Musical Aptitude Tests Research Articles

Training the musical attention: Towards a new generation of methods in music education

A crucial aspect of musical ability is a music-specific empathic capacity that enables the performer to uncover subjective meanings from musical materials and fully feel them during performance. Based on insights from both theoretical and empirical research into the psychology of music performance and from pedagogical practice, this capacity is thought to rely on a more general empathic ability and can be nurtured easily in most people, including those scoring rather poor on standard musical aptitude tests measuring “melodic”, “rhythmic”, or “harmonic” skills. In my paper, I present the theoretical bases of a new pedagogical approach for nurturing in musicians the capacity of feeling the elements of musical meaning in real time (in the act of performance): I introduce a new theory of musical expressiveness by defining, from a psychological point of view and from the perspective of the performer’s phenomenology, the various layers of musical meaning (the “what” system) and the temporal-attentional abilities that enable to express them in real time (the “how” system). The paper concludes with a short introduction to a novel implementation of the above model of performer’s phenomenological processes into performance teaching: a full training of musical attention called “Practice Methodology”.

Closed-field Auditory Spatial Perception and Its Relationship to Musical Aptitude

Introduction: Musical aptitude is the innate ability of an individual to understand, appreciate, improvise, and have a good sense of pitch and rhythm, even without undergoing formal musical training. The present study aimed to understand the effect of musical aptitude on auditory spatial perception. Method: Forty nonmusicians were subjected to a musical aptitude test Mini Profile of Music Perception Skills (Mini-PROMS) based on which they were divided into two groups. Group I included 20 nonmusicians with good musical aptitude (NM-GA) and Group II comprised 20 nonmusicians with poor musical aptitude (NM-PA). Auditory spatial tests included interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) threshold tests and a closed-field spatial test called virtual acoustic space identification (VASI) test. Results: Kruskal–Wallis test revealed a significant difference between Group I (NM-GA) and Group II (NM-PA) in ITD (p < 0.001), ILD (p = 0.002), and VASI (p = 0.012) tests, suggesting the role of musical aptitude in auditory spatial perception. Correlational analyses showed a moderate positive correlation between Mini-PROMS scores with VASI (r = 0.31, p = 0.04) and a moderate negative correlation with ILD (r = −0.3, p = 0.04) and ITD (r = −0.5, p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study defines a positive association between musical aptitude and auditory spatial perception. Further research should include a comparison of spatial skills among musicians and nonmusicians with good musical aptitude.

Digital technologies: potential for piano education

ABSTRACT Playing musical instruments involves a high level of skill based on the harmonious and esthetic reproduction of notes. The main aim of this study is to determine the impact of MusicFlow, an interactive music composition system, on the development of students’ piano skills. The article also used a survey to determine the potential of using digital technology in piano education. To achieve this goal, the authors used the questionnaire method and the method of experimental research. Analysis of the final music aptitude test showed that only the overall average of piano skills differed significantly between groups (Z = −2.53, p = .031). The results of the survey showed that digital technologies contributed to the correct positioning of hands for 27% of university students and 25% of school students who learn song compositions, which was associated with the visualization of each stage during training. 87% of respondents confirmed that the curriculum influenced significantly the speed of learning and contributed to learning not only during lessons, but when preparing homework. The results of the paper are important for musicians of various levels who focus on improving technical and aesthetic skills while playing the piano.

Musicality measures and generalization of an artificial dialect of English

Wide individual variability exists in the ability to imitate and generalize novel speech and voice patterns, including unfamiliar dialects. Limited research exists examining possible underlying causes of such variability, particularly in the ability to generalized novel dialects. One possible source of individual differences is variability in musicality, either in terms of musical ability or degree of musical training. The current study examines the relationship between musicality and an individual’s ability to generalize an artificial dialect of English to a novel context with minimal exposure. Thirty participants were tested, 15 self-classifying as non-musicians and 15 as musicians. All participants were given Gordon’s Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (AMMA; a musical aptitude test) and the Goldsmith’s Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI, a survey of an individual’s engagement with music). Participants then completed a dialect learning task using an artificial dialect of English (Spinu et al., 2020) in which they are first familiarized with the dialect, then asked to imitate it, then finally generalize it to novel sentences. The effect of both musicality measures on dialect generalization, as well as patterns of individual differences, will be examined.

