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.

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.

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.

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.

Effects of Tempo, Musical Experience, and Listening Modes on Tempo Modulation Perception

1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Sheldon
Keyword(s):  
Response Latency ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Musical Experience ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Response Latencies ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Tempo Change ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

In this study, I investigated the effects of tempo direction, listening mode, and level of subjects' musical experience on speed and accuracy in tempo change detection abilities. Tempo-change and direction-change examples gradually decelerated, accelerated, or remained steady. Listening mode included listening only, listening and watching a conductor, and listening and moving. The two levels of musical experience were defined as music majors ( n = 80) and nonmajors ( n = 80). Subjects listened to music examples and manipulated a Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) to demonstrate perception of tempo alteration. Analysis of data included subject response latency and accuracy. Experience was found to be a determinant in quantifiably different temporal response. Music majors more accurately detected tempo changes than did nonmajors. Subjects were generally better at detecting tempo acceleration over tempo deceleration. Subjects demonstrated a slightly lower degree of response accuracy when listening and watching a conductor compared to the conditions of listening alone and listening and moving. Most demonstrated shorter initial response latencies during tempo acceleration. The combined variables of experience, tempo-change direction, and listening condition had an interactive effect on response latency.

Use of the Continuous Response Digital Interface in the Evaluation of Live Musical Performance

1992 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Musical Performance ◽  
Musical Score ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Specific Assessment ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
Assessment Procedures ◽  
Ongoing Assessment ◽  
Field Setting

The present study was designed to assess the usefulness of the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CDRI) as a tool for assessing student performance in a field setting. Judges evaluated musical performance at a regional band festival using the conventional means of a musical score and orally taped comments, but also used a CRDI device to record ongoing assessment levels. CRDI dials were manipulated on a clockwise/counter-clockwise 250 degree continuum which recorded data, via a computer, three times per second. All three adjudicators indicated that the CRDI did not distract from any other assessment procedures and that the dial movement on the CRDI was a representative measure of their temporal assessment. Analysis of CRDI mean scores and final discrete ratings revealed a 92 percent rate of intrajudge reliability. Advantages of having the complete and specific assessment picture that is provided by the CRDI instrument are cited, as well as applications to other possible assessment environments are suggested.

Listeners’ Perceptions of Choral Performances With Static and Expressive Movement

2021 ◽  
pp. 002242942098383
Author(s):  
Jessica Nápoles ◽  
John M. Geringer ◽  
Kari Adams ◽  
D. Gregory Springer
Keyword(s):  
Significant Interaction ◽  
The Other ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Written Responses ◽  
Tone Quality ◽  
Expressive Movement ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Nonmusic Majors

We examined how movement impacted listeners’ perceptions of choral performances. Participants ( N = 115; n = 60 nonmusic majors, n = 55 music majors) viewed excerpts of Moses Hogan’s “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” under four conditions: good tone/expressive movement (GT/EM), good tone/static movement (GT/SM), poor tone/expressive movement (PT/EM), and poor tone/static movement (PT/SM). They rated tone quality and overall expressivity for each excerpt. We found a significant multivariate main effect for the examples. For both tone quality and expressivity, participants rated the examples in the following order from highest to lowest: GT/EM, GT/SM, PT/SM, and PT/EM. There was a significant interaction between the examples and participants’ major. Music majors rated the GT/EM example higher than the nonmusic majors but rated the other three examples lower than the nonmajors. Expressive movement seemed to enhance ratings of expressivity when performed with good tone but detracted when the tone was poor. In written responses, majors distinguished between expressive movement and tone consistently, while nonmajors could not consistently separate what they were seeing from what they were hearing.

Effect of Teaching Setting and Self-Evaluation on Teacher Intensity Behaviors

1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia M. Colwell
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Education Majors ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Elementary Education Majors ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Continuous Response ◽  
Music Methods ◽  
Teaching Setting

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of teaching setting [peer versus practicum] and self-evaluation tools [Continuous Response Digital Interface (general) versus behavioral checklist (specific)] on the development of teacher intensity behaviors among preservice elementary education majors enrolled in a music methods course. Subjects were divided into four treatment groups and completed a pretest and posttest and four treatment lessons. Analyses indicated that teaching setting and self-evaluation did not have a differential effect on teacher intensity. All subjects made significant gains from pretest to posttest, with differences among lessons. Comparative analyses indicated subjects rated themselves higher than did experts. An attitude survey indicated that subjects who taught children rated the course higher than subjects who taught their peers, whereas subjects who completed general self-evaluations rated the course higher than did subjects who completed specific self-evaluations.

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