scholarly journals Musical and Bodily Predictors of Mental Effort in String Quartet Music: An Ecological Pupillometry Study of Performers and Listeners

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Bishop ◽  
Alexander Refsum Jensenius ◽  
Bruno Laeng
Keyword(s):  
Motion Capture ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
String Quartet ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Technical Difficulty ◽  
Mental Effort ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Arm Motion

Music performance can be cognitively and physically demanding. These demands vary across the course of a performance as the content of the music changes. More demanding passages require performers to focus their attention more intensity, or expend greater “mental effort.” To date, it remains unclear what effect different cognitive-motor demands have on performers' mental effort. It is likewise unclear how fluctuations in mental effort compare between performers and perceivers of the same music. We used pupillometry to examine the effects of different cognitive-motor demands on the mental effort used by performers and perceivers of classical string quartet music. We collected pupillometry, motion capture, and audio-video recordings of a string quartet as they performed a rehearsal and concert (for live audience) in our lab. We then collected pupillometry data from a remote sample of musically-trained listeners, who heard the audio recordings (without video) that we captured during the concert. We used a modelling approach to assess the effects of performers' bodily effort (head and arm motion; sound level; performers' ratings of technical difficulty), musical complexity (performers' ratings of harmonic complexity; a score-based measure of harmonic tension), and expressive difficulty (performers' ratings of expressive difficulty) on performers' and listeners' pupil diameters. Our results show stimulating effects of bodily effort and expressive difficulty on performers' pupil diameters, and stimulating effects of expressive difficulty on listeners' pupil diameters. We also observed negative effects of musical complexity on both performers and listeners, and negative effects of performers' bodily effort on listeners, which we suggest may reflect the complex relationships that these features share with other aspects of musical structure. Looking across the concert, we found that both of the quartet violinists (who exchanged places halfway through the concert) showed more dilated pupils during their turns as 1st violinist than when playing as 2nd violinist, suggesting that they experienced greater arousal when “leading” the quartet in the 1st violin role. This study shows how eye tracking and motion capture technologies can be used in combination in an ecological setting to investigate cognitive processing in music performance.

The Magical Number Two, Plus or Minus One: Some Limits on our Capacity for Processing Musical Information

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Ockelford
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
General Principle ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
Magical Number ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
Level 2

Like all fields of human artistic endeavour, music is constrained by our cognitive processing requirements and limitations (Swain, 1986; Lerdahl, 1988; Huron, 2001). This articleconsiders particular forms of constraint pertaining to the relationships that the structure-seeking mind (subconsciously) fabricates between perceived musical events. It is proposed that 2±1 may be a universal limitation pertaining to the level of relationships so ideated. That is, in terms of Lewin'S (1987) theoretical framework in which “intervals” can be intuited between the “elements” of musical “spaces”, it is posited that the cognition of musical structure occurs either through intervals (level 1), through intervals between these (level 2), or — in some circumstances — through intervals between these(level 3). This proposition is explored through the psychomusicological model developed by Ockelford (1991, 1993, 1999), which too analyses musical structure in terms of the relationships that may be cognised between its discrete perceptual components. In particular, the model identifies a type of cognitive link through which events (at any level) arefelt to imply others the same or similar — through so-called “zygonic” relationships. This theory suggests a further general principle: that the highest level of relationship inoperation at any given point must be zygonic if the music is to be structurally coherent. Evidence for this, and for the limit on the level of relationships of 2±1, is offeredthrough a series of musical examples, which illustrate a variety of musical organisation in action. Finally, empirical work is suggested to explore further the theoretical ideas that arepresented here.

scholarly journals 'Beyond zero: 1914 -1918': A centery after

New Sound ◽  
2014 ◽  
pp. 169-178
Author(s):  
Ira Prodanov-Krajišnik ◽  
Nataša Crnjanski
Keyword(s):  
String Quartet ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Moving Pictures ◽  
Archive Material

To mark the centennial of WWI, Aleksandra Vrebalov wrote a new string quartet Beyond Zero: 1914-1918 which accompanied a film by Bill Morrison. The paper presents the means with which the musical structure was created to resonate with the subject, especially the technique of using quotations (musical and non-musical) in order to make the music more "pictorial". The film, made from archive material preserved from WWI, with all its elements of devastation, uses moving pictures to the accompaniment of the "sounding pictures" of music.

scholarly journals The Interpretive Shaping of Embodied Musical Structure in Piano Performance

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryony Buck ◽  
Jennifer MacRitchie ◽  
Nicholas J. Bailey
Keyword(s):  
Music Performance ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
Piano Performance ◽  
Body Movements ◽  
Motion Patterns ◽  
Structural Interpretation ◽  
Highly Skilled ◽  
A Performance

Research has indicated that the magnitude of physical expressive movements during a performance helps to communicate a musician's affective intent. However, the underlying function of these performance gestures remains unclear. Nine highly skilled solo pianists are examined here to investigate the effect of structural interpretation on performance motion patterns. Following previous findings that these performers generate repeated patterns of motion through overall upper-body movements corresponding to phrasing structure, this study now investigates the particular shapes traced by these movements. Through this we identify universal and idiosyncratic features within the shapes of motion patterns generated by these performers. Gestural shapes are examined for performances of Chopin’s explicitly structured A major Prelude (Op. 28, No. 7) and are related to individual interpretations of the more complex phrasing structure of Chopin’s B minor Prelude (Op. 28, No. 6). Findings reveal a universal general embodiment of phrasing structure and other higher-level structural features of the music. The physical makeup of this embodiment, however, is particular to both the performer and the piece being performed. Examining the link between performers' movements and interpreted structure strengthens understanding of the connection between body and instrument, furthering awareness of the relations between cognitive interpretation and physical expression of structure within music performance.

