Communication and Music in Social Interaction

Communication and Music in Social Interaction gives readers an accessible entry point into music as a form of communication and its impact on daily life.

Organized into four sections, Section 1 introduces key ideas from the fields of communication and music and provides a guide to music terminology. Section 2 explores how the structural features of music convey hidden messages, the emotional and physical effects of music, and the role of music in social relationships and the formation of group identities. In Section 3 readers learn how music relates to other forms of communication including nonverbal, language, and forms of new technology. Section 4 is devoted to specific models connecting music and communication.

Communication and Music in Social Interaction features numerous musical examples that illustrate specific points, as well as links to online videos and recordings. Dedicated to giving communication students, educators, and researchers insight into an often overlooked communicative form, Communication and Music in Social Interaction can be used in communication studies courses, as well as courses in ethnomusicology and the psychology of music.

Jake Harwood earned his Ph.D. in communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Currently a professor of communication at the University of Arizona, Dr. Harwood teaches courses in intergenerational communication, communication and music, and research methods. He has authored or coauthored books on intergroup communication as well as communication and aging, and serves as coeditor of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Intergroup Communication. He has contributed articles to Communication Research, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and other notable journals. Dr. Harwood's research focuses on intergroup and intergenerational communication, and the intersection of music and communication.