragen staan aan de basis van Honings onderzoek, waarin hij een brug slaat tussen de cognitiewetenschappen van muziek en de neuro- en gedragsbiologie. In het Aap slaat maat (Nieuw Amsterdam) doet Honing op een toegankelijke manier verslag van dit onderzoek, inclusief alle onverwachte wendingen, twijfels en missers die bij wetenschappelijk onderzoek gewoon zijn."

The Origins of Musicality. Expected to be out in April 2018 at The MIT Press.

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 09:52:54 +0100

Contributors outline a research program in musicality, and discuss issues in studying the evolution of music; consider principles, constraints, and theories of origins; review musicality from cross-cultural, cross-species, and cross-domain perspectives; discuss the computational modeling of animal song and creativity; and offer a historical context for the study of musicality. The volume aims to identify the basic neurocognitive mechanisms that constitute musicality (and effective ways to study these in human and nonhuman animals) and to develop a method for analyzing musical phenotypes that point to the biological basis of musicality.

Interested in doing a Master in Amsterdam?

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 13:54:50 +0100

A one-year Master's programme that enables you to specialise in historical, cultural or cognitive musicology, or a combination of the three. The deadline for international students is 1 March 2018.

Research opportunities at the Music Cognition Group (MCG)

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 10:25:02 +0100

Overview of European research opportunities realise at MCG.

Interviews en drie-sterren recensie theatercollege [Dutch]

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 12:55:46 +0100

Miracles of Music gaat het theater in!

Is muziek een wonder? [Dutch]

Sat, 09 Dec 2017 22:39:26 +0100

Miracles of Music gaat het theater in!

U Night | Music Cognition Live Booth & Silent Disco [Dutch]

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 13:03:41 +0100

Terwijl jij je in het zweet danst in de silent disco, analyseren wetenschappers van de Music Cognition Group (MCG) de dansvloer van bovenaf.

SMART Workshop on The Musical Phenotype | Call for participation

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 11:32:42 +0200

SMART Workshop on The Musical Phenotype. Cal for participation. Deadline: 1 November 2017 See [1] for more information.

The Origins of Musicality | Expected to be out in April 2018

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 13:42:07 +0200

Research shows that all humans have a predisposition for music, just as they do for language. All of us can perceive and enjoy music, even if we can’t carry a tune and consider ourselves “unmusical.” This volume offers interdisciplinary perspectives on the capacity to perceive, appreciate, and make music. Scholars from biology, musicology, neurology, genetics, computer science, anthropology, psychology, and other fields consider what music is for and why every human culture has it; whether musicality is a uniquely human capacity; and what biological and cognitive mechanisms underlie it.

Wat muzikale dieren ons kunnen leren [Dutch]

Mon, 28 Aug 2017 18:09:25 +0200

Duif houdt componisten uit elkaar, geelkuifkaketoe heeft maatgevoel en spreeuw herkent toonladders. Om te achterhalen waar onze muzikaliteit vandaan komt, hebben onderzoekers zich op het dierenrijk gestort. Ze vinden meer en meer dieren met muzikale trekjes.

Muziektherapie werkt, maar waarom? [Dutch]

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 17:24:32 +0200

Muziek beïnvloedt menselijke emoties en heeft aantoonbaar therapeutisch effect. Maar hoe het precies werkt is onduidelijk.

"Nothing affects our brains in such diverse and profound ways as music."

Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:52:32 +0200

Article in Holland Herald on "The Power of Music".

Interested to become a PA at MCG?

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:26:14 +0200

The Music Cognition Group (MCG) searches for an enthusiastic and well-organized personal assistant (PA) acting as a first point of contact -with people from both inside and outside MCG- during the Academic Year 2017/18. N.B. You have to be a student at UvA. Deadline: 1 September 2017.

Lake Como School of Advanced Studies on Music, Language and Cognition

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 16:58:27 +0200

Lake Como School of Advanced Studies on Music, Language and Cognition

Muziek weer terug op school? [Dutch]

Sat, 27 May 2017 18:48:33 +0200

Interview met Henkjan Honing in Trouw | Wetenschap over muzikaliteit.

Courses on Music Cognition in 2017/18 at the University of Amsterdam

Wed, 24 May 2017 20:12:37 +0200

Overview of courses in the Academic Year 2017/18 by members of the Music Cognition Group (MCG).

Want to know how music works?

Wed, 24 May 2017 11:28:30 +0200

The University of Amsterdam now offers two Master-level courses grouped under the name “How Music Works”. Several members of the Music Cognition Group contribute their various backgrounds to these courses, ranging from music theory and cognitive science to psychology and computer science. Next to outlining the theoretical underpinnings and presenting an up-to-date view of the field of music cognition, it provides practical hands-on classes presenting a variety of computational techniques and experimental designs.

NewScientist: Muziek is te lang als luxe gezien [Dutch]

Wed, 05 Apr 2017 15:05:23 +0200

Ieder mens heeft gevoel voor muziek, zoals iedereen dat ook heeft voor taal. Maar waar dat gevoel precies vandaan komt, is een wetenschappelijk raadsel. UvA-hoogleraar Henkjan Honing onderzoekt de biologische oorsprong van muzikaliteit. Interview door Joris Janssen.

Interested in becoming a PA @ MCG (0.2 fte for 1 year)?

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 13:22:34 +0100

The Music Cognition Group (MCG) searches for an enthusiastic and well-organized personal assistant (PA) for the year 2017. For more information and detailed instructions on how to apply see here. N.B. You have to be a student at UvA. Deadline for applications is 15 January 2017.

Announcing NeuroMus VI, including a symposium On the biological basis of musicality

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:47:51 +0100

The Mariani Foundation for Paediatric Neurology announces The Neurosciences and Music - VI, an International conference to be held in Boston, USA, from 15 to18 June, 2017. The central theme of "The Neurosciences and Music - VI" is Music, Sound and Health. The programme will include Keynote Lectures, Symposia, Poster Sessions, and a Pre-conference Workshop, to be held on the afternoon of 15 June 2017. The meeting will be of interest to neuroscientists, psychologists, clinicians and professionals in the medical field, therapists, educators, musicians, musicologists, and students in each of these fields.

