THE SHARED PATHWAYS OF TOUCH AND SOUND TO EMOTION: CURRENT NEUROSCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

Abstract

The most representative characteristic of music is its capacity to generate emotion. But why does music excite you? In this article, we review the current knowledge from music theory and neuroscience that attempts to explain the relationship between music and emotion. First, we consider how the different musical parameters contribute to the generation of emotions from the perspective of the musical structures of our western world. Secondly, it reviews current knowledge about the processing of musical sounds in the brain and possible explanations for the evolutionary origin of music. Finally, the tactile channel is considered a viable channel of transmission of musical emotion analogous to the auditory channel but with more limitations in frequency discrimination. This approach is based on the deep fascination with music and all the enigmas surrounding it.