Music is commonly regarded as being primarily an auditory phenomenon, and the bulk of research on music perception focuses exclusively on this sensory modality. Only recently have the multimodal aspects of music processing gained significant attention. In addition to the auditory, other sensory modalities such as visual, tactile, and proprioceptive, play a significant role in the processing of musical information. A common feature of the latter modalities is that they rely on corporeal movement.

Examples of the important role of movement in music are abundant. For instance, in most cultures music is associated with dance. Furthermore, we tend to move while listening to music, in particular when the music has a clear pulse. Additionally, corporeal movement is important for the interaction and communication between musicians, helping to maintain synchronization and convey expressive intentions. Lastly, movement is an important ingredient in social interaction associated with music listening. Music can thus be regarded as a fundamentally spatiotemporal phenomenon.

In my talk I will review work on music-induced movement carried out at our lab. Specific topics include kinematics of synchronization to musical beat, influence of musical content and personality on music-induced movement as well as kinematics of movement interaction in spontaneous dance.