A Comparison of Music Majors' and Nonmajors' Perceptions of Tension for Two Selections of Jazz Music

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Fredrickson ◽  
John C. Coggiola
Keyword(s):  
Order Effect ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Aesthetic Response ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Jazz Music ◽  
Nonmusic Majors ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Musical Context ◽  
Musical Selection

The present study allowed music majors (n = 40) and nonmajors (n = 30) to record their perceptions of tension in two selections of jazz music using the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI). Both musical stimuli were recorded versions of “St. Louis Blues” by W. C. Handy, The first was a popular, stylized version sung by Nat King Cole, and the second, which included an extensive improvisatory section, was performed by Ella Fitzgerald. In comparing these results to earlier studies dealing with music majors' and nonmajors' perceived tension and aesthetic response, there are certain factors that remain constant Music majors' responses did not seem to differ markedly in overall contour from nonmusic majors' responses, which is consistent with previous research. Graphs of perceived tension responses are much more highly differentiated than are graphs of perceived aesthetic response. These graphs produce a pattern that is unique to that musical selection (or in this case, a highly stylized performance). Subjects had no trouble performing the task or using an existing internal definition of musical tension. This existing internal definition is probably applied to a variety of musical styles, including jazz. This study also seemed to indicate a definite order effect in the presentation of the stimuli, which may relate to the way listeners put what they hear into a musical context.

Comparing Continuous versus Static Measurements in Music Listeners' Preferences

1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth V. Brittin
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Significant Interaction ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Art Music ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Western Art ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Preference Ratings ◽  
Nonmusic Majors

In this investigation, we compared listeners' preferential ratings of art music, derived by conventional static ratings taken through 10-point Likert-type scales, and continuous ratings taken throughout the duration of each excerpt with a Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI). Music majors (n = 100) and non-music majors (n − 100) rated twelve excerpts of Western art music, including three substyles (Baroque, Romantic, and 20th-century) and three performance media (strings, keyboard, and winds). Music majors' preference ratings were significantly higher than were nonmusic majors' preference ratings. Although no significant effect was found due to using the CRDI or static rating scale, there was a significant interaction between type of measurement and major. Music majors' static and continuous ratings were similar; however, nonmusic majors' continuous ratings were noticeably higher than were static ratings. Nonmusic majors using the CRDI averaged almost one Likert-scale rating higher than those using the static measure.

An Empirical Study Concerning Terminology Relating to Aesthetic Response to Music

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Lychner
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Response ◽  
Order Effect ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Aesthetic Response ◽  
Free Response ◽  
Response Condition ◽  
Written Responses ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Nonmusic Majors

This study was designed to determine if a relationship exists among the terms “aesthetic response, ” “felt emotional response, ” and “perceived tension ” when used by individuals to describe their personal response to music. Subject groups, music majors (n = 128) and nonmusic majors (n = 128), were randomly divided into three experimental groups, one for each term, and one control group for free response. Data were gathered as subjects manipulated the dial of the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) to indicate the magnitude of their response to the musk heard during four taped listening segments. Written responses were collected following each segment in a packet provided to each subject. The four pieces heard were “Nessun dorma” from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini, “Fugue” from Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J. S. Bach, “Scherzo” from Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”) by Ludwig van Beethoven, and “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa. These selections were presented in four different orders in an attempt to control for a possible order effect. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant difference between the responses of music majors and nonmusic majors. However, a significant difference was found among the terms. Analysis of group graphs indicated a strong similarity between aesthetic-response and felt-emotional-response conditions. Surprisingly, the free-response condition, where subjects were given no instructions except to move the dial, demonstrated a remarkable similarity to the aesthetic-response and felt-emotional-response conditions. The perceived-tension condition showed marked differences to the other three conditions.

Musicians' and Nonmusicians' Assessment of Perceived Rubato in Musical Performance

1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Musical Performance ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Tone Quality ◽  
Performance Variables ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Development Section ◽  
Expert Assessments ◽  
Nonmusic Majors ◽  
Ongoing Evaluation

