The wind ensemble catalog

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.

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The Role of Conductor Facial Expression in Students’ Evaluation of Ensemble Expressivity

Journal of Research in Music Education ◽

10.1177/0022429412462580 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 60 (4) ◽

pp. 419-429 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Brian A. Silvey

Keyword(s):

Facial Expression ◽

Facial Expressions ◽

Wind Ensemble ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Rating Scale ◽

High School Band ◽

Band Students ◽

Point Rating Scale ◽

Post Hoc

The purpose of this study was to explore whether conductor facial expression affected the expressivity ratings assigned to music excerpts by high school band students. Three actors were videotaped while portraying approving, neutral, and disapproving facial expressions. Each video was duplicated twice and then synchronized with one of three professional wind ensemble recordings. Participants ( N = 133) viewed nine 1-min videos of varying facial expressions, actors, and excerpts and rated each ensemble’s expressivity on a 10-point rating scale. Results of a one-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated that conductor facial expression significantly affected ratings of ensemble expressivity ( p < .001, partial η2 = .15). Post hoc comparisons revealed that participants’ ensemble expressivity ratings were significantly higher for excerpts featuring approving facial expressions than for either neutral or disapproving expressions. Participants’ mean ratings were lowest for neutral facial expression excerpts, indicating that an absence of facial affect influenced evaluations of ensemble expressivity most negatively.

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