Music Ensembles Research Articles

Musical Role Asymmetries in Piano Duet Performance Influence Alpha-Band Neural Oscillation and Behavioral Synchronization.

Recent work in interpersonal coordination has revealed that neural oscillations, occurring spontaneously in the human brain, are modulated during the sensory, motor, and cognitive processes involved in interpersonal interactions. In particular, alpha-band (8–12 Hz) activity, linked to attention in general, is related to coordination dynamics and empathy traits. Researchers have also identified an association between each individual’s attentiveness to their co-actor and the relative similarity in the co-actors’ roles, influencing their behavioral synchronization patterns. We employed music ensemble performance to evaluate patterns of behavioral and neural activity when roles between co-performers are systematically varied with complete counterbalancing. Specifically, we designed a piano duet task, with three types of co-actor dissimilarity, or asymmetry: (1) musical role (starting vs. joining), (2) musical task similarity (similar vs. dissimilar melodic parts), and (3) performer animacy (human-to-human vs. human-to-non-adaptive computer). We examined how the experience of these asymmetries in four initial musical phrases, alternatingly played by the co-performers, influenced the pianists’ performance of a subsequent unison phrase. Electroencephalography was recorded simultaneously from both performers while playing keyboards. We evaluated note-onset timing and alpha modulation around the unison phrase. We also investigated whether each individual’s self-reported empathy was related to behavioral and neural activity. Our findings revealed closer behavioral synchronization when pianists played with a human vs. computer partner, likely because the computer was non-adaptive. When performers played with a human partner, or a joining performer played with a computer partner, having a similar vs. dissimilar musical part did not have a significant effect on their alpha modulation immediately prior to unison. However, when starting performers played with a computer partner with a dissimilar vs. similar part there was significantly greater alpha synchronization. In other words, starting players attended less to the computer partner playing a similar accompaniment, operating in a solo-like mode. Moreover, this alpha difference based on melodic similarity was related to a difference in note-onset adaptivity, which was in turn correlated with performer trait empathy. Collectively our results extend previous findings by showing that musical ensemble performance gives rise to a socialized context whose lasting effects encompass attentiveness, perceptual-motor coordination, and empathy.

Extracting beat from a crowd of loosely coupled, concurrent periodic stimuli

In a musical ensemble, performers try to synchronize to a governing tempo by resolving differences in sound-onset timing from individual players even without a conductor's cue. Listeners and players alike must construct an internalized sense of when the beat occurs and adapt to that information dynamically as the performance goes on. Here, we examined this process by simulating individual sound onset timings with an ensemble of 40 virtual “metronomes” around 90 bpm with which we asked listeners to tap along for an approximately 10-beat duration. We manipulated coupling strength at five levels (very-weak, weak, medium, strong, perfect) where stronger coupling corresponds to a more definitively periodic beat. The inter tap interval (ITI) from 8 subjects were analyzed in three segments of the trial duration [early (tap 1–3), middle (4–6), and late (7–9)]. Also, the phase coherence of taps between listeners was compared to the stimulus density. Stronger coupling resulted in more stable ITI, while ITI became shorter in later segments for the medium and weak conditions. Interestingly, taps coincided with the greatest stimulus density for weaker coupling, whereas taps led ahead for stronger coupling. The results suggest that listeners could maintain a collective beat perception but less anticipatorily for less-synchronized sounds.In a musical ensemble, performers try to synchronize to a governing tempo by resolving differences in sound-onset timing from individual players even without a conductor's cue. Listeners and players alike must construct an internalized sense of when the beat occurs and adapt to that information dynamically as the performance goes on. Here, we examined this process by simulating individual sound onset timings with an ensemble of 40 virtual “metronomes” around 90 bpm with which we asked listeners to tap along for an approximately 10-beat duration. We manipulated coupling strength at five levels (very-weak, weak, medium, strong, perfect) where stronger coupling corresponds to a more definitively periodic beat. The inter tap interval (ITI) from 8 subjects were analyzed in three segments of the trial duration [early (tap 1–3), middle (4–6), and late (7–9)]. Also, the phase coherence of taps between listeners was compared to the stimulus density. Stronger coupling resulted in more stable ITI, while ITI became s...

