The Second Person Perspective and the Music

Abstract

In this paper we explore the possibilities that the second person perspective, a postcognitive theory of social cognition, offers to the psychology of music. In the first place, we will review the different conceptions of music that have shaped the classical ways of approaching this phenomenon in the field of music psychology, highlighting some of its limitations. Secondly, we will take the social character of music as a starting point and remark the role of the postcognitive revolution in music studies, as a prelude to a new theoretical perspective in this field. Thirdly, we will present the second-person perspective within the postcognitive framework of social cognition that will allow us to delve into the revolution embodied in these studies. Finally, we will explore the possibilities that this perspective offers for an alternative approach to the musical phenomenon and we will summarize some of the preliminary conclusions that can be drawn from the adoption of this second-person perspective for the study of musical practice.