Professor Dr. Lawrence Zbikowski

Biography

Lawrence Zbikowski’s principal research interests involve applying recent work in cognitive science, particularly cognitive linguistics and cognitive psychology, to problems confronted by music scholars. His recent book, Foundations of Musical Grammar (Oxford University Press, 2017), builds on research regarding the fundamental aspects of human communication to explore the basis of constructing meaningful musical utterances. His recent seminars have focused on meter and rhythm, theories of embodiment in relation to musical knowledge, and the application of recent work on affect in music, examining how ideas of agency are manifested in musical practice. He teaches analysis courses that deal with a wide range of music, and has lately focused on music from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Research Interests