A. H. Benade and the perception of music
Ian M. Lindevald · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1988
Benade's fascination with the great skill by which the auditory system understands the complicated signals supplied to it grew from his primary interest in the physics of musical instruments. Often, solutions to problems of physics would force questions of perception. The link between physics and perception was natural for him, rounding out his knowledge of musical instruments as sound sources and the concert hall as a transmission system with serious inquiry regarding the auditory system as the sound's receiver. Benade's work in musical perception was guided by his devotion to “real world” acoustics and reflected his commitment to approaching his science from the viewpoint of those most affected by music, the musicians and experienced listeners. The author, who was Benade's last degree-earning doctoral student, will discuss the work in music perception: from the coffee room queries, through the formal research, and, finally, on to the continuing efforts to answer the questions that Benade left, so that we too may have some fun. [Work supported by the ASA's F. V. Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship.]