Musical Hearing Research Articles

Patient-Led Research to Develop a Training Programme for Restoring Musical Joy in Cochlear Implant Recipients: A Reflexive Process Evaluation.

The role of patients in healthcare research is slowly evolving, although patient roles in the research process are limited. This paper reports on a patient-led research project aiming to develop a musical hearing training programme for patients with a cochlear implant (CI): the Musi-CI programme. A CI is an inner ear prosthesis that allows people with severe hearing loss to hear. However, while speech can be understood, CI users cannot fully enjoy music or feel aversion to it. The Musi-CI programme aims to reduce this music aversion to ultimately improve music enjoyment and social participation. The development of the Musi-CI programme was supported by a consortium of professionals in CI rehabilitation and research. The aim of this paper is to describe and evaluate the Musi-CI programme development process and its impact on professional CI rehabilitation and research. Programme development was described using a 3-layered process model of action research, distinguishing the CI user process, the healthcare professional process and the research process. To evaluate perceptions on the programme development process, consortium partners provided written commentsand participated in a reflexive evaluation session that was video-recorded. Reflexive evaluation aims for collective learning and strengthening collaboration among participants. Written comments and video data were analysed using template analysis. The involvement of an expert by experience was perceived as challenging but rewarding for all consortium partners, opening up new perspectives on CI-rehabilitation practice and research. Data analysis revealed two themes on the programme development process, professional space and acknowledgement, and two themes on the outcomes on CI rehabilitation and research: critical reflection and paradigm shift. Experts by experience represent a different knowledge domain that may contribute to change in rehabilitation and research. The development of the programme was initiated by a professional musician and CI user who organized the funding, had a leading role throughout the research process, including the write-up of the results, and co-authored this paper.

Розвиток музичних здібностей молодших школярів засобами інструментального музикування

The article is devoted to the problem of developing musical abilities of younger schoolchildren in the process of instrumental music making. Today, reforms are actively taking place in the field of education, the purpose of which is the formation of a competitive, creative personality capable of self-determination, self-realization and self-improvement; promote his comprehensive development, talents, abilities, competences, creativity and curiosity. Therefore, a modern school should ensure the formation of such a personality, and an important role in the implementation of these tasks should be assigned to the art of music. The influence of instrumental music-making on the development of abilities, the formation and improvement of musical hearing and skills, emotional and conscious perception, expressiveness, improvisational development, a deep sense of music, aesthetic, patriotic and musical education of younger schoolchildren in modern education is considered. Attention is focused on finding ways to activate the development of musical abilities and constantly improving the methodology of musical education of younger schoolchildren in the process of various musical activities, and especially in the process of instrumental performance on elementary musical instruments. A certain number of elementary musical instruments are considered, both conventional (instruments without a certain pitch: sticks, bars, box, drum, tambourine, triangle, plates, brushes, spoons), and electronic (keyboard-electronic, instruments with non-fixed tuning). Methods of organizing training using such tools and their impact on the development of younger schoolchildren. The need and expediency of teaching younger schoolchildren to play musical instruments is determined. The focus is especially acute on modern musical instruments, such as: electric guitar, synthesizer, drums, etc. The effectiveness, efficiency, usefulness and perspective of using musical instruments in the process of education, training and activation of musical abilities of younger schoolchildren are revealed. Ways and methods of promoting the development of various musical abilities of younger schoolchildren through instrumental performance, such as: musical ear, technical skills, emotional perception, musical creativity, joint musical interaction, self-discipline, responsibility.

Uykusuzluğun Müziksel İşitme Performansına Etkisi

Sleep deprivation causes cognitive problems such as difficulty in establishing a cause-effect relationship, decreased problem-solving abilities, loss of concentration and attention. This study aims to determine the effect of sleep deprivation on interval, chord, rhythmic, melodic dictation skills and perception in students with Musical Hearing Reading and Writing (MHRW) activity, which has a high relationship with learning and memory. The experimental research was conducted with 18 students (14 men and 4 women) who volunteered to participate (Age: 22±2.1, Mean Body Mass Index: 24,6 ± 2.3). To determine the levels of effect of sleeplessness in the study group, the present experimental study made use of the pre-test – post-test model. Although the participants' pretest and post-test success levels were not statistically significant in intervals and chords (p> .05), a statistically significant decrease was found in rhythmic dictation and melodic dictation writing success levels (p < .05). These findings clearly show that sleep deprivation which negatively affected musical learning and memory consolidation significantly decreases the achievement levels of students in MHRW.

