西北音乐理论与认知计划的独特之处在于它结合了两个具有相同目标的相关学科：研究音乐结构如何与创造力（作曲，即兴创作），表演（再现，运动）和接受（聆听）相互作用和解释）。“侦听器”的概念是我们研究的主题，其定义和应用固有地丰富且多样化：它包括对由样式惯例所限制的历史听众的重建。代表了当代听众对全球音景和电子媒体的体验。我们理解音乐理论和认知的相互作用是流畅的，并且能够采取不同的形式和使用不同的方法。这包括音乐理论，其中包括听音环境的文化和历史知识以及当前的认知研究，以及涉及诸如语料库研究，实验室实验和田野调查
Northwestern's Program in Music Theory and Cognition is unique in its combination of two related disciplines that share a common goal: to examine how musical structure interacts with creativity (composition, improvisation), performance (reproduction, movement), and reception (listening and interpretation).<br><br>The concept of the listener is thematic to our research, and inherently rich and diversified in its definition and application: it includes the reconstruction of historical listeners circumscribed by stylistic conventions as much as it accounts for contemporary listeners experiences of global soundscapes and electronic media. We understand the interactions of music theory and cognition as fluid and capable of taking different forms and using different methodologies. This includes music theory informed by cultural and historical knowledge of listening environments and current research in cognition, as well as empirical research involving methods such as corpus studies, lab experiments, and fieldwork. <br><br>This breadth of epistemological perspective and diversity of methodological approaches is reflected in the wide spectrum of repertoires studied by our internationally acclaimed faculty, reaching from the eighteenth century to electronic dance music. We seek PhD students who wish to become professional music theorists in academic settings, and we welcome applicants whose research interests intersect with our particular strengths in schema theory, topic theory, rhythm and meter, musical meaning, embodiment, popular music, and videogame music.