Anatol Rapoport Distinguished University Professor of Complex Systems and Physics, Mark Newman (who also plays piano in his spare time) has a new book out about the science of music - musical instruments, sound, acoustics, hearing, and why music works the way it does. More information.
There is science behind every aspect of music and music making. What is sound? How does it travel? How do we make musical sounds, with musical instruments, recordings, or electronics? What makes a good concert hall? How is music sent over the Internet? How does a trumpet work, or a synthesizer, or the human voice? This book addresses all of these questions and more, offering a comprehensive introduction to the scientific study of music that draws on ideas from physics, bioogy, mathematics, and engineering to explain how music works.
-from the book preface
