Event overview
020 7919 7256
The eighth and final Whitehead lecture of the autumn series 2010 will be given by Professor Justin London, Music, Carleton College, Northfield USA and is entitled "The Psychology and Neurobiology of Musical Virtuosity".
We are all amazed and enchanted to hear the performance of a musical virtuoso, whether it is Jimi Hendrix or Isaac Perlman.
But what makes a virtuoso a virtuoso—or to put it another way, what are cognitive constraints and sensorimotor affordances for musical virtuosity? Is virtuosity simply a matter of playing very, very fast? Why is virtuosity a solo art?
In this lecture the interaction between virtuosity and innate human limits on rhythm and timing are discussed, including the outer limits of musical speed (illustrated with examples from the "World's Fastest Drummer Competition"), interpersonal coordination, and musical expression. Other topics addressed will include the "10,000 hour" rule, Fitt's Law, and the Hick-Hyman Law in relation to skilled musical behavior.
The talk concludes with aesthetic considerations of both virtuosity and anti-virtuosity, the latter as exemplified in "outsider" music.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Dec 2010 | 4:00pm - 5:00pm |
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