The book How Music Really Works has some decent ideas about the evolution of music. Here’s approximately the relevant part.
Basically he suggests it’s useful as pre-language for mother-infant communication, for maintaining group cohesion, and for sexual signaling. The specific structure of music is largely a side effect of how our brain processes language.
The book How Music Really Works has some decent ideas about the evolution of music. Here’s approximately the relevant part.
Basically he suggests it’s useful as pre-language for mother-infant communication, for maintaining group cohesion, and for sexual signaling. The specific structure of music is largely a side effect of how our brain processes language.