Musical Sophistication and Speech Auditory-Motor Coupling: Easy Tests for Quick Answers

Musical training enhances auditory-motor cortex coupling, which in turn facilitates music and speech perception. How tightly the temporal processing of music and speech are intertwined is a topic of current research. We investigated the relationship between musical sophistication (Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication index, Gold-MSI) and spontaneous speech-to-speech synchronization behavior as an indirect measure of speech auditory-motor cortex coupling strength. In a group of participants (n = 196), we tested whether the outcome of the spontaneous speech-to-speech synchronization test (SSS-test) can be inferred from self-reported musical sophistication. Participants were classified as high (HIGHs) or low (LOWs) synchronizers according to the SSS-test. HIGHs scored higher than LOWs on all Gold-MSI subscales (General Score, Active Engagement, Musical Perception, Musical Training, Singing Skills), but the Emotional Attachment scale. More specifically, compared to a previously reported German-speaking sample, HIGHs overall scored higher and LOWs lower. Compared to an estimated distribution of the English-speaking general population, our sample overall scored lower, with the scores of LOWs significantly differing from the normal distribution, with scores in the ∼30th percentile. While HIGHs more often reported musical training compared to LOWs, the distribution of training instruments did not vary across groups. Importantly, even after the highly correlated subscores of the Gold-MSI were decorrelated, particularly the subscales Musical Perception and Musical Training allowed to infer the speech-to-speech synchronization behavior. The differential effects of musical perception and training were observed, with training predicting audio-motor synchronization in both groups, but perception only in the HIGHs. Our findings suggest that speech auditory-motor cortex coupling strength can be inferred from training and perceptual aspects of musical sophistication, suggesting shared mechanisms involved in speech and music perception.

Structural-Syntactic Organization of Thematic and Techniques of Composition: Aspects of Interaction

Relevance of the study. The study of thematic in modern musical composition as the most important element of form creation seems relevant and in demand for modern musicology. In the existing scientific works, only certain issues of its research are mentioned (V. and Yu. Kholopov, V. Valkova, N. Ryzhkova, T. Kyuregyan, V. Zaderatsky, G. Grigorieva, E. Ershova, S. Goncharenko etc.), however, there is no special work devoted to this problem. Among the important and topical issues, many remain debatable today. Some of them concern terminology, the use of the concept of “thematiс” in relation to a completely new musical language, others — the multidimensional nature of the study of musical thematiс in terms of semantics, syntax of form in terms of various composition techniques. The study of the thematic organization on the example of the works of modern Belarusian composers makes it possible to include the cultural and stylistic processes taking place in Belarusian music today in the context of the most important trends of Modern music. The scientific novelty of the study consists in: 1) a systematic approach to the concept of thematic as a category of writing in relation to modern musical composition; 2) consideration of the principles of interaction of macro- and micro-thematic; 3) analytical study of the works of the Belarusian composer E. Gutina in the chosen perspective of analysis. The purpose of the research is to consider certain aspects of the interaction of musical thematic and composition techniques in two main types of structural and syntactic organization: macrothematic and microthematic. The research methodology is based on the interaction of general scientific methods (system method, deduction method, etc.) with methods developed in theoretical musicology. We are talking, first of all, about the method of functional analysis in relation to musical thematic and musical syntax. Also significant for this study are the musical-theoretical works devoted to the problems of the author's style, form and techniques of composition in modern music, as well as the theoretical works of the composers themselves on the problems of compositional technique. The practical significance of the research can be reflected in the use of this research in university courses of musical and theoretical orientation related to the study of modern music. Conclusions and prospects for further research. The interaction of micro- and macrothematic manifests itself in different ways in various types of composition, an example of which is the compositions of the Belarusian composer E. Gutina “Wind Music” (sonorous composition) and “Majolica” (minimalist composition). At the same time, the interaction of two seemingly opposite large-scale structural and syntactic principles of the organization of thematic reveals their close relationship in the conditions of various composition techniques, both in the aspect of shaping and in the aspect of the specifics of musical perception. Further developments of the stated topic seem promising in the following areas: the study of the “composer's word”, the compilation of a glossary of terms and concepts, regarding the techniques of composition and thematic, a scientific and research look at the given problem in the mirror of the manifestation of various stylistic trends in modern music.

