Re: Clarity of high/low frequency and impact on musics persistence...

[Eliot Handelman <eliot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robin Rader wrote:

> I ... would be thankful for help in finding papers and information on
> previous research in the field of the "Earworm"/"Cognitive
> Itch"-phenomena
If the effort here is to discover a system of figuring out how to write
unforgettable tunes by manipulating
magical frequencies, all bets are off.

An interesting read. is Theodor Reik's "The Haunting Melody."  Halfway
through  he concludes that the subject
demanded a psychoacoustical treatment which he felt unqualified to
undertake. Still, it's filled
with apposite considerations, and also includes primary material about
Mahler's visit to Freud.

It might be interesting to reflect on the similarities between
"earworms" and auditory hallucinations since,
in both cases, some sort of self-regulation involving hearing seems to
have spun out of control. But then the
question would arise as to what sort of control and, importantly, loss
of control, may be involved in the basic
perception of music.

-- eliot