How does Music Arouse Emotions?

Abstract

This chapter considers the question of how music arouses emotions. It is a question with far-reaching implications for other issues about music and emotion. Which emotions does music arouse? Which brain regions are involved in this process? When do musical emotions develop? Are they universal or culture-specific? What is the relationship between perceived and aroused emotions? Are musical emotions somehow unique? The answers to these questions are all linked to the ‘how’ question: They cannot be answered satisfactorily without understanding the psychological processes through which the emotions come into being. The chapter suggests that previous attempts to explain musical emotions have succeeded to different degrees in this task. These attempts can be divided into three categories, referred to ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’.