This course brings together scholarship from musicologists, cognitive scientists, and biologists to explore the concept of “animal music” from a cross-disciplinary perspective. Animal music is an important topic because it harbors profound information about the history of life–by examining it in relation to human music making, we stand to gain a better understanding of everything from social synchronization and linguistic turn-taking to (bio)semiotics and cultural evolution. Using a combination of short lectures, student presentations, and creative projects, this course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the field.
