CULTURAL MEMORY, COGNITIVE AESTHETICS, AND EPIGENETIC LEARNING IN MUSIC-BASED PEDAGOGY: A TRANSDISCIPLINARY INQUIRY

Abstract

This article proposes a transdisciplinary framework that integrates theories of cultural memory, cognitive aesthetics, and epigenetic learning to analyze music as a pedagogical structure. In oral and traditional societies, music has functioned not only as a medium of artistic expression but also as a cognitive and affective conduit for transmitting cultural codes, ethical values, and collective identity. Musical structures such as rhythm, repetition, and melodic narrative have served as embodied carriers of knowledge across generations.

The study emphasizes the affective and neurological impact of music on learning processes, suggesting that music-based learning should be examined through a broader epistemological lens. Drawing on recent research in epigenetics, it argues that musical stimuli can leave lasting neurobiological imprints that influence learning predispositions over time. The study also introduces a conceptual model that frames music-based learning as a multisensory and affective mapping system embedded in cultural memory.

Through a synthesis of philosophy, musicology, neuroscience, and educational theory, the article contributes to rethinking how culturally encoded knowledge is preserved, transmitted, and regenerated. It proposes that music, far from being a supplementary educational tool, is a fundamental structure of embodied cognition and collective remembrance. Ultimately, the article advances a call to develop music-based cognitive mapping models to deepen our understanding of how memory, aesthetics, and learning interact in pedagogical contexts.