In 1986 was published what was to become the seminal text in the then young field of music psychology. The Musical Mind, written by the relatively unknown John Sloboda, made ground breaking
inroads in raising crucial questions relating to music's status as a form of human expression. The scope of the book was impressive: from music perception to production, embracing topics as
diverse as music's origin and the circumstances that encourage its skill acquisition. Musical structure, grouping, and perceptual processing, including memory, were key areas where John Sloboda
had made early empirical investigations. Discussion of emotional responses and creative processes were far more inductively written, based on his own personal experiences. The Musical Mind laid
a research agenda in asking those crucial 'how' and 'why' questions that have since occupied a growing body of researchers from all over the world in the intervening years.
Following a quarter of a century after that seminal work, Music and the Mind celebrates the life and work of John Sloboda whilst taking stock of where the field of music psychology stands 20
years after The Musical Mind first appeared. It reviews key areas of current research in the field, written by world-leading authors, each making a significant and original academic
contribution. Offering a timely perspective on how the field of music psychology exists today Music and the Mind also reflects on how that work has been significantly stimulated by the
influential work of John Sloboda.
It will be fascinating reading for students and researchers in music psychology and musicology, as well as music professionals