Development of Assessment of Music Perception for the Hearing-impaired

Purpose: Enhancement of musical perception has a positive impact on the emotional stability, quality of life, and aural rehabilitation in individuals with hearing loss. In Korea, however, there are a few test batteries available for properly assessing their abilities to perceive music. The purpose of this study was to develop a evaluation material for the music perception ability, Assessment of Music Perception (AMP) considering the Korean culture and emotion.Methods: A total of 15 normal hearing adults (33.1 ± 11.4 years) were recruited. They performed the AMP which includes eight sub-tests: pitch, melody, rhythm, timbre, and harmony perception test, emotional reaction test, Music listening Attitudes and Satisfaction Questionnaire (MASQ), and Mismatch negativity (MMN).Results: The average percentage of correct answer was 94.0% ± 6.1% in pitch perception test, 94.0% ± 7.1% in melody perception test, 99.3% ± 1.8% in rhythm perception test, 78.9% ± 41.8% in timbre perception test, 96.7% ± 10.4% in emotional reaction test, 85.7% ± 14.1% in harmony perception test. The area of the negative waveform for MMN was 275.27 ± 225.65 μV·ms with the intensity of 70 dBnHL.Conclusion: Considering high scores of a instrument, a developed AMP could be applied for evaluating the music perception ability. However, a little bit of correction for each factor of materials is recommended for comprehensive AMP material. In the future, the music perception ability of the hearing impaired should be evaluated utilizing AMP.

Electroencephalogram patterns with the presence of an unknown musical stimulus

The cerebral activity presents different behaviors in different situations and levels of consciousness, especially under musical stimulation. Signals of the central nervous system may disclose bioelectrical patterns, since listening to rhythmic sequences activates specific brain areas. In this paper, we analyze 42 neurologically normal Brazilian individuals, submitted to musical stimulation based on a procedure consisting of three different steps, during which the volunteer is kept with closed eyes. The first step is associated with the preliminary control silence period, without any stimulus, as the volunteer remains at rest. The second step consisted of unknown music stimulation. Finally, the third step involves post-music rest. Quantitative signal analysis computes the power spectrum time variations. Results point out stronger changes in gamma and high gamma waves (30 – 100 Hz). Even though the clinical rhythms (0 – 30 Hz) change throughout the whole period of the experiment, quantitative differences at gamma and high gamma bands are remarkably greater. Particularly, when comparing the initial silent period and the final post-stimulation silent one, bioelectrical differences are only highlighted by gamma and high gamma rhythms. In consequence, this paper points out that the EEG analysis of cognitive issues related to musical perception cannot disregard gamma and high gamma waves.

Musical perception and teaching-learning of French language-culture: Some acoustic and neuroscientific elements for the French music teacher

The musical nature of the sounds of a modern language emitted in the spoken mode, as well as their rhythmic and melodic combinations, exert a considerable "power" on teaching-learning: they provoke, in the learner, decisive auditory reactions, the variables of which are difficult to control, lead to more or less pleasant sensations, (in) understanding, interpretation, produce meaning. Musical perception is at the heart of successful teaching-learning. A language teacher is first and foremost a language music teacher. A French language-culture teacher is above all and always a French music teacher. Among the multidisciplinary relations of the discipline in which it is located, namely Didactology-didactics of the music of the French language-culture, are acoustics and cognitive neurosciences. Despite the extreme complexity of perceptual and neurological processes, turning to musical acoustics at first and then to musical neurosciences secondly makes it possible to recall and discover essential elements and data likely to be of interest to teaching practices.

A Proposal for a Data-Driven Approach to the Influence of Music on Heart Dynamics

Electrocardiographic signals (ECG) and heart rate viability measurements (HRV) provide information in a range of specialist fields, extending to musical perception. The ECG signal records heart electrical activity, while HRV reflects the state or condition of the autonomic nervous system. HRV has been studied as a marker of diverse psychological and physical diseases including coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke. HRV has also been used to observe the effects of medicines, the impact of exercise and the analysis of emotional responses and evaluation of effects of various quantifiable elements of sound and music on the human body. Variations in blood pressure, levels of stress or anxiety, subjective sensations and even changes in emotions constitute multiple aspects that may well-react or respond to musical stimuli. Although both ECG and HRV continue to feature extensively in research in health and perception, methodologies vary substantially. This makes it difficult to compare studies, with researchers making recommendations to improve experiment planning and the analysis and reporting of data. The present work provides a methodological framework to examine the effect of sound on ECG and HRV with the aim of associating musical structures and noise to the signals by means of artificial intelligence (AI); it first presents a way to select experimental study subjects in light of the research aims and then offers possibilities for selecting and producing suitable sound stimuli; once sounds have been selected, a guide is proposed for optimal experimental design. Finally, a framework is introduced for analysis of data and signals, based on both conventional as well as data-driven AI tools. AI is able to study big data at a single stroke, can be applied to different types of data, and is capable of generalisation and so is considered the main tool in the analysis.

