The field of music cognition involves the study of many aspects
of music including how it is processed by listeners.
Rather than accepting the standard practices of analyzing, composing,
and performing music as a given, much research in music cognition seeks
instead to uncover the mental processes that underlie these practices.
Also, research in the field seeks to uncover commonalities
between the musical traditions of disparate cultures and possible
cognitive constraints that limit these musical systems.
Questions regarding musical innateness, and emotional responses
to music are also major areas of research in the field.