The neuroscience of music-towards ecological validity

Studies in the neuroscience of music gained momentum in the 1990s as an inte-grated part of the well-controlled experimental research tradition. However, during the past two decades, these studies have moved toward more naturalis-tic, ecologically valid paradigms. Here, I introduce this move in three frameworks: (i) sound stimulation and empirical paradigms, (ii) study participants, and (iii) methods and contexts of data acquisition. I wish to provide a narrative historical overview of the development of the field and, in parallel, to stimulate innovative thinking to further advance the ecological validity of the studies without overlooking experimental rigor.