MARIA MANTURZEWSKA AND HER STUDIES ON MUSICIANS’ PERSONALITIES

The structure and nature of professional musicians’ personalities have been examined by numerous scholars. The issue of musicians’ personalities and the role of personality traits in their music activities is the subject of both reflective considerations and systematic research. The studies in the field of psychology of music analysed those personality traits that had a direct influence on the process of learning, creating, or performing music. When choosing a music profession, it is hard to be guided only by personality factors, without considering perception-related, technical, and intellectual aptitude. Being a musician is a combination of genetic and biological “package”, personality traits, as well as social and emotional support given during childhood and adolescence. Research on the personalities of professional musicians, conductors and composers started in the 19th century first attempted by Strumpf and then they were continued in the 20th century by Seashore, Teplov, Manturzewska, and later on by Bell and Cresswell, Kemp and Woody. It was conducted using musical aptitude tests, intelligence tests, and personality tests (by Castell, Eysenck, or the Big Five by Costa and McCrae). Maria Manturzewska’s research (also using the tests mentioned earlier) from 1960s and 1970s contributed to the popularization of knowledge about a professional musician’s personality. This article presents the most important results of these studies, which cast new light on the personality structure and the features (competencies, skills) which are necessary to become a successful musician.

Development Of Music Aptitude Test Instruments For The Student Of Music Education Departement

It is necessary to develop a music aptitude test instrument as students, basic music knowledge is not optimally developed yet. Due to the inavailability of such instruments in the music education department, this study saimed to design and develop music aptitude test. The tests in used to measure students skills in understanding basic musical skills. This study used experimental quantitative approach. The findings resulted in 40 test items covering 8 teaching goals and 35 indicators aligned to the Semester Learning Plan (RPS) of solfeggio class. Further, the future research will focus on music aptitude test in audio form for the students.

The Kodály effect: Measuring musical literacy in Dutch primary school children

Name: Ingrid Roig Main Subject: Music Education according to the Kodály Concept Research Supervisor: Suzanne Konings Title of Research: The Kodály Effect: measuring musical literacy in Dutch primary school children. Research Question: What is the effect of Kodály inspired music education on musical literacy in Dutch primary school children and how can musical literacy be measured? Summary of Results: Recent years have shown a growing effort to increase the number of music lessons in Dutch primary schools. Nonetheless, an apt way to track children’s individual musical development is currently lacking, and no studies have been conducted to investigate the beneficial effects on musical literacy. The Kodály approach to music strongly emphasizes musical literacy, and prior research shows evidence of a positive impact on specific music skills. This thesis presents a study investigating the effect of Kodály inspired music education on the musical literacy scores of one hundred and thirty-four Dutch primary school children, Mage = 8.72 years. Children were randomized into two groups: a Kodály music intervention group and a control group. Gordon’s IOWA Tests of Music Literacy provided data on musical literacy outcomes. A Musical Aptitude test assessed the learning potential for music. Musical literacy increased significantly in the music intervention group compared to the control group. Children with a high musical aptitude showed greater improvement in musical literacy scores than children with a low musical aptitude. The present results indicate a beneficial influence of Kodály music education on musical literacy. In the second part of the study, the focus lies on developing a Dutch instrument and materials to measure and track the individual musical literacy development of Dutch primary school children. A pilot version and materials that music teachers can use in their classrooms are presented. Biography: Ingrid Roig (Argentina, 1986) studied Psychology and Developmental & Educational Psychology at Leiden University with a special interest in learning potential. In 2020 she started her studies at the Royal Conservatoire. She is the founder of a choir school in Dordrecht where she currently conducts a children's choir and gives solfege lessons. She is also a music teacher in a Dutch primary school for gifted students.

You got rhythm, or more: The multidimensionality of rhythmic abilities.

