In the first comprehensive study of the relationship between music and language from the standpoint ofcognitive neuroscience, Aniruddh D. Patel challenges the widespread belief that music and language are processed independently. Since Plato's time, the relationship between music and language has attracted interest and debate from a wide range of thinkers. Recently, scientific research on this topic has been growing rapidly, as scholars from diverse disciplines, including linguistics, cognitive science, music cognition, and neuroscience are drawn to the music-language interface as one way to explore the extent to which different mental abilities are processed by separate brain mechanisms. Accordingly, the relevant data and theories have been spread across a range of disciplines. This volume provides the first synthesis, arguing that music and language share deep and critical connections, and that comparative research provides a powerful way to study the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying these uniquely human abilities.

"Music and language, two of the defining attributes of our species, share many similarities-but also major differences. Their relationship has provoked passionate debate since Darwin's time: which came first, and why? Aniruddh D. Patel has been a pioneer in the use of new concepts and technology to investigate the neural correlates of music, but he is also a clear and engaging writer who makes his subject exciting and accessible. As a musician himself, and as one of our foremost neuroscientists, he brings a highly original mind to this complex and fascinating subject. His book is a major synthesis that will be indispensable to neuroscientists, and a thought-provoking and illuminating exploration of the mental and neural foundations of music and language for anyone interested in the human brain."--Oliver Sacks

"This book is an intellectual tour de force, raising many more issues than recent popular works...Aniruddh Patel offers a thorough analysis of music cognition and its relation to language, and outlines an ambitious and innovative research programme that deepens our understanding of cognition in general...A work of exceptional scholarship and clarity."--Nature

"This book is a fabulous guide to what can sometimes be an inaccessible body of literature. Although popular books on this subject abound, Patel has provided an up-to-date and authoritative academic treatment...Music, Language, and the Brain is an impressive feat of scholarship and comes highly recommended."--Nature Neuroscience

"Patel's dissection of the multiple components of language and music cognition is elegant and deeply knowledgeable. His writing achieves a masterly balance. On the one hand he is bold and creative in uncovering and explaining important phenomena that link language and music. On the other hand he displays true scientific humility in refusing to speculate too far beyond the known facts. In a subject area prone to superficiality and overstatement, Patel is a sure and trustworthy guide for how to make real progress in understanding these complex but fascinating phenomena."--John Sloboda, Professor of Psychology, Keele University

"This book will be required reading for specialists, and interesting and informative reading for everyone. It manages to combine remarkable breadth of coverage with genuine depth of understanding, and it's clearly and elegantly written. The author has a clear point of view and wants to get it across to other researchers, but never lets that get in the way of the book's more fundamental goal of putting the latest research within the reach of the interested non-specialist reader."--D.R. Ladd, Professor of Linguistics, University of Edinburgh

"Reading Patel's Music, Language, and the Brain is a deeply rewarding experience. The question of whether parallels exist between music and language has until now been a question of wide interest and speculation. This landmark monograph provides a detailed and informed framework for examining this question scientifically. The presentation presumes no prior specialized knowledge and offers clear explanations of the technical ideas necessary inspiring agenda for future research, ranging from intriguing speculations to carefully-worked out experimental designs.Music, Language, and the Brain will shape and inform research on the relationship between music and language for decades to come."--Carol L. Krumhansl, Prof. of Psychology, Cornell University

"...a wide-ranging, well-researched and highly readable exploration...Patel's book is the most scholarly and comprehensive account of the topic yet published. It should be of special interest not only to music psychologists and phonologists but also to other linguists who want to expand their horizons."--Trends in Cognitive Sciences