Collegereeks The Next Big Thing [Dutch]

Sun, 27 Nov 2016 13:48:42 +0100

11 inspirerende colleges van topwetenschappers over de volgende grote stap binnen hun vakgebied. De gastsprekers zullen reflecteren over wat zij zien als de volgende grote stap in hun discipline. Ze zullen o.m. spreken over The Next Big Thing in de natuurkunde, de psychiatrie, de klimaatwetenschap, de mediawetenschap, de computerwetenschap, de economische wetenschap, de microbiologie, de astronomie, de geschiedwetenschap, muziekcognitie en de psychologie.

„Was Musik kann“ -– 23 November 2016 at the Barenboim-Said-Akademie in Berlin

Sat, 19 Nov 2016 14:13:10 +0100

Klaus Scherer, Tecumseh W. Fitch and Henkjan Honing speak on music and musicality, and get interviewed by Christoph Drösser, on 23 November 2016 at the Barenboim-Saïd-Akademie in Berlin.

Podcast on what makes us musical animals

Sat, 19 Nov 2016 13:06:46 +0100

Exploring the biological and social processes that underly our musical abilities, Nancy Ferranti talks to music researcher Henkjan Honing about the origins of music and musical behaviours. It was recently broadcasted at CKUT, a campus-community radio station based at McGill University, CA.

Nieuwste editie van Blind gaat over muziek en muzikaliteit [Dutch]

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 15:56:08 +0200

Nieuwste editie van het interdisciplinaire tijdschrift Blind gaat over muziek en muzikaliteit.

'The Art of Listening': round table discussion moderated by Michel Khalifa

Sat, 19 Nov 2016 14:47:18 +0100

What constitutes a listening experience? How does a concert or music theatre performance trigger the imagination and create a physical experience? Artists and academics discuss these questions and Olga Neuwirth explains her working methods on this evening at the Festival centre. Round table discussion with Olga Neuwirth and Henkjan Honing (University of Amsterdam) with Michel Khalifa as moderator.

Fleur Bouwer: iedereen heeft een goed ritmegevoel [Dutch]

Sat, 11 Jun 2016 16:18:41 +0200

Vrijwel iedereen heeft een goed ritmegevoel. Wie beweert geen maatgevoel te hebben, heeft waarschijnlijk een minder goede motoriek, in plaats van weinig muzikaliteit. Dat is de uitkomst van promotie-onderzoek van muzikant en neurowetenschapper Fleur Bouwer. Verslaggever Botte Jellema onderzoek wat dit betekent voor onze beleving van muziek. Fleur ontmoet hiervoor Haye Jellema, jazzdrummer en docent aan het Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

In celebration of the defense of Fleur Bouwer: a workshop on Beat, rhythm, and timing in music!

Sun, 29 May 2016 20:47:17 +0200

A sense of rhythm is a fundamental human characteristic. Music Cognition scientist Fleur Bouwer discovered that the sense of rhythm – also known as the beat – is so fundamental to humans that we recognise patterns in music even without paying any attention or receiving any training. Based on these findings, Bouwer will obtain her doctorate from the University of Amsterdam on Wednesday 8 June.

Ashley Burgoyne over het Songfestival [Dutch]

Fri, 06 May 2016 10:33:10 +0200

Mini-reportage over de songfestival inzendingen geanalyseerd door Ashley Burgoyne (MCG, UvA) en Jan van Balen (UU).

Interested in a PhD position at the University of Amsterdam?

Fri, 22 Apr 2016 17:39:10 +0200

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) currently has two PhD positions available at the Faculty of Science starting on 1 September 2016 (or as soon after that as possible). Applications are now invited from excellent candidates wishing to conduct research in an area within ILLC (i.e. including musicology and cognitive science) that fits naturally in the Faculty of Science. See website for more information.

Disentangling beat perception from sequential learning

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 18:28:07 +0100

New study by Fleur Bouwer et al. that tries to disentangle beat perception from sequential learning, and that examines the influence of attention and musical abilities on ERP responses to rhythm.

Ashley Burgoyne on Computational Musicology

Sat, 05 Mar 2016 14:56:18 +0100

Ashley Burgoyne spoke on Computational Musicology at the EU Sounds conference in 2015 in Paris, F.

Overzicht publiekslezingen voorjaar 2016 [Dutch]

Sun, 08 Nov 2015 15:33:08 +0100

Overzicht van publiekslezingen over muzikaliteit — voorjaar 2016.

'Muzikaliteit gaat aan muziek én taal vooraf' [Dutch]

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 18:57:11 +0100

‘Muzikaliteit gaat aan muziek én taal vooraf’ lezing door Henkjan Honing over de evolutionaire relatie tussen muziek en taal, uitgesproken op het Onze Taal-congres ‘Klinkend Nederlands’, 7 november 2015 in het Chassé Theater Breda.

Dies Speech on Musicality during UvA's Dies Natalis

Sun, 10 Jan 2016 17:35:29 +0100

On 8 January 2016 Henkjan Honing, professor of Music Cognition at the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Science, gave the Dies speech on musicality during the Dies Natalis 2016.

Muzikaliteit gaat aan muziek én taal vooraf [Dutch]

Sun, 08 Nov 2015 15:33:21 +0100

Interview naar aanleiding van de lezing op het tweejaarlijkse congres Onze Taal in Breda waarin Henkjan Honing de stelling verdedigde dat muzikaliteit aan muziek én taal vooraf gaat.

Is muziek niet meer dan kunst alleen? [Dutch]

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 17:31:14 +0200

Volgende maand zal op het Eureka! festival in Amsterdam de Nationale Wetenschapsagenda worden gepresenteerd, een onderzoeksagenda die mede bepaald waar de Nederlandse wetenschap zich de komende jaren op zal richten.

Muziek als medicijn? [Dutch]

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 23:49:33 +0200

Naar klassieke muziek luisteren en vervolgens slimmer, gelukkiger of zelfs een gezonder mens worden. Dat zou toch prachtig zijn?

Online game reviewed in the New York Times

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 18:23:21 +0200

"A “Name That Tune”-type game with a twist, one that its creators hope to eventually use to help dementia patients."

Interested to become a PA at MCG?

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 14:07:04 +0200

The Music Cognition Group (MCG) searches for an enthusiastic and well-organized personal assistant (PA) acting as a first point of contact -with people from both inside and outside MCG- during the Academic Year 2015/16. N.B. You have to be a student at UvA. Deadline: 1 September 2015.