DIDACTIC PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING TO PLAY THE PIANO FOUR HANDS IN MUSIC SCHOOLS OF CHINA

The article briefly discusses the didactic principles of teaching to play the piano four hands in music schools in China. In particular, the authors consider the development of rhythm and beat, musical hearing and acuity of perception of students, concentration of their performing attention, improvement of the instrument mastery level, work on sound and phrasing, formation of communicative abilities, expansion of the repertoire and experience Прикладные исследования, технологии 117 of stage performances of novice pianists in the context of the Piano Ensemble discipline. It is noted that there is insufficient demand for the educational potential of this discipline in complex piano training in educational institutions in China. Playing the piano four hands is a complementary, mutually supportive, interactive form of performance, whose most distinctive artistic feature is the emphasis on proportionality, balance and unity of musical content as a whole, requiring performers to be precise and coordinate with respect to the tactile sphere, phrasing and subtle changes in intonation.

Detection and Recognition of Environmental Sounds by Musicians and Non-Musicians

The article reports three experiments conducted to determine whether musicians possess better ability of recognising the sources of natural sounds than non-musicians. The study was inspired by reports which indicate that musical training develops not only musical hearing, but also enhances various non-musical auditory capabilities. Recognition and detection thresholds were measured for recordings of environmental sounds presented in quiet (Experiment 1) and in the background of a noise masker (Experiment 2). The listener’s ability of sound source recognition was inferred from the recognition-detection threshold gap (RDTG) defined as the difference in signal level between the thresholds of sound recognition and sound detection. Contrary to what was expected from reports of enhanced auditory abilities of musicians, the RDTGs were not smaller for musicians than for non-musicians. In Experiment 3, detection thresholds were measured with an adaptive procedure comprising three interleaved stimulus tracks with different sounds. It was found that the threshold elevation caused by stimulus interleaving was similar for musicians and non-musicians. The lack of superiority of musicians over non-musicians in the auditory tasks explored in this study is explained in terms of a listening strategy known as casual listening mode, which is a basis for auditory orientation in the environment.

The extra dimension: exploring 3D use of the accordion bellows

In my search for extradimensionality in accordion playing, I have explored the three-dimensional use of the accordion bellows. This concerns moving the bellows forward or backwards at different angles, instead of typically maintaining a straight line. This research dives deeper into how the 3D bellows technique influences accordion music interpretations. A survey spread to accordion teachers worldwide made clear that this technique is quite unknown and undiscovered. In 4 case studies, video recordings of musical interpretations were compared using a linear bellows concept versus using 3D bellows. After intensive reflection, benefits of the 3D bellows technique became clear. Firstly, it allows a better balance between the right and left-hand manual. Different frequencies and harmonics could be discovered through the 3D use of the bellows, which could lead to more resonance and timbre nuances. Furthermore, the technique enhances direction and phrasing in accordion music, reinforced by the visual perception of 3D bellows. However, the technique should be reviewed in different musical styles: in baroque compositions, for instance, the 3D movements are preferably less explicit. Considering some prerequisite skills, an important concern in the practice process has been when to apply 3D bellows. The research suggests that 3D bellows can be included more explicitly in accordion practice and pedagogy today. It was found to be a useful tool to deepen musical interpretations and musical hearing in accordion students and professionals.

The Effect of Online Application on Academic Achievement and Attitude in Musical Hearing Reading and Writing (MHRW) Lesson

The Effect of Online Application on Academic Achievement and Attitude in Musical Hearing Reading and Writing (MHRW) Lesson

Musical hearing and the acquisition of foreign-language intonation

The present study seeks to determine whether superior musical hearing is correlated with successful production of second language (L2) intonation patterns. Fifty Polish speakers of English at the university level were recorded before and after an extensive two-semester accent training course in English. Participants were asked to read aloud a series of short dialogues containing different intonation patterns, complete two musical hearing tests measuring tone deafness and melody discrimination, and a survey regarding musical experience. We visually analyzed and assessed participants’ intonation by comparing their F0 contours with the model provided by their accent training teachers following ToBI (Tones and Break Indices) guidelines and compared the results with the musical hearing test scores and the survey responses. The results suggest that more accurate pitch perception can be related to more correct production of L2 intonation patterns as participants with superior musical ear produced more native-like speech contours after training, similar to those of their teachers. After dividing participants into four categories based on their musical hearing test scores and musical experience, we also observed that some students with better musical hearing test scores were able to produce more correct L2 intonation patterns. However, students with poor musical hearing test scores and no musical background also improved, suggesting that the acquisition of L2 intonation in a formal classroom setting can be successful regardless of one’s musical hearing skills.

