Music is a common part of cultural rituals, social events, and is valued for its artistic and emotional[unreadable] expression. Following speech perception, music appreciation is the next most commonly expressed desire of[unreadable] implant recipients. However, current devices and coding strategies are not optimal for music perception or[unreadable] enjoyment. Implant recipients perform significantly below normal-hearing persons on perception of pitches,[unreadable] melodies and musical instruments; the sound quality is also sub par. Furthermore, strong correlations[unreadable] between pitch perception and speech reception in noise suggest that improved pitch resolution is a key[unreadable] factor in speech reception in noisy situations as well as for music perception. Given attainment of reasonable[unreadable] transmission of speech in quiet with current CIs, music perception seems a logical objective for implant[unreadable] benefit and, one can argue, is a more stringent test than speech of implant design. In conjunction with[unreadable] Projects 1 (A+E) and 2 (Binaural hearing), we will test the effectiveness of novel devices and signal[unreadable] processors with regard to music perception and enjoyment. We will also examine relations among pitch[unreadable] discrimination, speech perception, and cognition as factors in perception of "real-world" musical stimuli. Past[unreadable] research indicates that, for adult Cl users, music training can improve music perception of some aspects of[unreadable] music listening. We will compare and contrast the efficiency and effectiveness of different types of[unreadable] systematic music training for adults and pediatric Cl recipients. In collaboration with Project 3,[unreadable] (Electrophysiology), we will identify those factors associated with unusual benefit for music perception by[unreadable] testing Cl recipients ("star" users) from our center as well as from other U.S. centers. Finally, we will[unreadable] document long-term changes in music perception, enjoyment and participation of adult and pediatric Cl[unreadable] recipients. In collaboration with Project 5 (Developmental Studies), we will examine participation in music as[unreadable] an indicator of sociocultural affiliation with deaf, hearing, or both cultures.