THE EFFECT OF CREATIVE DRAMA METHOD ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENTS TOWARDS THE MUSIC LESSON

The aim of this research is to examine the effects of creative drama method on students' achievements towards the music lesson . In addition to this, in the research, it was aimed to develop appropriate educational activities prepared with creative drama method for the theoretical subjects of music, to eliminate the unwillingness of students towards these subjects, to facilitate the learning of information about music theory, to make learning fun and permanent, and to provide the student to learn voluntarily. In this study; For the determined purpose, creative drama method was applied in the teaching of theoretical knowledge of the 4th grade musical perception and information learning field in the 2018-2019 Academic Year Music Course Education Program of the Ministry of Education. The study was carried out by experimental method. The study group consists of 80 students, including 40 students in the Samsun Mimarsinan Primary School, an experimental group and 40 students in the control group. While the subjects pertaining to the musical perception and information learning area were taught by the classroom teacher with the traditional (classical) teaching method in the control group, the experimental group was taught by the researcher using the creative drama method. The pre-test and post-test post-test music course success scale was applied to both groups. With the results obtained from the scale, the effect of creative drama method on students' achievements towards the music lesson was investigated. As a result, it was found that creative drama method had a positive effect on students ' achievements, there was no significant difference according to gender, and the effect on students' achievement levels was 'enormous'.

Dissociation of tone merger and congenital amusia in Hong Kong Cantonese

While the issue of individual variation has been widely studied in second language learning or processing, it is less well understood how perceptual and musical aptitude differences can explain individual variation in native speech processing. In the current study, we make use of tone merger in Hong Kong Cantonese, an ongoing sound change that concerns the merging of tones in perception, production or both in a portion of native speakers, to examine the possible relationship between tone merger and musical and pitch abilities. Although a previous study has reported the occurrence of tone merger independently of musical training, it has not been investigated before whether tone-merging individuals, especially those merging tones in perception, would have inferior musical perception and fine-grained pitch sensitivities, given the close relationship of speech and music. To this end, we tested three groups of tone-merging individuals with various tone perception and production profiles on musical perception and pitch threshold tasks, in comparison to a group of Cantonese speakers with congenital amusia, and another group of controls without tone merger or amusia. Additionally, the amusics were compared with tone-merging individuals on the details of their tone discrimination and production profiles. The results showed a clear dissociation of tone merger and amusia, with the tone-merging individuals exhibiting intact musical and pitch abilities; on the other hand, the amusics demonstrated widespread difficulties in tone discrimination yet intact tone production, in contrast to the highly selective confusion of a specific tone pair in production or discrimination in tone-merging individuals. These findings provide the first evidence that tone merger and amusia are distinct from each other, and further suggest that the cause of tone merger may lie elsewhere rather than being driven by musical or pitch deficits. We also discussed issues arising from the current findings regarding the neural mechanisms of tone merger and amusia.

Musical activity in psycho-pedagogical perspective: analysis of works of the beginning of the XXI century

The purpose of the article is to reveal innovative views on the importance of musical activity in the symbiosis of psychological and pedagogical approaches. The methodology consists of the study and analysis of pedagogical, musicological, art history source base, analysis, systematization, and generalization of scientific and methodological sources. The scientific novelty of the work is to study the features of the study of musical activity from a psycho-pedagogical perspective, taking into account the changing socio-cultural environment of the early 21st century. Conclusions. Musical activity in scientific works of the 21st century is studied in the traditional psycho-pedagogical approach but taking into account innovative pedagogical concepts (K. Orff, Z. Kodai, J. Ducklcroze, S. Suzuki) and the introduction of an updated methodology. Among the relevant in the 21st-century methods of teaching music are as follows: alternation of different types of creativity, use of various creative methods, development of unity of motor and musical abilities, improvisation, active musical perception, the combination of collective and individual types of musical activity, participation in artistic and cultural events, communication with artists, the involvement of parents in education.

SCALE DEVELOPMENT FOR CHILDREN'S MUSICAL HEARING PERCEPTION

The perception of musical hearing has been one of the most prominent elements within the framework of musical talent and many studies have been conducted on it. The main subject of this research is musical hearing perception which is important concept that musical ability tests have been trying to measure for many years. Musical hearing perception is a concept that can be developed with the necessary educational planning, especially in childhood. In this context, based on the constructivist approach, early detection is important according to the level of readiness of the person. The scale in this study was designed to measure the musical hearing perception of children between the ages of 9-12, and was created in such a way that the variable of whether or not to know notes was disabled. Thus, it is aimed to bring the perception of musical hearing, which is the main subject to be measured, to the fore. The scale consists of 3 parts: interval test, melody test and rhythm test. Firstly, the field study was conducted with 100 students, and then 160 students during implementation throughout the design phase of the scale, As a result of the research, statistical reliability and validity analyzes were made and the applicability of the scale was revealed. Keywords: Musical Perception, Musical Ability, Musical Ability Test, Musical Perception In Children