RPPW15 at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam

Thu, 09 Jul 2015 14:52:57 +0200

Three days of rhythm at the RPPW15.

Is muziek meer dan kunst alleen? [Dutch]

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 19:08:34 +0200

Vorige week verscheen het KNAW-rapport ‘Elfduizend vragen in perspectief’ van diverse, per wetenschapsgebied ingestelde jury’s die de taak hadden de meer dan 11.000 vragen die online waren ingediend in het kader van de Nationale Wetenschapsagenda, terug te brengen tot een overzichtelijk aantal hoofdvragen..

Muziek niet langer op tweede plan [Dutch]

Fri, 22 May 2015 15:49:49 +0200

'Dat muziek een ondergeschoven kindje is geworden, is de Amsterdamse hoogleraar muziekcognitie Henkjan Honing een doorn in het oog. Volgens hem zien we muziek als luxe, maar laat wetenschappelijk onderzoek zien dat het nodig is voor de ontwikkeling van kinderen. Voor Honing is dat geen verrassing. ,,We gebruiken muziek om vrolijk te worden of troost te zoeken. Als je een instrument bespeelt, verbeter je je motoriek. Je maakt muziek samen, dus je leert samenwerken. En je moet leren luisteren…"

Call for Papers: Reseach Topic in Rhythm Cognition

Wed, 06 May 2015 10:35:51 +0200

The evolution of rhythm cognition: timing in music and speech | Frontiers Research Topic ––– Deadline: 24 June 2015.

Interested in doing a PhD at the UvA?

Sat, 18 Apr 2015 15:42:47 +0200

PhD position offered at the ILLC, Faculty of Science ––– Deadline: 05 mei 2015.

Creative Mind Prize 2015 | Deadline extended to 1 May 2015

Sat, 18 Apr 2015 15:44:39 +0200

The ABC Creative Mind Prize 2015 will be presented to a young academic with an original and exciting research proposal that centres around the aspects of creativity, cognition and/or the workings of the human brain. The winner will be given the opportunity to develop a research plan in the context of the University of Amsterdam in Brain and Cognition programme and to distinguish him or herself as a promising researcher.

(See here for Rules and Regulations).

Deadline: 01 May 2015.

15th RPPW will be in Amsterdam!

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 20:47:56 +0200

The 15th Rhythm Production and Perception Workshop (RPPW) will be held in Amsterdam from 6 to 8 July 2015.

In search of the origins of musicality

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 18:21:21 +0100

Why do we have music? And what enables us to perceive, appreciate and make music? The search for a possible answer to these and other questions forms the backdrop to a soon-to-be released theme issue of Philosophical Transactions, which deals with the subject of musicality. An initiative of Henkjan Honing, professor of Music Cognition at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), this theme issue will see Honing and fellow researchers present their most important empirical results and offer a joint research agenda with which to identify the biological and cognitive basis of musicality.

Without it no music?

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 20:50:23 +0100

Preliminary announcement: Philosophical Transactions B will publish a Theme Issue on Musicality on 02 February 2015, part of their 350th anniversary…

Workshop on music cognition by Fleur Bouwer & John Ashley Burgoyne

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 13:20:42 +0100

Fleur Bouwer & John Ashley Burgoyne direct a workshop on cognitive and computational musicology at Artez, Arnhem NL on 13 February 2015.

Feel like Doing a Master in Music Studies in Historic Amsterdam?

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:32:40 +0100

Do you want to become a Master in Music Studies at the University of Amsterdam? Find out more on our Music Studies website and go to the registration page. Deadline: 1 April 2015.

Hooked on Music: therapy for Alzheimer's disease?

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 21:12:54 +0100

“Where words fail, music speaks”, a commentary in the January edition of The Lancet Neurology on the Hooked on Music game.

Van 1 tot 5 december, elke dag, een college over muziek en muzikaliteit [Dutch]

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 17:21:39 +0100

Het herkennen van een liedje is voor de meesten van ons een fluitje van een cent. Maar hoe vanzelfsprekend is dat eigenlijk?

MCG showcase in LERU brochure on interdisciplinary research

Sun, 30 Nov 2014 14:29:50 +0100

On 14 November 2014 the League of European Research Universities (LERU) presented a new brochure which showcases some examples of interdisciplinary Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research undertaken at the LERU member institutions. See more info here.

Worldwide interest in the first results of Hooked on Music

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:20:32 +0100

The interest in the first research results of ‘Hooked on Music’, a project in which UvA researchers are collaborating with the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, UK, is growing ever more intense and international. All over the world, social and conventional media have been reporting ‘Wannabe’ by the Spice Girls as the most catchy hit single. [See more info here.]

Gaan we kinderen weer horen zingen in de klas? [Dutch]

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 10:37:47 +0100

Opiniestuk in de Volkskrant van 3 november 2014: Minister Bussemaker wil muziekles op de basisschool mogelijk maken. De Kamer beslist vandaag.

'Scientists discover catchiest song of all time'

Sun, 02 Nov 2014 12:39:21 +0100

Scientists have discovered the Spice Girls' anthem ‘Wannabe’ is the catchiest hit single in the UK. To collect data, researchers developed a ‘Hooked on Music’ game that asked people to name a song randomly selected from over 1,000 best-selling tunes when it began playing from the hook.

Interview bij 'Folia maakt kennis' [Dutch]

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 23:16:48 +0100

Op 29 oktober 2014 zendt Folia Radio een interview uit met Henkjan Honing. Aan de orde zullen komen muziek en het brein, muziek als kunstuiting en de positie van de kleine studies en de financiële problemen bij de FGw. Terug te luisteren via foliaweb.nl/radio. Zoe ook foliaweb

Recognize songs from the 50s, 60s or later: Can you do better?

Sat, 11 Oct 2014 15:07:09 +0200

Recognise tunes from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or later: Can you do better? Play the #HookedOnMusic game here.

