Abstract

 In the present paper, I critically examine Cochrane’s “simulation theory of musical expressivity” and propose an expanded version as an enhanced and more comprehensive theory. Cochrane’s theory, which is committed to the “low-level” simulation that concerns primitive feelings immediately aroused in listeners, quite successfully elucidates the mechanism underlying our recognition of musical expressivity at local and cognitively low levels. However, it fails to give an account of the mechanism underlying our recognition of musical expressivity for cognitively complex emotions. In addition, Cochrane’s theory generally overlooks the dynamic interaction between music and listeners and the relational and emergent nature of musical expressivity. I argue that these problems can be solved by introducing the “high-level” simulation that concerns cognitively complex mental states. Ultimately, I argue that ‘the expanded version of a simulation theory of musical expressivity’ successfully overcomes not only the problems in Cochrane’s theory but also those in other theories on musical expressivity providing a better account of the mechanism to which those theories fail to clarify or to give due attention.

Keywords musical expressivity, musical persona, simulation, simulation theory of mindreading