Interplay between music and mathematics in the eyes of the beholder: focusing on differing types of expertise

This study explored the unique connections between music and mathematics as perceived by four groups of experts: professional mathematicians and musicians, as well as teacher educators in these two fields. Using 2 × 2 study design, we studied four groups of participants, comprising theorists and educators from various Israeli universities. During semi-structured interviews, the study participants were asked about their views on the connections between mathematics and music. This study proposes a model of experts’ conceptions of the connection between mathematics and music, which is of descriptive and explanatory power; that reveals differences between the four groups of experts. Theoreticians in both disciplines highlighted Mathematics as a key tool for music analysis and creation. Musical educators emphasized the role of music as a tool for learning mathematics. All the study participants, independently of the field of their expertise, value structure, beauty, sense of wonder, freedom and creative thinking as characteristics of both fields. Additionally, all the experts hold conceptions of the importance of integrating music and mathematics into various discipline. This study opened new doors for future research wherein utilization of experts’ insights to craft integrated study modules of music and mathematics can be explored, a pursuit that carries substantial significance.

Libby Azaryahu, Ido Ariel, Roza Leikin