Increment of Fatigue, Depression, and Stage Fright During the First Year of High-Level Education in Music Students

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Horst Hildebrandt ◽  
Matthias Nübling ◽  
Victor Candia
Keyword(s):  
Music Performance ◽  
Music Students ◽  
Stage Fright ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Professional Musicians ◽  
Freshman Year ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
Before And After ◽  
High Level

BACKGROUND: Public opinion associates music performance with pleasure, relaxation, and entertainment. Nevertheless, several studies have shown that professional musicians and music students are often affected by work-related burdens. These are closely related to stress and anxiety. OBJECTIVE: Scrutinizing specific health strains and work attitudes of music students during their freshman year of high-level education. METHODS: One hundred five students in three Swiss music universities were part of a longitudinal study using standardized assessment questionnaires. Before and after their first study year, some custom-made questionnaires designed to fit the particular work environment of musicians were used together with the already validated inquiry instruments. RESULTS: Fatigue, depression, and stage fright increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate more study is needed and attempts should be made to minimize the stress level, improve the students’ ability to cope with stress, and otherwise reduce their risk for injury. This appears particularly important considering the long-term negative effects of stressors on individuals’ health as revealed by modern research.

Multimedia, Information Compexity, and Cognitive Processing

2008 ◽  
pp. 1248-1261
Author(s):  
Hayward P. Andres
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
Mental Effort ◽  
Low Complexity ◽  
Information Complexity ◽  
Processing Quality ◽  
Optimal Learning ◽  
Presentation Media

Organizations are faced with increasing costs needed to train employees in today’s high technology environment. Educators are also striving to develop new training and teaching methods that will yield optimal learning transfer and complex skill acquisition. This study suggests that trainee/learner cognitive processing capacity, information presentation format and complexity, and multimedia technology should be leveraged in order to minimize training duration and costs and maximize knowledge transfer. It presents a causal model of how multimedia and information complexity interact to influence sustained attention, mental effort and information processing quality, all of which subsequently impact comprehension and learner confidence and satisfaction outcomes. Subjects read a text script, viewed an acetate overhead slide presentation containing text-with-graphics, or viewed a multimedia presentation depicting the greenhouse effect (low complexity) or photocopier operation (high complexity). Causal path analysis results indicated that presentation media (or format) had a direct impact on sustained attention, mental effort, information processing quality, comprehension, and learner confidence and satisfaction. Information complexity had direct effects on sustained attention, mental effort and information processing quality. Finally, comprehension and learner confidence and satisfaction were both influenced through an intervening sequence of sustained attention, mental effort and information processing quality.

scholarly journals A soundscape analysis for selected parks in Bydgoszcz

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 00097
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Sztubecka
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
City Center ◽  
The City

Areas that are considered human-friendly are green spaces. The existing urban parks are designed to fulfill the role of relaxation, recreation, and entertainment. However, in many cases, these are historic places, which at the time didn't have much of an impact on external factors. Sustainable development issues are related to the quality of life and the usage of the environment and its resources by present and future generations. Noise and noise protection is an issue that is part of sustainable development. The inadequate implementation of the principles of sustainable development and non-inclusion of noise can noticeably lead to negative effects now and in the future. The aim of the paper is to analyze the soundscapes of two Bydgoszcz parks located in the city center. The values of the equivalent sound level for these areas were obtained from the existing Bydgoszcz acoustic plan. Subsequently, the resulting distribution of noise was compared with the results of subjective perception of sounds by visitors. On this basis, conclusions can be drawn regarding the ways of shaping such areas while taking into account the perception of visitors.

scholarly journals Subdividing the Beat: Auditory and Motor Contributions to Synchronization

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 415-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janeen D. Loehr ◽  
Caroline Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Motion Capture ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Auditory Information ◽  
Finger Motion ◽  
Motor Production ◽  
Synchronization Accuracy ◽  
Kinematic Information

THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED HOW AUDITORY AND kinematic information influenced pianists' ability to synchronize musical sequences with a metronome. Pianists performed melodies in which quarter-note beats were subdivided by intervening eighth notes that resulted from auditory information (heard tones), motor production (produced tones), both, or neither. Temporal accuracy of performance was compared with finger trajectories recorded with motion capture. Asynchronies were larger when motor or auditory sensory information occurred between beats; auditory information yielded the largest asynchronies. Pianists were sensitive to the timing of the sensory information; information that occurred earlier relative to the midpoint between metronome beats was associated with larger asynchronies on the following beat. Finger motion was influenced only by motor production between beats and indicated the influence of other fingers' motion. These findings demonstrate that synchronization accuracy in music performance is influenced by both the timing and modality of sensory information that occurs between beats.

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