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1.5.15 Mother-Baby Bonding Could Be One Reason Music Evolved in Humans
When the smoke clears, why the heck did music evolve in humans— music that’s so unlike the vocalizing of any other species?
Summary of three of the leading suspects:
1. Mother-infant Communication
No denying the reality of motherese, nor the universality of it, nor the survival value of it. Much evidence supports Ellen Dissanayake’s hypothesis that motherese is, at its core, musical communication. Newborns and adults share many of the same musical preferences and skills.
The music-emotion connection originates with motherese and is linked directly with survival. In adults, this would help explain why humans have a high regard for intensely emotional music. Music competently composed and performed evokes survival-linked emotions in listeners. That’s why audiences highly value performers and composers who can actually achieve such a feat. (Not many can.)