Roundtables – The Helix Center

A foundational work on emotion and music, Leonard Meyer’s 1956 treatise,Emotion and Meaning in Music, describes competing philosophical positions regarding musical meaning. It might rest exclusively within the context of the work itself; or refer to the extra-musical world of concepts, actions, emotional states, and character; or stem from an intellectual perception of the formalist qualities of the work; or find its foundations in an emotional response to musical relationships.… read more »

Sat
Jan 24th
2015

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Music to Whose Ears II: Embodied Cognition

In our previous roundtable, Music to Whose Ears? Music, Emotion, and Mind (April 13, 2013), our participants explored a multitude of ideas connecting music and emotion. In this follow-up roundtable, artists and scientists will explore together the body’s role in musical experience, its perception and cognition.… read more »

Sat
Apr 18th
2015

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The Mind of a Child

How does a one-year-old understand the world? A three-year-old? A five-year-old? How does the mental functioning of very young children differ from that of older children and of adults? Recognizing the ways in which children conceptualize the world, remember their experiences, and modulate emotions is crucial in providing both normally developing children and children with developmental disorders, like autism, with optimum care throughout their formative years.… read more »

Sat
Sep 23rd
2023

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Emotion

What is human life without emotion? Could the “dawn of humankind” even be imagined without emotion exerting its effects right there from the start? And across the millennia emotion has forever been at the heart of most matters. Human history has been shaped by emotion and reshaped by attitudes toward emotion; a powerful human force philosophers and theologians confront and reckon with again and again throughout history and in every culture.… read more »

Sat
Apr 27th
2024

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Striking a Chord: Hearing and Space

The roundtable discusses the evolution and impact of sound and vibration, particularly in relation to speech and music, and how it influences our emotions and perception of space.

Sat
Mar 22nd
2025

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Music and Mind

This roundtable explores the profound connection between music and human experience, investigating its mathematical foundations, neurological impact, cultural significance, and ability to evoke emotion and community.