Thema week 'Verbeter je brein' over muziek en gamen [Dutch]

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 23:37:09 +0200

Wat doet gamen en luisteren naar muziek met je brein? Aflevering van de thema week over onze hersenen op Radio 5 en NPO 2

SMART Cognitive Science Programme Fall/Winter 2014/2015 is out

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 17:52:26 +0200

SMART Cognitive Science is an initiative of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam. It organizes lectures, meetings and discussions, offline and online, to highlight the important contributions to cognitive science from traditional humanities disciplines. SMART is an acronym for Speech & language, Music, Art, Reasoning & Thought. The activities are organized in close collaboration with Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), in which also the Faculties of Science, Medicine, Social Science and Economics & Econometrics participate.

Nacht van de Klassieke Muziek [Dutch]

Sun, 28 Sep 2014 15:03:24 +0200

Vrijdagavond 19 september zond de NTR op NPO 2 de Hart & Ziel Nacht van de Klassieke Muziek uit, een televisieprogramma rond de NPO Radio 4 Hart & Ziel Lijst. Wegens een technische storing was de uitzending niet live te zien, maar pas een uur later dan gepland. Voor degenen die de uitzending om die reden gemist hebben, wordt deze zondagmiddag 28 september om 13.00 uur herhaald in het tijdslot van NTR Podium.

College muziekcognitie: Tv opnames voor Universiteit van Nederland [Dutch]

Sat, 20 Sep 2014 13:56:34 +0200

Of je nou de sterren van de hemel danst of als een hork op de dansvloer staat, volgens Henkjan Honing is iedereen muzikaal en hebben we allemaal gevoel voor ritme. Aan de hand van korte demonstraties en luistertestjes zal Henkjan Honing op 23 september 2014 in Air, Amsterdam het publiek ervan proberen te overtuigen dat ze muzikaler zijn dan ze zelf denken.

HookedonMusic website attracted over 15k players

Sat, 06 Sep 2014 18:47:15 +0200

Now more than 15k music lovers played #HookedonMusic, but we could use some more...

Al spelend wetenschap bedrijven - Lezing tijdens Facultaire Opening Academisch Jaar 2014/15 [Dutch]

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 15:11:50 +0200

De facultaire opening van de FGw/UvA staat in het teken van onderzoek. Zes wetenschappers, verbonden aan de verschillende Research Schools, geven deze middag een korte presentatie over hun werk. Verder is er een demonstratie van Henkjan Honing en John Ashley Bourgoyne van het project Hooked! Een game die op een uitdagende manier test hoe snel een speler verschillende fragmenten van een liedje herkent.

Do Chimpanzees Like Music?

Sat, 12 Jul 2014 17:42:16 +0200

Do Chimpanzees Like Music? It’s a question that recently popped up again after the publication of a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, co-authored by primatologist Frans de Waal. However, researchers disagree on primates' sensitivity to music.

Wat apen in muziek horen blijft de vraag [Dutch]

Sat, 12 Jul 2014 14:08:22 +0200

De wetenschap steggelt over de vraag of chimpansees van muziek houden. De vraag is van belang omdat het ontstaan en het nut van muziek en muzikaliteit nog altijd een raadsel zijn.

Can we borrow your ears?

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 10:03:22 +0200

We need participants for a new line of research that investigates how language and music are processed in the brain. Interested? You will participate in a three sessions of one hour, constituting of either Dutch language task and/or a musical task. You have to be a native speaker of Dutch and either have had very little musical training (3 years max.) or full education in music (studied at the 'Conservatorium’). Besides getting an inside look of the music cognition group, you will earn €8 per hour (plus an extra €1 for any extra participant you bring in :-).

HookedOnMusic launched in the UK

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 10:25:53 +0200

HookedOnMusic, the latest version of the Music Cognition Group's experiment on 'catchiness' and musical memory, launched in the UK. The game is now available to play on all recent browsers and operating systems, including Android and iOS devices, from the link above. So far the game has attracted over 5000 users, about half of our ultimate goal. Please try it yourself, and encourage your friends and family to do the same!

Over WK liedjes, (in)haken en meer... [Dutch]

Thu, 15 May 2014 12:10:33 +0200

Henkjan Honing bestudeert hoe mensen naar muziek luisteren. De vraag van RTL Late Night was of het Johnny en Jan gelukt is om een WK-hit te maken...

Can we borrow your ears?

Mon, 12 May 2014 14:42:59 +0200

We are still collecting data for a new series of experiments on rhythmic complexity. If you agree to participate in this listening experiment, you will be asked to listen to and rate some auditory rhythms. The entire task will take up to one hour. You can complete the experiment at a time and location that is convenient to you. See here for further instructions.

‘De perfecte mate van onvoorspelbaarheid van het ritme’ [Dutch]

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:35:10 +0200

‘De perfecte mate van onvoorspelbaarheid van het ritme’. Dat is de gouden regel van de funk en verklaart waarom iedereen op die muziek wel móét dansen. Zo stelt een aantal muziekwetenschappers uit Oxford in het tijdschrift Plos One, dat afgelopen donderdag verscheen. Uit hun onderzoek bleek dat we niet snel dansen op de makkelijke, maar ook niet op te moeilijke muziek. Er bestaat kennelijk zoiets als de perfecte middenweg: muziek met een beat die regelmatig wordt geschonden, maar die we nog net snappen. We praten hierover met Henkjan Honing. Hij is hoogleraar muziekcognitie aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam.

'Wetenschap ontdekt de groove' [Dutch]

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 23:48:33 +0200

In de wetenschapspagina van de Volkskrant van 17 april 2014 verscheen een artikel over funk, groove en wat ritmes spannend maakt.
[See also the Music Matters Blog on this topic]

Photo impressions of Lorentz workshop on Musicality

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 23:42:29 +0200

Photo impression of the NIAS-Lorentz Workshop on Musicality held from 7-11 April 2014 at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, NL.

Workshop on Cognition, Biology and Origins of Musicality

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 18:00:07 +0200

Today 23 international scientists and scholars agreed on 23+ issues related to musicality in human and nonhuman animals, during an intensive workshop held from 7-11 April 2014 at the Lorentz Center in Leiden, NL.

What Makes Us Musical Animals?

Fri, 04 Apr 2014 17:54:47 +0200

What makes us musical animals? An invitation-only workshop organised from 7-11 April 2014 as part of the Distinguished Lorentz Fellowship 2013/14. Public event will follow later...

