ABSTRACT. Considerable research attention has focused on the role of music as an instrument of communication beyond words, the cognitive and aesthetic aspects of music, the emergence of skills in performing and listening to music, and the meaning and emotion attached to perceptions of music. My paper contributes to the literature by providing evidence on esthetic norms of expression in musical performances, the space of possible musical structures, the ability of music to engender a common emotion and engage people in cooperative social behavior, and music and dance as key features of alliance formation. pp. 191–196

Keywords: musical performance, cognitive process, pitch, evolutionary