A range of large music rehearsal spaces: 3 case studies

A rehearsal room for a large music ensemble must strike a balance between acoustic support and loudness control. Typically Kirkegaard approaches this by capturing a large volume and treating it with a mix of reflective and absorptive surfaces, plus some movable absorption. The size of the room’s volume, the treatment of the reflective and absorptive surfaces, and the location and extent of the adjustable absorption responds to the types of ensembles and music that the room serves. Three examples: At University of Virginia’s Hunter Smith Band Building, the main user was the 250-person marching band. This new construction used generous height and deep absorption to control loudness, despite extensive glazing. At University of Southern California’s Schoenfeld Symphonic Hall, a former soundstage was adapted into the primary rehearsal room for the Thornton School’s orchestra, wind ensemble, and percussion ensembles, with secondary use as a recording space. The renovation had to compensate for limited acoustic volume and directly adjacent mechanical room while transforming the room architecturally. At Oregon Bach Festival’s purpose-built Berwick Hall the focus was on early music—rehearsal, instruction, and performance. Our response was a moderate volume with little fixed absorption, creating an unusually reverberant rehearsal room with an extraordinarily beautiful sound.

Temporomandibular disorders, pain in the neck and shoulder area, and headache among musicians.

BackgroundUncertainties still exist about the role of playing musical instruments on the report of musculoskeletal complaints and headache.ObjectivesTo evaluate the prevalence of and risk indicators for symptoms of temporomandibular disorders, pain in the neck or shoulder, and headache among musicians.MethodsA questionnaire was distributed among 50 Dutch music ensembles.ResultsThe questionnaire was completed by 1470 musicians (response rate 77.0%). Of these, 371 musicians were categorised as woodwind players, 300 as brass players, 276 as upper strings players, 306 as vocalists and 208 as controls; nine musicians had not noted their main instrument. The mean age was 41.6 years (standard deviation [SD] 17.2), and 46.5% were male. Irrespective of instrumentalist group, 18.3% of the musicians reported TMD pain, 52.5% reported pain in the neck and shoulder area, and 42.5% reported headache. Of the functional complaints, 18.3% of the musicians reported TMJ sounds, whereas a jaw lock or catch on opening or on closing was reported by 7.1% and 2.4%, respectively. TMD pain was associated with playing a woodwind instrument, whereas pain in the neck and shoulder was associated with playing the violin or viola. For each complaint, oral behaviours were found as risk indicator, supplemented by specific risk indicators for the various complaints.ConclusionsThe current finding that pain‐related symptoms varied widely between instrumentalist groups seems to reflect the impact of different instrument playing techniques. Playing a musical instrument appears not the primary aetiologic factor in precipitating a functional temporomandibular joint problem.

The Role of the Contemporary Music Ensembles in the Twenty First-Century Korea, Focusing on CMEK, SORI, and Ensemble TIMF

The Role of the Contemporary Music Ensembles in the Twenty First-Century Korea, Focusing on CMEK, SORI, and Ensemble TIMF

TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND CONTEMPORARY TRENDS: MUSIC IN ASEAN COMMUNITIES

The traditional music and performing arts in the ASEAN have found new powerful conduits of transmission with the advent of the digital age. Although claims of cultural ownership over music and dance occasionally appear on social networks and media platforms, the ubiquity of the Internet has in fact benefitted the general public, allowing them access to images and sounds hitherto unknown. Modernisation has taken its toll on the region’s musical heritage. Ancient elements of indigenous music have faded away. The influx of popular and Western music has increasingly eroded the space and demand for traditional music. Many orchestras in the region feature diverse musical instruments tuned to a common Western tuning system, thus relinquishing their Asian musical roots. The fusion of Asian musical ensembles with Western musical instruments has forced the tuning of gongs, xylophones, metallophones, and singing to the Western diatonic scale, losing their indigenous resonances, sonorities, and timbres. Urbanisation and the migration of the young into urban areas disrupted the discontinuity in generational transmission of music. Village rituals and ceremonies play an important role in preserving ancient religious systems where music, dance, and theatre were essential as part of agricultural life, trance and curing rites, and communal well-being. The onslaught of mass media and the Internet has also accentuated the de-sacralisation of ritual spaces, leaving many musical traditions behind as memories of the past.Keywords: traditional music, urbanisation, de-sacralisation, memories, ASEAN.