Dubbelinterview in De Psycholoog [Dutch]

Fri, 04 Apr 2014 17:52:51 +0200

Moet een in muziek gespecialiseerde wetenschapper zelf ook muzikaal zijn en had hij ook musicus kunnen worden? Die vragen komen op bij Henkjan Honing, hoogleraar Muziekcognitie aan de UvA. In het gezin waarin hij opgroeide, musiceerde iedereen. De jongste broer, Yuri Honing, is een internationaal gerenommeerd saxofonist die in 2012 de Boy Edgar prijs won, de belangrijkste prijs voor jazz en geïmproviseerde muziek. Een dubbelinterview over hun gemeenschappelijke achtergrond, de verschillen tussen een wetenschapper en muzikant. ‘Muziek bestuderen en muziek maken hebben níets met elkaar te maken.’

Interview door Govert Schilling [Dutch]

Wed, 02 Apr 2014 15:29:28 +0200

Interview door Govert Schilling in de reeks 'De aap die kan blozen' (AMC Magazine).

'Sin eso no hay música' [Spanish]

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 10:22:28 +0200

La traducción de este artículo de Honing, realizada por Alejandro Ordás, nos permite acercarnos a un análisis del modo en que se produce la inducción del beat en nuestra percepción/acción con la música. Se discute esta habilidad en términos de mecanismo cognitivo fundamental, que nos permite, por ejemplo, tocar juntos y bailar con la música.

Muziek is geen luxe... maar wat dan wel? [Dutch]

Sat, 15 Mar 2014 15:30:30 +0100

In de wetenschapsbijlage (Sir Edmund) van de Volkskrant van 15 maart 2014: 'Voor het voortbestaan van de soort is het niet nodig en toch is de mens een muzikaal dier. Hersenonderzoekers willen nu weleens weten waarom.'

Apen hebben geen maatgevoel [Dutch]

Sat, 01 Feb 2014 15:53:34 +0100

Ondanks hun verwantschap aan mensen hebben apen geen maatgevoel. Niet-menselijke primaten kunnen geluiden wel gedurende enkele tijdsintervallen herkennen en daarop reageren, maar zijn ongevoelig voor de regelmaat in een langer ritme. Dat blijkt uit onderzoek van UvA-hoogleraar muziekcognitie Henkjan Honing en neurobioloog Hugo Merchant van de Nationale Autonome Universiteit van Mexico. Hun resultaten zijn onlangs gepubliceerd in het wetenschappelijke tijdschrift Frontiers in Neuroscience. [NewScientist, 20 januari 2014]

Zijn de vocalisaties van orka's een taal? [Dutch]

Sat, 18 Jan 2014 14:37:06 +0100

Waarom zouden we de vocalisaties van orka’s geen taal noemen, vraagt een lezer zich af in een ingezonden brief in het NRC Handelsblad n.a.v. het essay van Tijs Goldschmidt.

Differences in rhythmic cognition between human and non-human primates

Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:35:47 +0100

Despite their genetic proximity, human and non-human primates differ in their capacity for beat induction, which is the ability to perceive a regular pulse in music or auditory stimuli and accordingly align motor skills by way of foot-tapping or dancing.

Also referred to as ‘rhythmic entrainment’, this ability is specific to humans and certain bird species, but is surprisingly enough not obvious in non-human primates. These are the findings of researchers from the University of Amsterdam and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), whose new hypothesis, the ‘gradual audiomotor evolution hypothesis’, was (provisionally) published on this week in the scientific journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.

'En van je hela, hola, houd er de moed maar in'; Interview in NRC Next [Dutch]

Sat, 04 Jan 2014 17:30:14 +0100

Interview met Henkjan Honing in NRC Next op 4 januari 2014.

Waarom zijn mensen muzikaal? [Dutch]

Fri, 03 Jan 2014 18:10:29 +0100

Interview met Henkjan Honing in NRC Handelsblad (wetenschapspagina) op 3 januari 2014.

Rhythm cognition in humans vs monkeys explained?

Sun, 29 Dec 2013 17:32:53 +0100

1 January 2014 a theoretical paper will come out in Frontiers in Neuroscience that reviews the literature on rhythm and timing in humans and nonhuman primates. In there we propose the gradual audiomotor evolution hypothesis as an alternative to the vocal learning hypothesis that was recently challenged as a pre-condition to beat perception and rhythmic entrainment.

Creative Mind Prize 2014 - Deadline Extended

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 15:45:59 +0100

The Creative Mind Prize 2014 will be presented to a young academic with an original and exciting research proposal that centres around the aspects of creativity and the workings of the human brain. As a part of the UvA Brain & Cognition programme, the prize winner will be given the opportunity to develop a research plan and to distinguish him or herself as a promising researcher.Deadline: 1 January 2014 [N.B. Extended till 15 January 2014!].

Zorgen muzieklessen voor betere Cito-score? [Dutch]

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 15:01:48 +0100

De kinderen van de Kathedrale Koorschool in Utrecht zingen wat af in deze feestmaand. De school scoorde onlangs zeer goed bij de scholentest van RTL. De vraag is of dat zingen de oorzaak is van de goede testresultaten.

Do you know this song? Participate In A Citizen-Science Name-That-Tune Game!

Fri, 13 Dec 2013 18:24:39 +0100

What makes music catchy? Why do some pieces of music come right back to you even if you haven’t heard them in years, while you forget others almost immediately? Hooked! is designed by researchers of University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University to answer these questions. The game tests how quickly different parts of a song trigger your memory, and with data from thousands of players, the researchers will be able to see what the catchiest hooks of all time have been and what they have in common. The more you play, the more you contribute to science! [For the science behind Hooked!, see Burgoyne et al. (2013)]

Game ‘Hooked!’ ontdekt geheim populaire liedjes [Dutch]

Fri, 13 Dec 2013 18:25:04 +0100

Waaraan herken je dat bekende nummer onmiddellijk? Waarom blijft het ene muziekfragment in je hoofd hangen en het andere niet? Om dat te achterhalen ontwikkelden onderzoekers van de Universiteit van Amsterdam, Universiteit Utrecht en het Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid ‘Hooked!’, een game voor de iPhone en andere iOS apparaten met muziek uit de Radio 2 Top 2000. De game is vanaf vandaag gratis te downloaden in de iTunes App store voor iedereen met een Spotify Premium Account. Zie ook media-aandacht. [Voor de wetenschap achter Hooked!, zie Burgoyne et al. (2013)]

Henkjan Honing nieuw lid van de KHMW

Sat, 30 Nov 2013 11:26:13 +0100

Professor Henkjan Honing van het Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam is verkozen tot nieuw lid van de Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (KHMW). Prof. Honing is voor dit eervolle lidmaatschap verkozen vanwege zijn verdiensten op het gebied van de cognitieve en computationele musicologie.

