Musical Activities Research Articles

Toward a conceptualization of the musical self: A theoretical-methodological approach to subjectivity in independent musicians

The objective of this study is to advance a theoretical and methodological proposal for the analysis of subjectivity construction in independent musicians. Existing social and cultural theories of subjectivity have not satisfactorily addressed the artistic experience of musicians. We present an analytic model that highlights the place of language from a perspective informed by dialogical theories and which also incorporates the aesthetic dimension of subjectivity in the occupational field. By analyzing six narrative interviews, we offer a qualitative insight into how independent musicians subjectively experience their musical activity. We constructed dialogical dimensions associated with four subjective movements in the interviewees’ discourse: aesthetic, activity, authorship, and reflectivity. Our findings about the configuration of musical subjectivity yielded three core points of articulation: musical self, existential self, and musical-occupational self. The musical self emerges as a particular subjective configuration, since creative activity represents a point of vital and occupational grounding where the boundaries between work and subjective experience appear to fade. Employing the aesthetic dimension of subjectivity made it possible to add complexity to the articulation and integration of various subjective elements of a psychological and social nature that have traditionally been studied in isolation.

Pathways to educational integration: affordances and constraints on migrant children's participation in Swedish preschool teaching activities

ABSTRACT This study explores the integration of newly arrived migrant children in Swedish preschools, focusing on their participation in teaching activities. The research is part of a larger project examining how these children, who experience a double transition into both a new cultural and educational environment, become integrated into early childhood education and care (ECEC). The study investigates how different teaching activities either facilitate or constrain migrant children’s democratic participation. The research was conducted in two rural preschools with predominantly Swedish-speaking children and practitioners. The findings reveal that migrant children are more engaged during musical and physical activities, which rely less on verbal communication, compared to linguistically based activities. Teacher-controlled events, which consistently link language with resources, help maintain migrant children’s attention, while dialogic teaching practices often result in their disengagement. The study highlights the importance of structured and inclusive teaching practices to support the educational integration of migrant children.

A Training Person Need Analysis for Music Teachers Readiness to Teaching Music Vocational for Visually Impaired Student: A Review

Music vocational is a programme that provides students with work, networking and learning activities outside of school through music performance or other musical activities that encourage students to gain some experience in a music industry job setting. However, music vocational education is still developing and is currently trying to reach students with special needs through special schools. The standardised skills that are commonly used and developed in society need to be understood and practised by children with special needs, especially the visually impaired students. However, its programme some case not being executed by the relevant teachers background. This study aims to examine the need for relevant music teachers for the implementation of music vocational training programmes in special education settings. Literature study on this study to explain the standard specifications of music vocational education and training teachers and how to implement vocational or specialised music learning for visually impaired students. The qualitative data show that vocational music education requires teachers with at least two years' experience and knowledge of music and the music industry, as well as several strategies for teaching visually impaired students in vocational music programmes that are directed towards self-determination in preparation for possible future careers.

Music Education Inequality: A Case Study in Zhejiang

Abstract: This article describes the inequality distribution of music education resources in Zhejiang Province, such as the difference in music classroom facilities and music teaching equipment, and makes a statistical analysis of the data. Zhejiang Province has a high level of economic development compare with other Chinese provinces and the music facilities in the urban areas are great. Compared with rural schools, students in the urban area have more music learning opportunities and resources. However, for students in rural areas, the venues and conditions for music activities are limited, and it is difficult to meet the needs of students' music education requirements, so their level of music training is relatively low. Based on the differences between urban and rural schools in Jiaxing and Haining cities in Zhejiang Province, the essay describes that there are certain differences between urban and rural schools. Urban schools have more perfect facilities and equipment, and they can invest a lot of money in education, while rural schools are relatively backward in facilities and lack of educational resources.