Online Audio-Visual Source Association for Chamber Music Performances

In audio-visual recordings of music performances, visual cues from instrument players exhibit good temporal correspondence with the audio signals and the music content. These correspondences provide useful information for estimating source associations, i.e., for identifying the affiliation between players and sound sources or score parts. In this paper, we propose a computational system that models audio-visual correspondences to achieve source association for Western chamber music ensembles including strings, woodwind, and brass instruments. Through its three modules, the system models three typical types of correspondences between 1) body motion (e.g., bowing for string instruments and sliding for trombone) and note onsets, 2) finger motion (e.g., fingering for most woodwind and brass instruments) and note onsets, and 3) vibrato hand motion (e.g., fingering hand rolling for string instruments) and pitch fluctuations. Although the three modules are designed for estimating associations for different instruments, the overall system provides a universal framework for all common melodic instruments in Western chamber ensembles. The framework automatically and adaptively integrates the three modules, without requiring prior knowledge of the instrument types. The system operates in an online fashion, i.e., associations are updated as the audio-visual stream progresses. We evaluate the system on ensembles with different instruments and polyphony, ranging from duets to quintets. Results demonstrate that association accuracy increases as the duration of video excerpts increases. For string quintets, the accuracy is over 90% from just a 5-second video excerpt, while for woodwind, brass, and mixed-instrument quintets, a similar accuracy can be reached after processing 30 seconds of video. The result of the proposed framework is promising and enables novel applications such as interactive audio-visual music editing and auto-whirling camera in concerts.

Middle School Music Ensemble Participation, Homophobic Name-Calling, and Mental Health

Homophobic name-calling is commonplace in middle schools and is emerging as an antecedent to more serious, deleterious concerns, including depressive or anxious symptoms among youth. While music education researchers suggest that youth enrolled in music ensembles are targets for homophobic epitaphs, little is known about how experiencing homophobic teasing during early adolescence relates to their self-reported mental health. Using data from a large-scale investigation of middle school youth, we examined the prevalence of homophobic name-calling and its relationship on indicators of mental health, including depression and anxiety. Results indicate that being a target of homophobic victimization has significant mental health consequences for youth in the current sample, although differentially for youth participating in a music ensemble and those who do not. Music ensembles are complex social environments, and our results raise questions about how prevalent or localized homophobic epitaphs are for youth enrolled in music ensembles when compared with those who are not.

MUSIK ODROT DI KABUPATEN PONOROGO

Odrot music is the art of music featured in Ponorogo, existing end centuries of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, but its development was started in 1958. From then on stand several music groups Odrot, but that survive today are a group of music Odrot Kelana Ria. Although there are other groups who also manages Music Odrot, but the players invited players in Kelana group Ria. Music Odrot is a musical ensemble consisting of instruments trumpet, Euphonium 1, Euphonium 2, flugel, sousaphone (which by the player music Odrot called a piston, tenor 1, tenor 2, kaltu, bass), drums, kendang ciblon, ketipung dangdut, jidor and cer, keyboard and electric bass.Odrot Music initially brought the songs of preaching Islamic nuance. Furthermore, Odrot music was developed in accordance with the times so that the songs were not limited to propaganda songs where tailored to the needs of supporters. This study aimed to describe a way of presenting Odrot music and explain its function in society in detail. Odrot Music ensemble distinguished by traditional and modern terms: so-called traditional because of the instruments used is a piston, tenor 1, tenor 2, kaltu, bass, drums, kendang ciblon, ketipung dangdut, jidor and cer; called modern because coupled with keyboard instruments and electric bass. If the ensemble Odrot Music brings the songs styles (langgam), the instruments which are used namely kendang ciblon, while dangdut songs accompanied by ketipung dangdut.There is a basic song which (if not in special circumstances) is always played the name of that song is Ponoragan Kebo Giro. In addition, this song further characterize Odrot. Ponoragan songs Kebo Giro consists of 8 (eight) bars are played repeatedly in accordance with the cue trumpet. The song is sung to the rhythm of the Odrot's mars and traditional. Therefore, the ordot main function is as an entertainment in addition to other functions as an aesthetic presentation, the physical response, local cultural identity, informal educational facilities, media propaganda, cultural continuity, communication, and community integration.

Are vocalists prone to temporomandibular disorders?