Humans have a remarkable capacity for perceiving and producing rhythm. Rhythmic competence is often viewed as a single concept, with participants who perform more or less accurately on a single rhythm task. However, research is revealing numerous sub-processes and competencies involved in rhythm perception and production, which can be selectively impaired or enhanced. To investigate whether different patterns of performance emerge across tasks and individuals, we measured performance across a range of rhythm tasks from different test batteries. Distinct performance patterns could potentially reveal separable rhythmic competencies that may draw on distinct neural mechanisms. Participants completed nine rhythm perception and production tasks selected from the Battery for the Assessment of Auditory Sensorimotor and Timing Abilities (BAASTA), the Beat Alignment Test (BAT), the Beat-Based Advantage task (BBA), and two tasks from the Burgundy best Musical Aptitude Test (BbMAT). Principal component analyses revealed clear separation of task performance along three main dimensions: production, beat-based rhythm perception, and sequence memory-based rhythm perception. Hierarchical cluster analyses supported these results, revealing clusters of participants who performed selectively more or less accurately along different dimensions. The current results support the hypothesis of divergence of rhythmic skills. Based on these results, we provide guidelines towards a comprehensive testing of rhythm abilities, including at least three short tasks measuring: (1) rhythm production (e.g., tapping to metronome/music), (2) beat-based rhythm perception (e.g., BAT), and (3) sequence memory-based rhythm processing (e.g., BBA). Implications for underlying neural mechanisms, future research, and potential directions for rehabilitation and training programs are discussed.

Digital Literacy and Views of the COVID-19 Pandemic of Students Who Prepared for Musical Aptitude Tests during the Pandemic

This study was carried out with the aim of determining the opinions and digital literacy status of the students who are preparing for the music talent exams of the universities during the COVID-19 process. The research is in the survey model, which is one of the quantitative research methods and is limited to 300 students who took the music department and department aptitude exams of 21 different universities. The type of high school from which the relevant students graduated, the universities they applied to for special talent exams, their previous undergraduate education, their status of researching distance education opportunities, and digital literacy levels of the universities they applied for special talent exams were included in the scope of the study. Within the scope of the problem situation of the research, the effects of the duration of the pandemic on the ear training, instrument training, voice training, and psychological state of the students were investigated. According to the data obtained from the interview form applied to the students, the pandemic process gave the students extra time for ear training, instrument training, and voice training, but this extra time could not be properly evaluated because there was no educator guidance. It was concluded that students felt inadequate about digital literacy.

Developing choral skills at a young age through choral singing

In this study we will present an experiment performed on a group of children who were selected based on musical aptitude tests and were included in an experimental group. In this group we found children with various musical abilities: some have a very good hearing but do not always sing correctly, some did not get good results in testing melodic hearing but have rhythmic problems, others fail to reproduce the rhythm. Thanks to the systematic choral activities carried out over a period of 8 months, most children were able to achieve coordination between hearing and voice and to develop musically. If the children benefit from a specialized guidance, they can obtain expressive and technical performances through highly artistic interpretations. If the conductor manages to win the children's trust, to form their artistic discipline and to breathe into them a love for music, the satisfactions will be as grand as those received from a choir of professionals.

Attitudine musicale e verifica del potenziale di apprendimento in musica: la ricerca e i test di Edwin Gordon

This article provides a general overview on the theme of ‘musical aptitude’ and ‘musical aptitude test’, with a focus on the research of American music teacher and psychologist Edwin Gordon (1927-2015). After a quick look at the debate on the origins of 'musicality', and on the history of music aptitude tests and early forms of experimentation in this domain, the article goes more in-depth about the entire research of Gordon and the resulting speculations, ideas, discoveries, and investigations: the source and development of music aptitude, its nature and characteristics, audiation as 'musical thought based on a syntactic understanding of music', and music aptitude tests (MAP, AMMA, PMMA, IMMA, AUDIE). A final look at criticism and research about the tests will bring the reflection back to evaluation and education, a pair that is reganing currency today.

Meta-Analytic Evidence of the Criterion Validity of Gordon’s Music Aptitude Tests in Published Music Education Research

This meta-analytic study examined the validity of Gordon’s music aptitude tests as predictors of other musical variables. The four tests analyzed were the Music Aptitude Profile (1965), Primary Measures of Music Audiation (1979), Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation (1982), and Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (1989). Separate analyses were performed for tonal, rhythm, and composite constructs of music aptitude. From 47 music education journal articles that met requirements for inclusion, 215 independent data points representing 6,086 participants were collapsed into an overriding set of five criterion categories: (a) aural perception, (b) achievement, (c) creativity, (d) affective outcomes, and (e) musical engagement. Moderators potentially affecting validity included audiation type, sampling method, grade level, criterion test type, and year of publication. Results revealed estimated true criterion-related validities of .45 (tonal), .46 (rhythm), and .53 (composite). Gordon’s music aptitude tests were consistently but not always strongly associated with many desirable musical outcomes. Analysis of correlations by subtest and criterion category produced mixed results, and high levels of between-study heterogeneity could not be explained through meta-regression moderator analysis.