The purpose of this study was to investigate musicians' and nonmusicians' assessment of perceived rubato in musical performance. Music majors ( n = 48) and nonmusic majors ( n = 48) listened to four different soloists' performances of the development section of Mozart's Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 2, movement 1. Subjects evaluated the degree of appropriateness/inappropriateness of each soloist's use of rubato using the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI), an instrument that allows ongoing evaluation of specified performance variables. Using a Likert-type scale, subjects also assessed soloists with regard to musicianship, expression, tone quality, and tempo. Results indicated significant differences for musicians compared to nonmusicians regarding rubato assessments. Musicians agreed with expert assessments, whereas non-musicians' scores seemed haphazard. When musicians were separated into two groups based on musical skill level, results from the “more proficient” musicians were in direct agreement with the panel of experts' evaluations. The “less proficient” musicians were much less discriminating across all dependent measures; rubato assessments disagreed substantially with those of experts. This study suggests that rubato is an extremely subtle musical nuance. Though nonmusicians and less proficient musicians seem to be able to assess performances on somewhat more obvious variables, it seems that only the most proficient musicians can evaluate the usage of rubato in performance. Based on the data from this study, it appears that a relationship exists between musicianship and the use of rubato and that use of rubato might well be one element that separates the very finest performance from the simply ordinary.

Analysis of Listening Preferences of High School and College Musicians

1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianne Gregory
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Classical Music ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
College Music ◽  
High School Musicians

Undergraduate college music majors, high school musicians in performance groups, and sixth-grade students in eight sites across the United States listened to brief excerpts of music from early contemporary compositions, popular classics, selections in the Silver Burdett/Ginn elementary music education series, and current crossover jazz recordings. Each of the classical categories had a representative keyboard, band, choral, and orchestral excerpt. Self reports of knowledge and preference were recorded by the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) while subjects listened to excerpts. Instrumental biases were found among high school and college musicians' preferences for relatively unfamiliar classical music. College music majors' preferences, in general, were less “own-instrument-based” than were those of high school musicians. In addition, the results suggest training broadens receptivity within and across music genres. There seems, however, to be no predictable connection between the degree to which one “knows ” an excerpt and preference for the excerpt.

Effect of Musical Performance on Perception of Tension in Gustav Hoist's First Suite in E-flat

1999 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Fredrickson
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Wind Ensemble ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Research Protocol ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
High School Band ◽  
Choral Ensemble ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Musical Selection

The purpose of the study was to examine whether musicians who rehearse and perform a musical selection perceive tension in the music differently than do listeners who have not had the performance experience. Students ( n = 32) in a university wind ensemble rehearsed and performed Gustav Hoist's First Suite in E-flat. Within 2 weeks of the performance, participants listened to a recording of the first movement (“Chaconne”) of that performance while registering their perceptions of tension in the music using a Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) dial. Another group of students ( n = 32) from a university choral ensemble performed the same research protocol. Students in a high school band ( n = 60) also rehearsed and performed the selection. Participants listened to the recording of the musical selection, and registered their perceptions of tension, before rehearsals began and following their performance. Analysis indicated that the experience of performing the music did not seem to greatly affect perception of tension as measured in this study.

Perception of Choral Blend Among Choral, Instrumental, and Nonmusic Majors Using the Continuous Response Digital Interface

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice N. Killian ◽  
Lynn Basinger
Keyword(s):  
Group Differences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Voice Matching ◽  
Choral Blend ◽  
Nonmusic Majors ◽  
Pearson Correlations

The concept of choral blend is often adjudicated but seldom researched. Voice matching to achieve choral blend (placing specific voices next to one another to achieve a blended sound within a section) is frequently recommended. The authors asked participants ( N = 55) comprised of vocal, instrumental, and nonmusic majors to move a continuous response digital interface dial to indicate judgment of blend quality while listening to voice-matched choral groupings. Graphic analyses indicated general agreement in judgments of good blend and bad blend among all three groups especially within alto and bass excerpts. Less agreement appeared for soprano and tenor excerpts. Pearson correlations between repeated excerpts were highly positive for vocalists but less consistent for others. Vocalists listened longer before making a judgment. Few group differences in judgment magnitude appeared, but general tendencies toward good blend judgments were evident. Discussion included future research implications and applications for educators.

