An Introduction to Music Psychology

Donald A. Hodges (2020)

Available at:  https://www.routledge.com/Music-in-the-Human-Experience-An-Introduction-to-Music-Psychology/Hodges/p/book/9781138579828

Paperback RRP:  £54.99

Kindle:  £52.24

RCS access:  eBook

This is a really good introduction to the subject of music psychology.

1. What is Music Psychology?
2. Philosophical Issues in Music
3. How We Came to be Musical
4. Music Around the World and Across Time
5. Acoustical Foundations of Music
6. Musical Hearing
7. Psychoacoustics and the Perception of Music
8. Music Cognition
9. Music and the Brain
10. Bodily Responses to Music
11. Musical Emotions
12. The Musical Person
13. Music Performance
14. Music Teaching and Learning
15. Music and Health
16. Music in Social Contexts

It’s nowhere near as comprehensive as The Psychology of Musical Development but, as this book attempts to give an overview of the entire field of music psychology, it would be ridiculously long if it was.

Hodges is scholarly in his approach, whilst still being readable.  There’s also a companion website with media tutorials, quizzes, flashcards, a glossary, and further reading lists for each chapter.

I think this is a really good starting place from SQA Higher / A-level upwards.