BackgroundAs vocalists demand high physical strains of the masticatory system, singing is frequently mentioned as a risk factor for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).ObjectivesThis study investigated whether vocalists report a higher prevalence of two types of TMDs (viz., TMD pain and temporomandibular joint sounds) compared with instrumentalists who do not load their masticatory system while performing. In addition, we examined which risk indicators are associated with the presence of these TMDs among musicians.MethodsA total of 1470 musicians from 50 different music ensembles completed a questionnaire. Of these musicians, 306 were vocalists (mean age ± SD 37.5 ± 17.7 years; 63.9% female) and 209 musicians enrolled the control group (mean age ± SD 42.7 ± 18.0 years; 40.7% female).ResultsThe prevalence of self‐reported TMD pain among vocalists was 21.9%, as compared to 12.0% in the control group. 20.0% of the vocalists reported TMJ sounds versus 15.1% of the controls. The multiple regression models indicated that being a vocalist was not a risk indicator for the presence of self‐reported TMD pain nor for self‐reported TMJ sounds. Instead, it appeared that the report of TMD pain among musicians was positively associated with female gender, next to the level of physical workload, depicted as frequency of oral behaviours and the hours of daily practice. Musicians’ report of TMJ sounds was associated with oral behaviours.ConclusionThis study shows that singing is not associated with the reports of TMD pain and TMJ sounds, after adjusting for potentially confounding variables included in the models.

Beyond music: Emotional skills and its development in young adults in choirs and bands

Latest studies point out the importance of emotional competencies in young people’s education. Music is closely linked to people’s personal development and the evidence suggests that there are differences in young people who participate in group music-making activities and young people who do not. In the present study we analysed the socioemotional profile of sample of Spanish adolescent musicians who sang in choirs or played in bands. A total of 660 adolescent musicians and 655 non-musicians participated in the study, which evaluated emotional competencies, life satisfaction, motivation to study and capacity of leadership. At the same time, an ad hoc questionnaire was also administered to the musicians to obtain their academic musical profile. The results of the study show statistically significant differences between musicians and non-musicians in all measured variables, and suggest that, in line with previous research, belonging to a musical ensemble, such as choirs and bands, is related with the development of many skills as well as self-perception. Furthermore, it promotes the development of socioemotional competencies, motivation and leadership.

The Information Searching Behaviour of Music Directors

Abstract
 Objective – This research project sought to elucidate some of the information searching behaviours of directors/conductors of performing music ensembles when selecting repertoire for performance. Of particular focus was the kind of information needed to select repertoire and where that information was sought and acquired.
 Methods – Semi-structured, guided interviews were undertaken with three conductors from varying musical ensemble forms (choral, orchestral, and wind). This included a graphical elicitation exercise following Sonnenwald’s concept of information horizon maps. A narrative analysis was done, and recurring themes were sought in the various responses to questions and created drawings.
 Results – The results indicated that directors make significant use of historical and print resources in creating personal lists of repertoire for current or future use. Professional connections for discussion of new or less well-known repertoire were also very important. One particularly interesting outcome was the non-temporally bound nature of conductors’ information searching behaviour, as the current models of information behaviour primarily relate to temporally bound searches. The Internet was noted by the three conductors not as an information source in and of itself but rather as an extension of other information sources.
 Conclusions – This research highlighted the atemporal nature of information searching behaviour in music directors and suggested a similar aspect in the broader information search process. It indicated a need for libraries that cater to performers to maintain historical lists of varying types (e.g., concert programs, similar lists created by other prominent members of the community, and other types of repertoire lists). Additionally, maintaining community connections and knowledge of new or newly available repertoire is important.

Wellbeing in Brass Bands: The Benefits and Challenges of Group Music Making.

The wellbeing impacts of group music making have been established by evidence-based research. However, studies have largely focused on one group music activity; singing in choirs. To what extent can these wellbeing impacts be considered representative of group music making? This paper presents a survey of wellbeing impacts in brass band players. A wellbeing survey was designed to obtain qualitative information as well as quantitative data for computing descriptive statistics regarding both positive and negative impacts of group music making on wellbeing. The survey was distributed via Brass Bands England and 346 adult brass band players reported self-perceived wellbeing impacts across five categories; physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual. Responses were analyzed through a descriptive statistical approach combined with an applied thematic analysis that identified the wellbeing impacts expressed by the performers, as well as their valence (positive vs. negative). Areas of overlap between choral practice and brass band work were identified, most notably in the categories of physical, psychological, and social wellbeing; enhanced respiratory function and body posture, reduced stress, improved general mental health, and regular social interaction. We also identified wellbeing themes that are less common in choral research; impacts relating to the brass bands' physical demands, competitive tradition, community roles, and cross-generational social structures. Based on findings, we created a visual model of group music making impacts across five wellbeing categories as a basis for future research. A wider appreciation of the relationships between group music making and wellbeing can be achieved by expanding the present research base to varied music ensembles and adapting the present model to emerging findings. Testing in this systematic way would enhance understanding of the general wellbeing impacts of group music making that might be accounted for by universal brain and body processes vs. wellbeing impacts that may be unique to different ensemble types due to their particular performance styles, practice demands and traditions.