Rapid modulation in music supports attention in listeners with attentional difficulties

Background music is widely used to sustain attention, but little is known about what musical properties aid attention. This may be due to inter-individual variability in neural responses to music. Here we find that music with amplitude modulations added at specific rates can sustain attention differentially for those with varying levels of attentional difficulty. We first tested the hypothesis that music with strong amplitude modulation would improve sustained attention, and found it did so when it occurred early in the experiment. Rapid modulations in music elicited greater activity in attentional networks in fMRI, as well as greater stimulus-brain coupling in EEG. Finally, to test the idea that specific modulation properties would differentially affect listeners based on their level of attentional difficulty, we parametrically manipulated the depth and rate of amplitude modulations inserted in otherwise-identical music, and found that beta-range modulations helped more than other modulation ranges for participants with more ADHD symptoms. Results suggest the possibility of an oscillation-based neural mechanism for targeted music to support improved cognitive performance.

Validating scores from the short form of the Music Self-Perception Inventory (MUSPI-S) with seventh- to ninth-grade school students in Germany

The Music Self-Perception Inventory-Short (MUSPI-S) is a theoretically based instrument consisting of 28 items with subscales that assess music self-concept globally and in six specific areas. The present study sought to validate a German translation of the MUSPI-S using a sample of 444 secondary school students. In addition to participants’ scores from the German translation of the MUSPI-S, associated data included demographic background variables, self-reported school grades in various subjects, and interest in the school subject of music. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesized factor structure and measurement model for MUSPI-S scores. Latent factor correlations among MUSPI-S subscale scores and correlations of these scores with school grades and interest in the school subject of music aligned well with theoretical expectations and previous research. Findings also provided evidence for strict measurement invariance of scores in the German MUSPI-S across subgroups of gender, school year (i.e., grade level), and musical activity. MUSPI-S subscale factor-level means did not reliably differ among seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade students but favored females over males and musically active over non-active students on nearly all subscales. Overall, this evidence supports the use of the German translation of the MUSPI-S in assessing a wide range of important self-perceived musical abilities for research and practical assessment purposes.

How Culture and Musical Engagement Shape Musical Reward Sensitivity in Danish Teens: A Validation Study of the Danish Barcelona Musical Reward Questionnaire With 4641 Adolescents.

The ability to convey emotions and induce pleasure is one of the most important aspects of the way that music becomes meaningful to humans. Affective responses to music are specific to both cultural and personal preferences, but little is known about the individual variability in adolescence. The Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ) is a psychometric measure that identifies five factors associated with musical pleasure: Musical Seeking, Emotional Evocation, Mood Regulation, Social Reward, and Sensory-Motor. With this study, we aimed to validate the BMRQ in Danish teens and to explore the differences in music reward experiences in relation to the amount of musical activity, between genders and over ages. Approximately 30,000 Danish adolescents participated in a mass experiment with a subset (N = 4641, 51.2% girls, age range = 13-19 years old) responding to (1) a Danish adaptation of the BMRQ and (2) the Concurrent Musical Activities (CCM) Questionnaire. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied, and a seven-factor model of the BMRQ was found to fit the Danish adolescent population. The seven-factor version of the Danish BMRQ was due to the split of the dimensions "Sensory-Motor" and "Social Reward" into two further subfactors. The students with a higher amount of musical engagement scored higher across all dimensions. In particular, the higher the musical engagement, the higher scores were found for the facet of musical pleasure related to the sharing of musical activities, especially in the earliest stages of adolescence. Furthermore, we found that sensitivity to music generally tends to increase with age, and that girls reported overall to be more sensitive to music than boys in the dimension related to evocation of emotions. A slightly different model of the BMRQ has to be taken into account when testing the Danish adolescent population. In addition to utilizing the Danish version of the BMRQ on a large sample of adolescents, this study may provide insight into the relationship between changes in the level of musical reward depending on amount of musical engagement and how musical reward unfolds within and between genders and across age groups during this developmental stage.

중년 대상 음악문화예술교육 연구 동향

Objectives This study aims to analyze the trends of research on music and cultural arts education for middle-aged adults in South Korea and discuss future challenges. Methods To achieve the research objectives, the study conducted a literature search using key terms such as ‘middle-aged’, ‘adults’, ‘music and cultural arts education’, ‘music’, ‘choir’, and ‘performance’. Following a four-step selection process, 20 relevant papers were analyzed based on established analytical categories. Results The research has increased since 2011-2015, with master's theses comprising the highest proportion. The primary subjects of these studies were middle-aged women aged 40-60, focusing mainly on the analysis of effects and impacts. Personal domain topics were frequently addressed, with quantitative research being the predominant method. Among the various music activities, singing was the most commonly studied. Conclusions The findings highlight the need for further research targeting middle-aged men, the development of programs and content exploration, as well as literature reviews and qualitative research approaches. Future studies in these areas could contribute to the design and advancement of music and cultural arts education for middle-aged adults, both academically and practically.

