Zoom meeting link: https://mit.zoom.us/j/99015415501

Some of the most important sounds humans hear, including speech and music, are harmonic, with frequencies related by integer ratios. In this talk I will re-examine the role of harmonic sounds in hearing. I will present evidence that human sensitivity to harmonic frequency structure increases the robustness of hearing to noise, and helps listeners compress sounds into compact representations that aid memory. The results suggest that representations of harmonic sounds are fundamental to auditory perception and cognition, and clarify their importance in music.