Theories of Music Emotion

Theories of Music Emotion explore why music evokes feelings. Some suggest emotions come from the music's acoustic features, like tempo or melody, triggering responses in our brain’s emotional centers. Others propose that personal experiences and cultural contexts shape how we feel about music. Additionally, some theories highlight the role of expectations and prediction—our brains anticipate musical patterns, and surprises or resolutions influence emotional reactions. Collectively, these theories show that music's ability to evoke emotion involves complex interactions between sound properties, our individual histories, and cognitive processes.