Thomas Magnus Lennie

• Department of Music, Durham University
• Email: thomas.m.lennie@durham.ac.uk

Much research has been generated in previous years showing the importance of emotional communication in music and its applications in everyday life and therapeutic contexts. Music is often referred to as the universal language of emotions, allowing performers and listeners to bridge cultural and linguistic barriers. However, much of this research has been informed by Western ideologies of music. My research focuses on the theoretical constructions of the perception of emotion in music combined with empirically testing the predictions of these theories across different cultures. Re-evaluating existing theories in this way will bring into question the universality of music as a means to communicate emotions, while investigating the origins of music, language, and emotions.

https://musicscience.net

This research contributes to the collaborative work of the Music and Science Lab at Durham University.

Supervisory Team: Prof. Tuomas Eerola, Music (Durham), Prof. Martin Clayton, Music (Durham).

Start Date: October 2018