Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2017
Andrea Schiavio, Dylan Van der Schyff, Silke Kruse-Weber et al.
44 citations
The paper argues that early musical behaviors in infants can be understood through the 4E approach to cognition—embodied, embedded, enacted, and extended. Drawing on observational research by François Delalande and Piaget's play stages, the authors introduce "teleomusicality," goal-directed behaviors for exploring and playing with sounds, distinct from earlier "protomusicality" (music-like utterances and emotional interactions not focused on sound itself). A shift from protomusicality to teleomusicality occurs between 6 and 10 months of age, marked by an attentive shift. The framework includes Original Teleomusical Acts (OTAs) seen in exploratory behaviors and Constituted Teleomusical Acts (CTAs), which involve more complex goal-directed chains for musical activity.
Frontiers in psychology
January 1, 2015
Dylan Van der Schyff
36 citations
The enactive approach to cognition offers a relational, bio-cultural perspective on music that moves beyond Western reliance on language, symbol, and representation as primary sources of meaning. This life-based view provides an alternative to standard academic music education by emphasizing the embodied, transformative, and interpenetrative nature of the musical mind, helping reconnect students and teachers to lived experience. Concepts from Buddhist psychology further develop possibilities for a contemplative music pedagogy. An enactive-contemplative perspective may help students and teachers rediscover music as a manifestation of life, fostering richer, more compassionate relationships with peers, communities, and the natural and cultural worlds.
Psychological Perspectives on Musical Experiences and Skills
June 20, 2024
Andrea Schiavio, Dylan Van der Schyff
1 citation
This chapter introduces the '4E cognition' framework—embodied, embedded, extended, and enactive—and applies it to music. By examining musical examples in perception, remote learning, performance, and development, it shows how bodily interaction with the environment shapes musical experience and learning. The authors argue that this perspective reveals a continuum between musical activity and human flourishing. The chapter traces the framework's origins in philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science, then explores each 'E' in musical contexts, aiming to demonstrate the framework's relevance for music research.