The Art of Arpeggiation

Student Number 3167720 Supervisor(s) Patrick van Deurzen Title The Art of Arpeggiation Research Question How many different ways of arpeggiation is it possible to think of and how is musical meaning created through them? Summary This research is about discovering the expressive possibilities of arpeggiation – may it be indicated by an arpeggio sign or added arbitrarily by a performer. For two reasons this question seems relevant: 1. In the past century, the idea that musical performance should be an exact reproduction of the score has become increasingly predominant and in consequence the idea of exact synchronity has evolved. Seeking for a more creative and less reproducing way to perform, breaking up this rigid synchronity provides us with an exciting "playground" yet to be explored. 2. Particularly on the classical guitar arpeggiation can frequently be heard – often for more technical than musical reasons. Especially on this instrument, a more reflected use is desirable. It was barely looked at the rules on what happens "inside" an arpeggiation. A reason for that might be, that everything inside an arpeggiation usually occurs very rapidly which makes it a lot harder to be analyzed. Besides that, often in arpeggiation the performer relies on "automatic" processes that are difficult to be modified consciously. I propose the idea, that arpeggiation consists of multiple layers of meaning that can be put together in any possible combination. The layers of arpeggiation span with increasing subtlety from habitual arpeggiation to a meticulously planned effect. In the presentation I will demonstrate this concept by showing different ways and meanings of arpeggiation in recordings and on my instrument. Short Bio Niels Pfeffer finished his harpsichord studies at the Stuttgart University of Music under Jörg Halubek and his guitar studies with Johannes Monno in 2017. He is studying in master with Robert Hill in Freiburg (harpsichord) and with Zoran Dukić in The Hague (guitar). With the guitar he won numerous prizes at renowned competitions. He is passionate about playing continuo on theorbo and harpsichord. With both instruments he took part in opera and orchestra performances. As member of different early music ensembles he has been regularly successful in competitions. At the University of Music Stuttgart he is teaching continuo and theorbo.

Об алеаторике исполнительского процесса в «Антифонах» Сергея Слонимского

The article is devoted to Sergei Slonimsky’s string quartet Antiphons – one of the brightest examples of this genre of the last third of the 20th century, which possesses a unique string quartet phonosphere. This composition has paved the way for the search of modern Russian composers in the direction of reinvention of the sound of this classical musical ensemble, its characterization as a single timbre endowed with rich coloristic possibilities. The original concept of this work, implicated by the contrast of sound in time and space inherent in it, is artistically manifested by means of avant-garde stylistic traits of musical language, where a substantial position is endowed to the aleatory technique. The element of chance is an important part of the artistic design of Antiphons, not only on the level of the creation of a musical composition, but also at the stage of its realization in performance. From the standpoint of the aleatory element of the performing process, the author examines various parameters of the musical language, which are established by each of the performers of the string quartet, according to the composer's instructions, as well as those components which pertain to the performers’ range of techniques: the musicians moving around on stage, intonating as a means of artistic expression, the organization of quantal rhythm, as well as individual playing techniques and methods of sound production. They are conducive to creating the antiphonic sounds of the string quartet ensemble endowed with a wide range of sonorous colors and bright coloristic effects, which creates the impression of a living, permanently changing musical fabric and total freedom of the performing process taking place on the stage. As a result, the author of the article asserts that due to the aleatory technique of the performance present in the Antiphons, the musicians in the string quartet act as sort of co-authors of the composition, each time creating a new version of it during every performance of it. This variety of act of collaboration between the composer and the performers presents a confirmation of the fact that the musical composition is living material capable of a multitude of performance interpretations. Keywords: Sergei Slonimsky, Antiphons, string quartet, aleatory technique, the process of performance, instrumental performance.