Fleur Bouwer beantwoordt de Kettingvraag in Hoe?Zo! Radio [Dutch]

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 11:56:40 +0100

Kettingvraag van vrijdag 1 november 2013: Veel muziek is een 3 of een 4 kwarts maat. Waarom is dat? Het antwoord komt van Fleur Bouwer, promovenda muziekcognitie aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam.

Can we borrow your ears? Participate in online rhythm experiment

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 10:26:30 +0100

This project examines beat perception in collaboration with the Music Neuroscience Lab at Western University in London, Ontario. The study involves listening to and rating rhythms online. The entire study will take up to 1 hour to complete and you can participate at a time and location of your convenience. You can also take the experiment in short blocks and take breaks in between. To participate, you need a computer with an Internet connection and loudspeakers or headphones.

Ashley Burgoyne on the launch of #Hooked, a large scale citizen science experiment

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 14:14:31 +0200

Press related to the launch of #Hooked, a large scale citizen science experiment linked to the Manchester Science Festival.

#Hooked: What makes music catchy?

Sun, 20 Oct 2013 13:30:35 +0200

Join music lovers around the world to explore the science of songs and help scientists unlock what makes music catchy.

#Hooked will be launched 24 October 2013 at the Manchester Science Festival.

#Hooked : Help scientists unlock what makes music catchy

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 16:00:04 +0200

Imagine listening to your favourite song. When do you nod your head and sing along? That’s the hook, the most memorable part of the song, crafted by songwriters to stick in your head and exploited by DJs to get people onto the dance floor. Everyone knows the hook when they hear it, but scientists don’t know why. Help MCG unlock what makes music catchy by taking part in #Hooked, a citizen science name-that-tune game.

Presentation by MSc Brain & Cognition student David Mejía on Meter Perception

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 13:40:32 +0200

Presentation by MSc Brain & Cognition student David Mejía on 27 September 2013 : Effects of Accent Structure and Tempo on Meter Perception.

MCG started the Academic Year at Silodam!

Mon, 09 Sep 2013 08:44:00 +0200

Music Cognition Group at a Late Summer Outing.
Back (from l. to r.): Paula Roncaglia-Denissen, Gábor Háden, Joey Weidema, Fleur Bouwer, Henkjan Honing, Carlos Vaquero. Front: J. Ashley Burgoyne, Bastiaan van der Weij, Merwin Olthof, Berit Janssen.

Fleur Bouwer spreekt in de Nacht van Kunst & Kennis

Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:22:55 +0200

Tijdens de Nacht van Kunst en Kennis op 14 september 2013 wordt het Anatomisch theater in Museum Boerhaave omgetoverd tot het Theater van het Brein en kun je alles te weten komen over de werking van de hersenen. Het lijkt heel makkelijk om muziek te begrijpen en ervan te genieten. Maar is dit wel zo eenvoudig? En hoe werkt dit eigenlijk? In het breintheater vertelt Fleur Bouwer over de wetenschap achter muziek.

New Music Cognition Courses in 2013/14

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 14:44:30 +0200

Music Cognition at the University of Amsterdam in 2013/14: courses by Sadakata, Burgoyne, Bouwer and more...

29 & 30 August 2013: Managing Your Talents Conference

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 14:43:17 +0200

On 29 and 30 August 2013 the conference Managing your Talents will be held. It is intended for those who are involved with: music, dance or theatre and who seek to share their interest with researchers from a broad range of disciplines, such as performing arts, pedagogy, medicine, neuropsychology, brain and cognition sciences, and human motion sciences.

MCG presents at SMPC 2013 in Toronto, CA

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 17:43:30 +0200

The biennial meeting of the Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC) will be held from 8-11 August 2013 at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. MCG will present a grand total of five papers.

Out Now: Language, Music, and the Brain: A Mysterious Relationship

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 22:34:24 +0200

This book explores the relationships between language, music, and the brain by pursuing four key themes and the crosstalk among them: song and dance as a bridge between music and language; multiple levels of structure from brain to behavior to culture; the semantics of internal and external worlds and the role of emotion; and the evolution and development of language. The book offers specially commissioned expositions of current research accessible both to experts across disciplines and to non-experts. These chapters provide the background for reports by groups of specialists that chart current controversies and future directions of research on each theme.

Symposium on Logic, Music and Quantum Information

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:29:41 +0200

The Symposium on Logic, Music and Quantum Information, will take place in Florence from June 15 till June 17 2013. Each of the three days of the Symposium will be devoted to a different theme, ranging from new developments in logic, quantum logic and quantum information to formal models for music analysis.

In addition to an exciting scientific programme in one of the most beautiful locations in Florence, two concerts will be offered and a special lecture on Schoenberg, given by Nuria Schoenberg.

Interested to become a PA at MCG?

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:12:59 +0200

Deadline: 01 July 2013.

Distinguished Lorentz Fellowship Award Ceremony at NIAS

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:54:47 +0200

Henkjan Honing, Professor of Music Cognition from the University of Amsterdam, received on 17 april 2013 the fifth Distinguished Lorentz Fellowship Award from Alexander Rinnooy Kan at NIAS. Wassenaar. Honing will explore what insights cognitive science and biology can provide on the origins of music and musicality. This will also be the topic of his interdisciplinary workshop at the Lorentz Center with the title Does Music Matter? Cognition, Biology, and the Origins of Music/ality.

Ig Nobel Battle in Leiden

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:20:30 +0200

On 28 May 2013 in Leiden, The Netherlands, six Dutch scientists will present their field of research by giving a complete technical description, in Dutch, in twenty-four (24) seconds, followed by a clear summary that anyone can understand, in seven (7) Dutch words. The best of these 24/7 speakers will be invited to present a 24/7 Lecture at the Nederlandse Ig Nobel Night, September 14th, 2013.

