University of St. Thomas

Since 1990, Graduate Programs in Music Education (GPME) within the UST College of Arts and Sciences has sponsored a summer seminar in which distinguished figures in music and arts education present their work to the community of music educators in the Twin Cities metro area. The 2013 distinguished scholar-artist is Dr. Donald Hodges.

Dr. Donald Hodges is the Covington Distinguished Professor of Music Education and the Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Part 1 of his presentation is an overview of neuromusical research. Some things discussed include the perception and cognition of music, affective responses to music, musical performance, and music learning. Part 2 of Dr. Hodges will answer the following question; How can neuromusical research help us when we stand in front of a middle school band, conduct a high school choir, help beginning string players coordinate their left and right hands, or engage fourth graders to singing, moving, and playing classroom instruments? Part 3 is titled Philosophy-Neuroscience-and Music in the Human Experience. This section of the presentation will touch on how philosophers and neuroscientists can work together to help us better understand the powerful role music plays in the human experience.