Cross-feedback with Partner Contributes to Performance Accuracy in Finger-tapping Rhythm Synchronization between One Leader and Two Followers

As observed in musical ensembles, people synchronize with a leader together with other people. This study aimed to investigate whether interdependency with a partner improves performance accuracy in rhythm synchronization with the leader. Participants performed a synchronization task via auditory signal by finger tapping in which two followers simultaneously synchronized with a leader: an isochronous metronome or a human leader with or without feedback from the followers. This task was conducted with and without cross-feedback (CFB) between the followers. The followers’ weak mutual tempo tracking via the CFB and the followers’ strong tempo tracking to the leader improved the tempo stability. Additionally, because the interdependency between the followers was weaker than the followers’ dependency on the human leader, the CFB did not enlarge the synchronization error between the human leader and the followers, which occurred in synchronization with the metronome. Thus, the CFB between the followers contributed to accuracy in synchronization with the human leader. The results suggest that in ensembles, players should strongly attend to the leader and should attempt to be less conscious of partners to maintain the appropriate balance between influences from the leader and partners.

Singing is not associated with temporomandibular disorders

This research investigated whether vocalists report pain-related forms of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds more often than musicians who do not load their masticatory system while playing. In addition, we investigated which risk indicators were associated with TMDs among musicians. A total of 1,470 musicians from 50 different music ensembles completed a questionnaire, including 306 vocalists (the group investigated) and 209 musicians who do not load their jaw while playing (the control group). The prevalence of self-reported TMD pain among the vocalists was 21.9%, compared with 12.0% in the control group. 19.6% of the vocalists reported TMJ sounds versus 14.8% of the controls. From the multiple regression model, taking into account the effect of confounders, such as age and gender, singers were not shown to report TMD pain and jaw joint sounds more often than non-singers. Various forms of physical workload were, however, positively associatedwith the presence of self-reported TMDs among musicians, namely the intensity of harmful oral habits with TMD pain and TMJ sounds, the number of hours of daily practice with TMD pain, and the number of years of playing experience with TMJ sounds.

Hybrid dynamics in a paired rhythmic synchronization–continuation task

Synchronization is a fundamental component of a musical ensemble. Recent advancements in behavioral time series analyses have produced increasing evidence of global coordination, matching in statistical structures of fluctuation in long timescales, separate from synchronization as local coordination. Previous studies have demonstrated that strong interactions in local timescales and interactions in multiple scales with weak local interactions can be sources of global coordination. However, knowledge of global coordination in human rhythmic movement is still limited. The present study investigated fluctuation and coordination dynamics for inter-tap intervals (ITI) in a paired rhythmic tapping task, imitating duo performances, from local to global timescales. In addition, we examined parameter dynamics for a coupled oscillator model to test whether the model could replicate the task dynamics and integrate sources of global coordination. Measured ITI series demonstrated globally coordinated hybrid dynamics: persistent fluctuation and positively correlated coordination in global scales and anti-persistent fluctuation and negatively correlated coordination in local scales. Positive lag ±1 and negative lag 0 local cross-correlation suggested that the global coordination was emerged from local mutual timing adjustment processes. The coupled oscillator model for the task replicated these dynamics. Moreover, the model could generate both types of global coordination, which emerged from strong and weak local interactions. These findings can help to improve knowledge of interpersonal coordination in musical ensembles, allowing a better understanding, for example, of the basis of temporal harmony and individual differences in the coordination of each pair and their source.

Multi-layer adaptation of group coordination in musical ensembles

Group coordination passes through an efficient integration of multimodal sources of information. This study examines complex non-verbal communication by recording movement kinematics from conductors and two sections of violinists of an orchestra adapting to a perturbation affecting their normal pattern of sensorimotor communication (rotation of half a turn of the first violinists’ section). We show that different coordination signals are channeled through ancillary (head kinematics) and instrumental movements (bow kinematics). Each one of them affect coordination either at the inter-group or intra-group levels, therefore tapping into different modes of cooperation: complementary versus imitative coordination. Our study suggests that the co-regulation of group behavior is based on the exchange of information across several layers, each one of them tuned to carry specific coordinative signals. Multi-layer sensorimotor communication may be the key musicians and, more generally humans, use to flexibly communicate between each other in interactive sensorimotor tasks.

Righteous Among the Nations: Music Without Borders

The Garden of the Righteous, a program presented by Naye Strunes, a Minneapolis-based Yiddish music ensemble, weaves together original Yiddish music and stories of fearless individuals from among the thousands of non-Jews who risked their lives to save innocent people during the Holocaust. The program gives audience members an opportunity to reflect on the extent of courage and compassion during dark times. All proceeds are given to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders), a contemporary humanitarian organization that provides medical assistance to populations experiencing crises. This article explores the concept of righteousness among the nations, particularly in the context of partnership scholarship; the history and present-day renaissance of Yiddish language, music, and culture; and Médecins Sans Frontières as a contemporary example of living courageously.