Perceptual Training of Second-Language Vowels: Does Musical Ability Play a Role?

The present study attempts to extend the research on the effects of phonetic training on the production and perception of second-language (L2) vowels. We also examined whether success in learning L2 vowels through high-variability intensive phonetic training is related to the learners' general musical abilities. Forty Azerbaijani learners of Standard Southern British English participated in a pre-test/training/post-test setting. Discrimination and production tests were used in pre- and post-tests. The participants' musical ability was evaluated through three musical aptitude tests. Results revealed a significant improvement in the discrimination and production of L2 vowels after training. However, the lack of a one-to-one relationship between production and perception gains suggests distinct representations underlying L2 speech perception and production. There was no significant correlation between overall musical ability scores and L2 vowel learning, however, results revealed a correlation between discrimination improvements and tonal memory. This suggests tonal memory facilitates the perceptual learning of the novel phonological structure of L2.

Associations between two measures of music aptitude: Are the IMMA and the AMMA significantly correlated in a sample of 9- to 13-year-old children?

The aim of this study was to correlate musical aptitude scores derived from two tests based on the same structural model for musical aptitude in a sample of 9- to 13-year-old children. We controlled for the influences of socioeconomic status (SES; measured by parents’ education), the amount of music lessons, and general cognitive abilities (i.e., IQ). The sample comprised 89 (46 girls) 9- to 13-year-old children. We applied two different tests by Edwin Gordon: Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation (IMMA) and Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (AMMA) to measure musical aptitude. As control variables, IQ, socioeconomic status, and amount of music training were assessed. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that the total score of the IMMA together with the control variables could not predict the total score of the AMMA. Furthermore, regression models for each of the subtests were also not significant. With respect to the control variables, we revealed an association between the IMMA and socioeconomic status as well as amount of music training. We conclude that even tests that are based on the same structural model of musical aptitude were not associated significantly. This might indicate problems of validity. Additionally, it seems to be difficult to assess musical aptitude independently of influences from music training and SES. Ultimately, this may support the notion that we still need valid musical aptitude tests for this particular age group.

Pronunciation proficiency and musical aptitude in Spanish as a foreign language: results of an experimental research project

This paper examines the correlation between musical aptitude and pronunciation proficiency in an experiment with 29 university students of Spanish as a foreign language. The 29 participants took a test in Spanish pronunciation and prosody as well as in musicality. The pronunciation and prosody test consisted of two parts. The first part was a receptive phonemic discrimination test and the second part was a productive test in which they had to repeat words and sentences chosen for their prosodic characteristics. The musical aptitude test also consisted of a receptive part on musicality in general, as well as a productive part, which included the reproduction of tones, tone intervals, rhythms and the singing of a melody. The statistical analysis with Pearson’s correlation-coefficients revealed a positive correlation (although not for all aspects) between the musical and foreign language pronunciation proficiency aptitudes. The results are commented on in the discussion. Relevant teaching implications are included in the conclusion.

A Comparative Examination of the 2013 Musical Aptitude Test Scores of Music Education Students and their 1st Academic year GPAs

In Turkey, BA degree Music education programs accept students according to their Musical Aptitude Test scores in addition to the Transition to Higher Education Examination (YGS) scores due to the fact that music requires special talent. Musical Aptitude tests are prepared and applied by the Music Departments of universities. The Musical Aptitude Test that is used in Music Education BA program in Uludag University consists of two parts. The first part aims to determine the readiness level of the candidates in terms of music theory and ear training and serves as an elimination exam. The second part of the exam, on the other hand, intends to evaluate the musical talents of instrument and voice, and is used as a selection exam. Within this context, it is expected that students’ success on the musical aptitude test has a significant impact on their GPAs. The relation between those two scores is thought to be crucial to obtain the data to determine validity of the test especially when the purpose of the test is considered. For this reason, students’ GPAs, Ear Training and Musical Literacy I-II, Major Performance I-II, Solo Vocal Training I-II class average grades and 2013 Musical Aptitude test scores are analyzed comparatively. Positive correlation is sustained between the musical aptitude test scores and first year GPAs of the students as a result of descriptive analysis. Moreover, the results show that Musical Aptitude test applied in 2013 has a high degree of validity.

