Music as Foundation for Language

Some cognitive scientists argue that musical abilities are biologically rooted and may have come before language. Cross‑species studies (humans, apes, birds, and an exemplar sea lion) and human genetic variation in beat perception are used to trace whether rhythm and musical perception provided scaffolding for vocal communication and later linguistic structure. — If music preceded language, it reshapes narratives about human cognitive evolution, species uniqueness, and practical uses of music in language therapy and education.