Ethnocultural technologies of vocal training of students of pedagogical universities of China

The training of music teachers in China's pedagogical universities is based on strategies for linking national cultural traditions and innovative education systems in other countries. Today, special attention is paid to the training of music teachers, which is due to the increased demand of children and parents for music education. The deepening of such training is facilitated by the special specializations of students, which allow them to acquire knowledge and performing skills in a particular type of musical activity in the final semesters of study at the university. But, since students receive education in pedagogical universities, this performance training should be based on Chinese ethnocultural traditions, and be organically combined with pedagogical training. The article examines an ethnocultural technologist based on the traditions of the national Chinese opera, contributing to the formation of stage skills necessary both for staging an opera performance by students and for replenishing the pedagogical baggage of a school music teacher. The introduction of this technology into the "Performing Arts" subject of the "Vocal Music" specialization among fourth-year students has shown its effectiveness both for staging fragments of opera performances, not only by Chinese but also by Western composers and for replenishing the pedagogical skills of future music teachers.

Attention, working memory, and inhibitory control in aging: Comparing amateur singers, instrumentalists, and active controls.

Despite the ubiquity of musical activities, little is known about the specificity of their association with executive functions. In this cross-sectional study, we examined this relationship as a function of age. Our main hypotheses were that executive functions would decline in older age, that this relationship would be reduced in singers and instrumentalists compared to nonmusician active controls, and that the amount of musical experience would be more strongly associated with executive functions compared to the specific type of activity. A sample of 122 cognitively healthy adults aged 20-88 years was recruited, consisting of 39 amateur singers, 43 amateur instrumentalists, and 40 nonmusician controls. Tests of auditory processing speed, auditory selective attention, auditory and visual inhibitory control, and auditory working memory were administered. The results confirm a negative relationship between age and executive functions. While musicians' advantages were found in selective attention, inhibitory control, and auditory working memory, these advantages were specific rather than global. Furthermore, most of these advantages were independent of age and experience. Finally, there were only limited differences between instrumentalists and singers, suggesting that the relationship between music-making activities and executive functions may be, at least in part, general as opposed to activity-specific.

Interplay of perception, behavior, and sound: analyzing music activities in urban open spaces

This study conducted an exploratory investigation into the impacts of music activities in urban open spaces, focusing on the interrelations between perception, behavior, and A-weighted sound pressure levels (LAeq) associated with these activities. Utilizing observational and questionnaire methods, the research categorized music activities into dynamic (e.g., dancing) and static (e.g., singing) types. It revealed significant differences in participant numbers, age demographics, and LAeq between the two categories. Results indicated that dynamic music activities typically attracted an older participant and had lower LAeq than static activities. However, participants in dynamic activities reported lower levels of sound comfort and spatial satisfaction. Within dynamic music activities, a negative correlation was found between LAeq and sound comfort, whereas no significant correlation was observed in static music activities. Additionally, participant numbers in dynamic activities showed no relation to sound pressure levels, which increased with the activity area. Conversely, in static activities, both participant numbers and activity area were found to positively influence LAeq. The study also discovered that for both dynamic and static music activities, the lower the LAeq were when the people's formation approached a circular shape. This research offers valuable insights into understanding the acoustic environment and participant experience in urban open spaces.