A Study on Testing Reliability of 2013 Musical Aptitude Test Scores Conducted by Music Education Department in Uludag University

Music Education is among Higher Education programs which accept their students according to their aptitude test scores. The aptitude tests are designed and applied specifically by the institution itself according to the specific needs and expectations of its education policy. Therefore, test contents, test formats, degree of difficulty and assessment criteria may vary accordingly. It is crucial for institutions to evaluate their test and examine its validity and reliability and they have to make the necessary changes when needed in order to sustain a better selection procedure. In accordance with this objective, this paper is an attempt to determine the reliability of the Musical Aptitude Test carried out by Music Education Department of Uludag University in 2013. To calculate the reliability, the Cronbach's Alpha is employed for the first part of the test, which only includes multiple choice questions and for the second part which is based on the performance of candidates, Kendall's W is carried out, since it measures the agreement among raters. The results indicate that the scores of Music Aptitude Test applied in 2013 have a high degree of reliability in terms of both parts of the test.

Openness to experience and auditory discrimination ability in music: An investment approach

Why do people vary in how well they discriminate musical sounds? The present research explored personality traits as predictors of auditory discrimination ability, a cornerstone of many popular musical aptitude tests. According to investment-theory approaches, personality traits can shape the growth of cognitive abilities by affecting the kinds of activities and experiences people select. It thus seems likely that Openness to Experience – a broad trait associated with aesthetic and creative interests – would predict variation in auditory abilities because it is associated with greater engagement with music. A sample of 183 young adults completed an auditory discrimination task (the Musical Ear Test), the HEXACO personality inventory, and items measuring past music training. As expected, Openness to Experience significantly predicted auditory ability (β = .28 [.14, .42]). Mediation models indicated that this effect was fully mediated by music training: people high in Openness had significantly more formal training in music, and music training in turn significantly predicted auditory ability. The findings thus strongly support an investment-theory approach to understanding the role of personality in musical auditory abilities.

The Formation of Musical Identity

One of the most important cultural changes in the 20th century was the rise of identity as a fundamental value. Therefore, it is also important to know how musicians identify themselves in music. The purpose of the study was to ascertain how students training as music teachers (school music pedagogy and interpretation pedagogy) at Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT) determine their musical identity and to compare relevant components. How do musical aptitude, home and school environments and personality influence the formation of musical identity? Is the musical aptitude of music and interpretation pedagogy students similar or different? The research was carried out using mixed methods. The data were collected in different ways by using the questionnaire of musical background, the scale of musical identity, Gordon’s test of musical aptitude and personality test Short Five. The research sample consisted of 20 MA students of EAMT. The results revealed that the students of teacher training programme identify their musical identity primarily through educational factors. The only difference in identity building of the mentioned student groups was observed when considering personal and musical aspects. Music pedagogy students prioritize musical factors over personal factors, but interpretation pedagogy students attach equal importance to musical and personal aspects. The results showed that music teacher training programmes create considerably favourable environment for the development of educational factors of future teachers’ musical identity and do not take so much notice of the musical components of musical identity.

English

In this study, a program was developed that allows one to listen to sounds existing in computer, with the algorithms based on signal processing logic which is available via Fourier Transform in MATLAB program. The heard sound is recorded when it is repeated by human voice, and its frequency is compared to the frequencies of existing sounds in the computer to obtain measurement results. The first version of the program to be developed used piano notes in the range of B3-D5. The program generates measurement results in graphic form, corresponding to notes sung. In addition, the frequency results are shown in the information display. One of the main objectives of the study is to develop a measurement system that could be applied in music special aptitude tests. In music aptitude tests, in the questions about sounds repeating, the jury’s perception is altered by factors such as fatigue, and candidates’ measurement results are affected by this problem. This program seeks to eliminate this negative effect in the measurements results of the aptitude test. The first version of the program developed in this study was tested on 10 people. The Pearson correlation analysis was performed with the aim of examining the relationship between achievement levels of students in one voice field and fixed frequency values. The result of this analysis was a meaningful, positive and high-level relationship between fixed values of 16 notes frequencies in the range of B3-D5 and singing values of the students regarding these 16 notes. Key words: Music education, music aptitude test, MATLAB, Fourier transform, aptitude test program.