According to some philosophers and cognitive scientists, the mind doesn’t end at the head. Proponents of the “extended mind thesis” argue that some of the artefacts and technologies we use to enhance our thinking – from sketchpads and smartphones to models and memory aids — can, under certain circumstances, become part of our minds. Recently, some have even defended the possibility of extended emotions.

In this talk, I consider the possibility of the musically extended mind. I discuss the various ways music is materialized in portable and personalised listening technologies (MP3 players, streaming music services, etc.) that potentially augment and extend processes like memory, emotions, and social cognition. To support this picture, I draw on empirical work from developmental psychology, emotion science and music therapy.