Participatory music engagement and social anxiety: Resilience, social self-efficacy, and social support as mediators

Studies of music-based interventions have found that engagement in participatory music has positive effects. However, taking part in music activities in everyday life may have different effects. In this study we analyzed data collected from 902 university students in Beijing, China, and examined the mediating effects of social self-efficacy, resilience, and social support in the association of participatory music engagement with social anxiety. We found that participatory music engagement was negatively associated with social anxiety, and that social self-efficacy, resilience, and social support mediated this association. This study extends understanding of the effects of participatory music engagement among university students. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

A Case Study on Teaching Imitation Skills to a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Orff-Based Music Activities

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the Orff-based music activities on teaching imitation skills of a child with Autism (ASD). In this study, which is a case study, a procedure similar to the multiple probe design was used. According to this, sessions were conducted with a child with ASD for a 10 weeks, twice a week. In the research process, baseline, daily probe, teaching, maintenance and generalising sessions have been organised. All of the sessions were done by using one-to-one teaching method. The generalisation effect of the research was evaluated with pre-test and post-test applications between individuals, settings and materials. The maintenance of learning was checked with probe sessions conducted 1st, 2nd and 4rd weeks after the completion of the intervention. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the child’s parents and teachers for social validity. According to the results, imitation skills were acquired by the child with ASD after 11 sessions of Orff-based music activities; the maintenance was kept after the training was completed and the generalisation was achieved as stated. In addition, it was revealed as social validity data that the applications were effective also on the child’s non-targeted behaviors such as eye contact and attention span.

FORMATION OF STUDENTS' PERSONALITY IN MUSIC LESSONS

Musical education has a significant impact on the moral and aesthetic development of the child's personality. Educating moral feelings, we are laying the groundwork for the formation of hisher moral consciousness, the regulation of ethical behavior in the future. Therapeutic effect of music is considered, music and musical activity are regarded as means of emotional adjustment.

Inclusive elementary school musicking practice for Japanese students with special needs: A narrative inquiry

Musicking is an old, yet new concept of music-making. The term, first proposed by anthropologist Christopher Small, intended to reinterpret music as not merely an act but also as an object. While musicking, anyone can participate in musical activities, which include singing, dancing, improvisation, and listening to musicking sessions. This study examines the use of musicking strategies in a Japanese elementary school with special needs students. The initial participants comprised 10 students from the first to sixth grades from a public elementary school in the northern part of Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Dr. A, the lead researcher of this study, is a violinist–teacher–researcher with professional orchestra experience in the United States. His career as a guest music teacher spans more than 20 years. In addition, two homeroom teachers and two university students supported the research project as participant observers. Based on Dr. A’s related practice in this area, this study explored musicking with a special emphasis on student inclusion. By applying a narrative inquiry and multivocal ethnography, this study investigated various events that were experienced in the musicking practice. Finally, the participants co-constructed a research-based narrative, focusing on creating a learning environment enabling all participants to build a musical community together. By synthesizing the participants’ thoughts, providing insights into musicking practice, exploring unexpected events, and utilizing the intuitive nature of music, the participants identified an approach for a comprehensive model for musicking.

The reality and difficulties of actual musical activities of infant teachers

The reality and difficulties of actual musical activities of infant teachers

KARL ORFF AND SHINICHI SUZUKI ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD MUSIC EDUCATION

In this article the authors consider pedagogical concepts of Karl Orff (Germany) and Shinichi Suzuki (Japan), regarding music education of young children. As is known, they dedicated their lives to the musical and aesthetic education of children and made an invaluable contribution in world music pedagogy. Leading scientists and researchers highly rate their activities. The article presents an analysis of scientific sources, brief biographical data and information. In particular, it is reveals that the creative atmosphere in his family influenced the becoming of K. Orff as a composer, musician and teacher. The desire for improvisation, composing music, poems and stories, staging theatrical performances became the core that contributed to the emergence of an integral system of music-aesthetic education of children called «Orff-pedagogy». Its basic principle defined by the concept of «learning-doing creating». Various types of musical activities, on which he relied in his work, aimed to emotional-creative and moral-aesthetic education of the younger generation.The uniqueness of Suzuki's method emphasized by the necessity of forming creative activity in the process of musical-performance activity, in particular, in playing the violin, from the earliest childhood. The materials of the article also allow us to understand that Suzuki's "method of talent education" implies: reliance on the belief, regardless of the child's capabilities, that every child has musical abilities; manifestation of the teacher's love for young performers; training them to creative labor; joint work of the teacher and parents in the musical education of children; manifestation of care and mutual assistance.In spite of the fact that K. Orff and S. Suzuki are representatives of different ethnic groups, cultures and traditions, but their pedagogical views have much in common. This is, above all, the manifestation of great love for children, the desire to bring them up to be creatively active not only in the process of communicating with music, but also in their relationship with the world around.

