Ways Of Listening

Explores musical meaning, music's critical function in human lives, and the relationship between listening and musical material. This work outlines an "ecological approach" to understand the perception of music, arguing that the way we hear and understand music is not a function of our brain structure or of the musical codes given to us. In Ways of Listening, musicologist Eric Clarke explores musical meaning, music's critical function in human lives, and the relationship between listening and musical material. Clarke outlines an "ecological approach" to understanding the perception of music, arguing that the way we hear and understand music is not simply a function of our brain structure or of the musical "codes" given to us by culture, but must be considered within the physical and social contexts of listening.