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UCLA's PEER Lab Embraces a Multisensory Approach to Music
UCLA's Practice-based Experimental Epistemology Research Lab (PEER Lab) is revolutionizing the way we understand music. Located at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, the PEER Lab is challenging traditional perspectives by emphasizing that music is experienced through multiple senses, not just auditory.
Led by musicologist and vocalist Nina Eidsheim, the PEER Lab is collaborating with researchers across UCLA, other University of California campuses, and internationally. The lab's innovative approach is supported by the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, the UCLA College's Division of Humanities, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.
One of the PEER Lab's research projects, "Music beyond metaphor," maps the ways Western music has been shaped by dominant metaphors. Another project, "Sensing home," documents multisensory experiences with a focus on life during COVID-19 and overlooked stories. The lab also seeks to correct the lack of multisensory experience in music theory and language.
Nina Eidsheim believes in developing ways of writing about music that capture the experience of listening to music. She advocates for viewing music as an event rather than an object. According to Eidsheim, experiencing music is the process of music vibrating in and through us.
The PEER Lab is building a community by bringing together academics, artists, educators, and activists. The lab's events, which are free and open to the public, include workshops and symposia. The first public workshop is scheduled for April 29, with others to be held on the final Thursday of the month throughout the spring.
In addition to research, the PEER Lab is also hosting two Soundtrack to Creativity events on April 29th and May 27th. Shana Redmond and Daphne Brooks will share what music has informed their forthcoming books at these events. Audiences will be invited to experience music using all of their senses at the PEER Lab events.
The PEER Lab was opened in the summer of 2020. The lab's pioneering approach could serve as a national model, according to Eileen Strempel, dean of the School of Music. The innovative research being undertaken by the PEER Lab exemplifies the School of Music's unique intersection of scholarship and musical expression.
For more information about the PEER Lab and its research, visit the lab's practice-based research database, which will be accessible to the public. The PEER Lab's multisensory approach broadens our understanding of music, recognizing it as a rich, cross-modal experience engaging multiple senses simultaneously, rather than limited to hearing alone. This reflects a more holistic perspective on how humans interact with and internalize music.
[1] Neuroscience and Cognitive Science research supporting multisensory integration in music perception: - "Multisensory integration in music perception" by Robert J. Zatorre, Daniel J. Schreiner, and Stephen J. McAdams, 2013. - "The neural basis of multisensory integration in music" by Nina Kraus, 2015.
[3] Multisensory integration in perception studies: - "Multisensory integration in perception and action" by Andrew M. Oxford, 2010. - "The multisensory brain" by Michael I. Posner and Marcus E. Raichle, 2013.
The PEER Lab, with its emphasis on education and self-development, is exploring the concept of music beyond traditional auditory perception, inviting audiences to experience music through various senses. In alignment with this, the lab is hosting events titled "Soundtrack to Creativity," inviting artists to share music that has inspired their work and encouraging participation using all senses.
In the spirit of entertainment and the arts, the PEER Lab's research projects like "Music beyond metaphor" and "Sensing home" delve into the cross-modal experiences of music, seeking to incorporate a broader understanding of music perception and theory, thus enriching the musical landscape.