CSCA Lecture by professor Hugo Merchant on rhythmic entrainment in monkeys

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:23:43 +0200

On Friday 24 May 2013 Hugo Merchant (Head of Laboratory of system neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Querétaro, Mexico) will give an extra CSCA Lecture with the title Neurophysiology of temporal and sequential processing during a synchronization-continuation tapping task. He will present a recent study investigating rhythmic entrainment in Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Interested in doing a PhD at the UvA?

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:50:38 +0200

Two PhD fellowships at the ILLC, Faculty of Science ––– Deadline: 12 mei 2013.

Food for Thought: Zijn wij muzikale apen? [Dutch]

Sat, 04 May 2013 20:26:55 +0200

Henkjan Honing spreekt op 8 mei 2013 een tafelrede uit in de reeks SPUI25 op locatie: Food for thought. Is muziek uniek voor mensen, zoals taal dat lijkt te zijn, of delen we onze muzikale vaardigheden met andere dieren? Wat moet een aap, olifant of zangvogel kunnen om muzikaal te zijn? Ook vanuit biologisch en evolutionair perspectief kijken we naar de oorsprong van muziek en muzikaliteit.

Two Assistant Professors in the fields of historical, cognitive or cultural musicology

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:29:14 +0200

The Faculty of Humanities is searching for two Assistant Professors in Musicology in the fields of historical, cognitive or cultural musicology. Deadline for applications: 17 April 2013.

CSCA Lecture by professor Larry Parsons on the Neurobiological Basis of Musical Skills and Dancing

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:51:32 +0200

Tuesday 16 April 2013 CSCA Lecture by professor Larry Parsons (University of Sheffield and Centre de Neuroscience Cognitive, CNRS, Lyon, France) on the Neurobiological Basis of Musical Skills and Dancing. He will present functional neuroimaging data on the brain basis of call/response singing, harmonization, improvisational singing, sight-singing duets, music learning in non-musical adults, and the performance of memorized piano pieces. Also discussed will be the relation between neural systems for melodic and sentential generation, emotional musical experiences, and the brain basis of dancing.

SMART Lecture by dr Lauren Stewart on Congenital Amusia

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:44:41 +0200

Friday 5 April 2013 SMART Lecture by dr Lauren Stewart (Goldsmiths, University of London) on Congenital Amusia with the title: Why do all the songs sound the same?

Interview met promovendus Fleur Bouwer [Dutch]

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:39:44 +0100

Interview met MCG-promovendus Fleur Bouwer in Folia Magazine en op Folia Radio.

Distinguished Lorentz Fellowship Prize for research on the cognitive and biological origins of music/ality

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:45:54 +0100

Henkjan Honing, Professor of Music Cognition from the University of Amsterdam, wins the fifth Distinguished Lorentz Fellowship Prize. Honing will explore what insights cognitive science and biology can provide on the origins of music and musicality. This will also be the topic of his interdisciplinary workshop at the Lorentz Center with the title Does Music Matter? Cognition, Biology, and the Origins of Music/ality.

Paradisolezing: De bouwstenen van muziek en muzikaliteit [Dutch]

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:29:13 +0100

Op zondagochtend 6 januari 2013 probeert Henkjan Honing, samen met Fleur Bouwer, het publiek ervan te overtuigen dat we allemaal een bijzondere band met muziek hebben.

New Study: Can rhesus monkeys detect the beat in music?

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:53:30 +0100

Beat induction, the ability to pick up regularity – the beat – from a varying rhythm, is not an ability that rhesus monkeys possess. These are the findings of researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), which is published today in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

MCG presenteert op speciaal kinderconcert [Dutch]

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:33:35 +0100

Zaterdag 27 oktober vierde de Universiteit van Amsterdam haar 76e lustrum met een speciaal kinderconcert in de Zuiderkerk in Amsterdam. Fleur Bouwer, promovenda bij MCG/UvA en professioneel klarinettiste, introduceerde het programma.

Toekomstmanifestatie Muziek telt! in Amersfoort [Dutch]

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:08:05 +0100

Muziek Centrum Nederland organiseerde de toekomstmanifestatie Muziek telt! op woensdag 7 november 2012 in Amersfoort.

PhD position in Music Cognition (at Leiden University and University of Amsterdam)

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:50:48 +0200

PhD position in Music cognition at both the Universities of Amsterdam and Leiden.

Postdoc position in Music Cognition and Linguistics (at Leiden University and University of Amsterdam)

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:14:19 +0200

Postdoc position in Music Cognition and Linguistics at both the Universities of Amsterdam and Leiden University.

QandA-interview in five-parts on music cognition

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:34:32 +0200

Music Cognition is a relatively new field of study, having risen in prominence in the last 20 years. It uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining fields ranging from computer science and psychology to biology and medicine, in its quest to understand the cognitive processes that underpin musical behaviour, such as perception, comprehension, memory, attention and performance.

CSCA Lecture by Eric F. Clarke on Music Perception and Musical Consciousness

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:59:11 +0200

CSCA lecture on 18 October 2012 by Prof. dr. Eric F. Clarke, University of Oxford, Faculty of Music.

Lecture at CONGres 2012: What makes us musical animals?

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:29:07 +0200

The CONGres conference is an annual event, organised by biomedical- and (psycho)biology students of student association CONGO of the University of Amsterdam. This year inspiring lecturers, both Dutch and international speakers, shine their light on surprising and engaging topics within the field of biology, neuroscience and biomedical sciences. On Wednesday 17 October 2012 MCG will present at 19:00 on what makes us musical animals.

What is the value of the arts?

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:22:17 +0200

'Can science come to the rescue? Psychologists claim art can make us healthier and happier. Some neuroscientists think exposure to great paintings increases blood flow to the same part of our brains stimulated when we gaze on a loved one. We may have evolved the arts as an evolutionary gambit so as to form stronger social bonds and thus increase our chances of survival. Then again, if we want to boost public health, there are probably more direct and cost effective ways to achieve this.' On Saturday 13 October 2012 from 16:00 onward, at Felix Meritis in Amsterdam, this will be a topic of a lively discussion.

