Abstract
Studies show that specific vocal modulations, akin to those of infant-directed speech (IDS) and perhaps music, play a role in communicating intentions and mental states during human social interaction. Based on this, we propose a model for the evolution of musicality—the capacity to process musical information—in relation to human vocal communication. We suggest that a complex social environment, with strong social bonds, promoted the appearance of musicality-related abilities. These social bonds were not limited to those between offspring and mothers or other carers, although these may have been especially influential in view of altriciality of human infants. The model can be further tested in other species by comparing levels of sociality and complexity of vocal communication. By integrating several theories, our model presents a radically different view of musicality, not limited to specifically musical scenarios, but one in which this capacity originally evolved to aid parent–infant communication and bonding, and even today plays a role not only in music but also in IDS, as well as in some adult-directed speech contexts.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part II)’.
Highlights
Musicologists have commonly rejected the idea of music as a universal phenomenon (e.g. [1,2,3]; but see [4]), and the study of its origins has not been often addressed within this discipline
Scientists from disciplines such as biology, psychology and anthropology have longstanding interest in this idea, often focusing on the purpose of music and its potential evolutionary origin. This essential difference, which perhaps exists because ethnomusicologists usually look at cultural differences and focus on the specificity of individual musical manifestations, while researchers from other disciplines see music as a universal, human phenomenon, has often prevented communication between these complementary views
While it seems undeniable that all cultures have some individual musical manifestations that can be recognized as music [5], ethnomusicologists often highlight the colossal variation in their social contexts and meanings
Summary
Musicologists have commonly rejected the idea of music as a universal phenomenon (e.g. [1,2,3]; but see [4]), and the study of its origins has not been often addressed within this discipline. Scientists from disciplines such as biology, psychology and anthropology have longstanding interest in this idea, often focusing on the purpose of music and its potential evolutionary origin This essential difference, which perhaps exists because ethnomusicologists usually look at cultural differences and focus on the specificity of individual musical manifestations, while researchers from other disciplines see music as a universal, human phenomenon, has often prevented communication between these complementary views. While it seems undeniable that all cultures have some individual musical manifestations (i.e. any musical output, from singing and instrument-playing to clapping and dancing) that can be recognized as music [5], ethnomusicologists often highlight the colossal variation in their social contexts and meanings This makes the scientific study of music as a human universal, and understanding of its origins, extremely challenging. Such variation could help us to discover and define the evolutionary processes that have shaped the emergence of human musicality
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