Video analysis of music therapy interaction for children experiencing neurodevelopment delay

Children experiencing neurodevelopmental delay have motor, linguistic, and cognitive problems that affect their skills in various domains, especially interpersonal ones. Since music therapy is based on musical exchange, these three case studies explore how child–music therapists’ interactions change within and between sessions. Moreover, we evaluated whether the children’s and parents’ musical interaction changed in everyday life. Three children experiencing neurodevelopmental delay participated in 70 psychodynamic music therapy sessions, relying primarily on musical improvisation techniques. The initial (i.e. pre-test) and final sessions (i.e. post-test) were video recorded and codified with the Kategoriensystem Musik Therapie (KAMUTHE) in the 10th and 30th minutes. Videos were analyzed using the Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS). In addition, parents completed the Music in Everyday Life (MEL) Scale to evaluate how they experienced musical activities with their children. Reliable Change Indexes (RCIs) were calculated to assess significant changes in everyday musical activities. Based on video analysis, three children were more active at the 30th minute and the post-test, while Music Therapists stimulated them less. In addition, therapists adapted the activities and stimuli based on the children’s responses. Based on RCIs, parents reported an increased musical engagement with two children. Music therapy might help children experiencing neurodevelopmental delays modify their interaction style and improve motor and interpersonal skills.

Cultural capital, standardised testing and East Asian education: The transposition of disposition of Taiwanese elite students

Cultural capital has been an essential concept for educational stratification research. While several studies suggest that in East Asian educational contexts, cultural capital may exhibit less emphasis on aesthetics, there remains a need for in-depth exploration of such orientation. To fill this gap, this article examines non-aesthetic subspecies of cultural capital by exploring how standardised testing, a predominant educational institution in East Asia, shapes a distinct embodied cultural capital – a pragmatic learning disposition. We examine two cases where Taiwanese academically elite high school students adapt their standardised testing-driven dispositions to distinct contexts: a different activity domain and an alternative educational field. The first explores how elite students transpose the disposition shaped by standardised testing to their participation in rock music activities. Our research reveals that their academic learning experiences fostered a disposition for honing precise exam skills, which influenced the trajectory of their musical taste development, along with the accumulation of technical capital. The second case involves elite students experienced in open-ended mathematics competitions, who later enrol in French preparatory classes for admission to French grandes écoles. These students have difficulty shedding their pragmatic disposition, which is deeply rooted in standardised testing, but hardly suits the French preparatory class. Disposition transposition and its hysteresis effect across contexts can serve as a useful methodological tool for cultural capital studies, enabling an exploration of emerging technical subspecies of cultural capital and the associated pragmatic dispositions, thereby shedding light on the diverse relationships among students’ subspecies of embodied cultural capital.

Building an evaluation index system of musical collaborative capacity for China’s compulsory music education: Using a combined Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process approach

The latest version of China’s National Compulsory Education Curriculum Programme and Standards 2022 (hereafter CECPS 2022) emphasises the cultivation of students’ collaborative capacities, mentioning ‘ carrying out the core literacy effectively’. From the perspective of music education, this study summarises the requirements for collaborative activities in compulsory courses of the music discipline within CECPS 2022 in the light of Social Interdependence Theory, and builds an Evaluation Index System of Collaborative Capacity (hereafter EISMCC) by employing the Delphi method and an Analytic Hierarchy Process approach. After 3 rounds of expert consultations and revisions, it was found that EISMCC in compulsory music education is comprised of 3 first-level indices, 7 second-level indices and 20 third-level indices. The index framework and the results of the weight distribution with reliable quality reflect the experts’ emphasis on the process, goal orientation and synergistic interaction of collaborative activities in music learning. The whole system considers people’s general understanding of collaborative capacity, the calls within CECPS 2022 for collaborative music activities, and the practical demands of music teaching in compulsory education. This study provides a theoretical basis, a design process paradigm, practical guidance and a valid tool for the evaluation of collaborative capacity in compulsory education.