MCG gives public lecture in the Glass House in Amsterdam

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 14:47:55 +0200

This year marks the 380th anniversary of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). In honour of this 76th ‘lustrum’ (anniversary occurring every five years), the UvA will be celebrating the opening of the academic year on a grand scale with the arrival of the ‘Glass House of Science and Scholarship’ (het Glazen Huis van de Wetenschap). On Monday, 3 September 2012, the Spui in Amsterdam will be transformed into a public lecture hall. Henkjan Honing will present at 15:00 on what makes us musical animals.

Interview in de Volkskrant [Dutch]

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 14:48:02 +0200

Interview in de serie Zomertijd van de Volkskrant over muziek en tijd.

MCG presents four times at the 12th ICMPC

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 14:48:10 +0200
The joint conference ICMPC – ESCOM 2012 will take place from 23-28 July 2012 in Thessaloniki, Greece. The conference will bring together leading researchers from different areas of music cognition and perception.

MCG presents at the 2nd Summer School on Auditory Cognition

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:08:14 +0200
The Summer School on Auditory Cognition takes place between July 16th and July 23rd, 2012, in Plymouth, UK. The summer school is exclusively focused on the topic of "Auditory Cognition - Listening in the Real World" and will cover a wide range of subjects, from the basics of auditory perception to higher order cognitive processes, as well as practical applications and new approaches to understanding auditory cognition.

UvA scientists receive NWO grant for ‘Knowledge and culture’ research project

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:10:41 +0200

Scientists from the University of Amsterdam (UvA), together with colleagues from Leiden University (UL), Utrecht University (UU) and the Meertens Institute, have received a grant worth 2 million from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) as part of the Horizon programme. The research money has been earmarked for the four-year project Knowledge and culture.

See for more information here and here.

What makes us musical animals

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:52:27 +0200
Although it has been argued that we will never know how cognitive traits evolved (Lewontin, 1998; Bolhuis & Wynne, 2009), this paper suggests that we may know the evolution of music by investigating the fundamental cognitive mechanisms that make up our musicality.

MCG zoekt deelnemers voor een nieuw luisterexperiment over ritmeperceptie [Dutch]

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:11:19 +0200
Fleur Bouwer, die het onderzoek coördineert, schrijft op haar website: "Terwijl de temperatuur buiten oploopt wordt er in het lab hard doorgewerkt om erachter te komen hoe wij ritme horen (en in het lab is het lekker koel). Het tweede experiment staat inmiddels klaar om getest te worden en ik ben dus weer dringend op zoek naar proefpersonen! Help de wetenschap (en mij) een handje (oortje) en kom proefpersoon zijn! Je krijgt dan een vergoeding van 22,50." Zie de link voor meer informatie.

Veel aandacht deze zomer voor de oorwurm [Dutch]

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 09:58:26 +0200
Dat ene deuntje dat je niet meer uit je hoofd krijgt. Iedereen heeft er een. Of twee. Of om de haverklap. We hebben het over de 'muzikale oorwurm'. Wat is het, waarom blijft het hangen en vooral, hoe kom je er vanaf?

Associate Professorship in Cognitive Modelling

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 20:00:49 +0200

To strengthen its Research Priority Area Brain & Cognition, the Faculty of Humanities invites applications for an Associate Professor in Cognitive Modelling.

The candidate will bring a relevant and innovative research agenda in cognitive modelling that strengthens the contributions from the ILLC to the research priority area Brain & Cognition. In addition to the Brain & Cognition subthemes, possible topics include, but are not restricted to, the cognitive modelling of music, language, evolution of cognition, and/or cultural transmission.

Interested in doing a PhD at the UvA?

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:45:32 +0200

To strengthen its Research Priority Area Brain & Cognition, the Faculty of Humanities invites applications for a PhD candidate in Cognitive Modelling, starting on 1st September 2012.

Applications are now invited from excellent candidates wishing to conduct research in the field of cognitive science and cognitive modelling in the context of the Brain & Cognition Research Priority Area. In addition to the Brain & Cognition subthemes, possible topics include, but are not restricted to, the cognitive modelling of music, language, evolution of cognition, and/or cultural transmission.

The PhD candidate will be part of the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC).

Hitmuziek steeds treuriger [Dutch]

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:26:04 +0200
Radiointerview n.a.v. publicatie door Duitse en Canadese onderzoekers over veranderingen in de popmuziek.

If music isn’t a luxury, what is it?

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 19:27:24 +0200
On 4 June 2012 "If music isn’t a luxury, what is it?", an academic highlight at the FNWI Faculteitscolloquium.

Lecture on Core Knowledge Systems, Language, and Music at NIAS, Wassenaar

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:30:17 +0200

In this seminar, held on Thursday 24 May 2012, 11.00 – 12.30 in the Lecture Room, NIAS Campus, Henkjan Honing and Johan Rooryck will present some aspects of the Horizon research project Knowledge and Culture that we recently submitted to NWO for funding. In this project, we intend to study the relationship between innate cognitive capacities that are not specific for humans, so-called core knowledge systems, and innate cognitive capacities that are uniquely human, such as language and music.

Numbers (by Johan Rooryck)
The core knowledge system for number, for instance, has been argued to contain two nonverbal subsystems that are present in both newborn infants and animals. The Approximate Number System (ANS) compares the numerosities of distinct sets without individuating their members. The Object Tracking System (OTS) yields representations of small numbers of objects, i.e. 1 to 3 (perhaps 4), and does not work on sets larger than 4. Linguistic evidence suggests that the split between OTS and ANS is reflected in the language system, and that children acquire numbers in a sequence.

Music (by Henkjan Honing)
We have known for some time that babies possess a keen perceptual sensitivity for the melodic, rhythmic and dynamic aspects of speech and music: aspects that linguists are inclined to categorize under the term ‘prosody’, but which are in fact the building blocks of music. Only much later in a child’s development does he make use of this ‘musical prosody’, for instance in delineating and subsequently recognizing word boundaries. Henkjan Honing will make a case for ‘illiterate listening’, the human ability to discern, interpret and appreciate musical nuances already from day one, long before a single word has been uttered, let alone conceived. It is the preverbal and preliterate stage that is dominated by musical listening.

The lecture is followed by an open discussion.

Johan Rooryck is the Distinguished Lorentz Fellow 2011/12, and Henkjan Honing holds a KNAW-Hendrik Muller Chair in Music Cognition and is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Musicology at the University of Amsterdam.