Abstract
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in music perception of cochlear
implant (CI) recipients and a growing body of research conducted in this area. The
majority of these studies have examined perceptual accuracy for pitch, rhythm, and
timbre. Another important, but less commonly studied aspect of music listening is
appreciation, or appraisal. Despite the ongoing research into potential technological
improvements that may improve music perception for recipients, both perceptual accuracy
and appreciation generally remain poor for most recipients. Although perceptual accuracy
for music is important, appreciation and enjoyment also warrant research as they contribute
to clinical outcomes and perceived benefits. Music training offers excellent potential
for improving music perception and appreciation for recipients. Therefore, the primary
topics of this review are music appreciation and training. However, a brief overview
of the psychoacoustic, technical, and physiological factors associated with a recipient's
perception of music are provided, as these are important factors in understanding
the listening experience for CI recipients. The purpose of this review is to summarize
key articles that have investigated these issues, to demonstrate that (1) music enjoyment
and appraisal is an important and valid consideration in evaluating music outcomes
for recipients, and (2) that music training can improve music listening for many recipients,
and is something that can be offered to persons using current technology.
Keywords
cochlear implants - music - quality of life - rehabilitation - training - sound quality