Emotion versus Tension in Haydn's Symphony no. 104 as Measured by the Two-Dimensional Continuous Response Digital Interface

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 546-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford K. Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Affective Response ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Computer Screen ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Mouse Cursor ◽  
Graphic Analysis ◽  
Musical Context

This study compared musicians' responses while listening to the first movement of Haydn's Symphony no. 104 using a two-dimensional continuous response digital interface (CRDI). The two-dimensional CRDI uses a mouse cursor via a computer screen to indicate the interrelationship of two dimensions simultaneously. In the present investigation, 50 musicians were presented with the dimensions of arousal (i.e., relaxing-exciting) and affect (i.e., ugly-beautiful). The vertical dimension on the computer screen listed the word “Exciting” at the top and “Relaxing” at the bottom; the horizontal axis listed “Ugly” on the left side and “Beautiful” on the opposite side. Subjects moved the cursor as they tracked their response to the musk. Results indicated that there was an inverse relationship between the two dimensions as subjects tracked responses during this selection. The correlation between the two dimensions was r = −.58. Additionally, graphic analysis indicated almost a mirror-image relationship between the two dimensions. When analyzed within the musical context, both the arousal and the excitement dimensions evidenced many subtle characteristics shown graphically as peaks and valleys corresponding to variations in the music. It was apparent that these two dimensions represent different aspects of perceived listening; the exciting-relaxing dimension representing degrees of arousal that were most often the opposite from subjects' affective response. Additional comparisons were made with previous research that used this identical Haydn selection but measured each dimension separately.

scholarly journals The Effect of Wearing Foam and Etymotic Earplugs on Classical Musicians’ Pitch Perception

2021 ◽  
pp. 002242942198999
Author(s):  
Rebecca B. MacLeod ◽  
John M. Geringer ◽  
David S. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Pitch Perception ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Stimulus ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Absolute Deviation ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
School Of Music ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Classical Musicians

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of wearing earplugs on classical musicians’ pitch perception across three experimental conditions: no earplugs, foam earplugs, and Etymotic earplugs. Participants were graduate and undergraduate music majors attending a large school of music in the southeastern United States ( N = 72). Participants adjusted the pitch of five complex stimulus tones (C#4, C#5, C#3, G#4, and F#3) using a continuous response digital interface until they believed the interval was in tune with an oboe (C#4) reference tone. Participants tended to tune flat when the stimulus tone was presented flat and to tune sharp when it was presented sharp across all three earplug conditions. Overall cent deviation in tuning responses showed that in both directional and absolute deviation analyses, listeners were most accurate when tuning without earplugs, then when using Etymotic earplugs, and least accurate with foam earplugs. Significant differences, however, were limited to specific intervals and in magnitudes not likely to be perceived. Although more research is needed, the use of Etymotic earplugs may provide valuable protection against noise-induced hearing loss with negligible effects on pitch perception. Implications for musicians and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The Effect of Text Translation on Perceived Musical Tension in Debussy’s Noël des enfants qui n’ont plus de maisons

2010 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda S. Hackworth ◽  
William E. Fredrickson
Keyword(s):  
Choral Music ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Tension Curve ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Musical Selection

The primary focus of the present study was to investigate the effect participants’ ( N = 100) knowledge of a text translation may have on their perceived musical tension while listening to a piece of choral music sung in another language. When examining the graphs that show the group mean responses of the participants, control (without text translation) versus experimental (with text translation), it is clear that there are many similarities between the groups. Any differences that may be attributable to an understanding of the text while tracking tension in this musical selection are minimal and most likely individualized by participant. A secondary goal of the study was to observe the impact of having half the participants begin recording their responses with the dial pointer of the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) positioned either at the left of the tension curve-continuum or positioned at middial. Group data for participants’ who started with their dials on the left, versus those who started with dials in the middle, also showed similarities sufficient to call into the question the idea that starting at a different place on this scale would affect recording of perceptions significantly.

Continuous Loudness Judgments of Dynamics in Recorded Music Excerpts

1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Geringer
Keyword(s):  
Pure Tone ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Intensity Change ◽  
Noise Band ◽  
Dynamic Changes ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Recorded Music ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Musical Context

This study was designed to investigate loudness judgments of musician and nonmu-sician listeners in response to performed dynamic changes within a musical context. Ten previously recorded music excerpts selected from diverse examples of music served as stimuli. Subjects listened individually and responded continuously during music examples using the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) to indicate perceived loudness levels. A three-way analysis of variance revealed that musician subjects indicated a significantly smaller magnitude of dynamic change than did nonmusician subjects. Crescendos were judged as having a significantly greater magnitude of change than decrescendos. There were also differences between the individual excerpts. The obtained relationships between the subjective magnitude of loudness change and the physical magnitude of intensity change were compared to those found in the psychoa-coustical literature. Music stimuli in context were perceived somewhat differently than were the pure tone and noise-band stimuli of previous research.

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