FEATURES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL HEARING IN THE ORCHESTRA TRAINING OF A PLAYER OF WIND INSTRUMENTS

The article presents and characterizes the most important approaches to the development of the musical ear of brass musicians in the process of their orchestral training. Professional training for the development of musical hearing among brass performers in institutions of higher education of the artistic direction will be effective and purposeful, provided that the musician observes continuous and thorough auditory self-control, which will ultimately help the performer to coordinate and direct the work of the entire performing apparatus as a whole. Professional mastery of musical ear is a key element of musical perception by a brass musician, figurative and emotional thinking that is synthesized on the basis of the perception of musical language, and therefore becomes the main basis for revealing the composerʼs idea by the performer and the embodiment and transmission of a musical image filled with a wide variety of artistic content. Possession of absolute hearing gives the musician-performer certain advantages, because he can accurately imagine the pitch of each sound before its real sound begins. Practice shows that it is quite possible to fully master the art of playing an instrument if you have good relative hearing. It is only necessary that the musical ear of the performer is sufficiently subtle and flexible, capable of constant development and improvement in the process of communication with the instrument and music. In the process of purposeful development of auditory abilities, the performer must quickly master the ability to perceive music in a complex way ‒ to simultaneously listen to the pitch of the melodic line, its intonation development, timbre coloring, rhythm, harmony, character of presentation. Without this skill, the performer will not be able to fulfill his main task ‒ to understand and reveal the artistic content of the music being performed.
 Keywords: earing; brass musicians; orchestra training; institutions of higher education; performance; competence; components.

The author’s methodology in music pedagogy: a concept, distinctive characteristics and personalities

The paper deals with the analysis of the concepts: methodology, authors technique and teaching technology. The authors methodology in music pedagogy is revealed through the concepts: authors concept, teaching system, innovative activity of the teacher, a set of non-standard methods, techniques and teaching aids, which are aimed at developing musical abilities, revealing the creative potential of students, taking into account the personality of the teacher. The paper contains conclusions about the purpose of the authors methodology, about its structural representation as a sequence of actions aimed at achieving the goal, about the content of specific methods and techniques, about the criteria and indicators of its effectiveness to determine the conditions that promote or limit its application. The paper presents brief characteristics of the authors methods in music pedagogy: the authors method of using musical instruments for the development of musical hearing among preschool children (E.I. Zotkina); the authors technique (A.A. Piliciauskas), which uses a method of understanding the intoned meaning of a work and a method of understanding a personal meaning of a musical composition; the authors technique (K.A. Martinsen), characterized by the transition from a technical education to an internal one and from the internal one to a private one; the authors technique SITO (V.G. Razhnikova); the authors technique Cheryl Porter Cheryl Porter vocal method.

МЕХАНІЗМИ ПРАКТИЧНОГО ЗАСВОЄННЯ ОБ’ЄКТИВНИХ ЗАКОНОМІРНОСТЕЙ ГОЛОСОУТВОРЕННЯ В ПРОЦЕСІ ВОКАЛЬНО-ВИКОНАВСЬКОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ МАЙБУТНІХ УЧИТЕЛІВ МУЗИЧНОГО МИСТЕЦТВА

Since, under the influence of the information environment, today's youth show an active interest in singing as a form of musical performance, the vocal and performing training of the future music teacher acquires particular importance. Today, when beginning singers seek to test themselves in the pop, academic, folk, and even jazz singing genres, it is not enough for a vocal teacher to master a particular vocal style to work productively with them. It is also necessary for him to learn the objective regularities of the functioning of the singing voice, which will allow finding appropriate means of implementation for the variety of vocal sounds in pedagogical work today. According to the author of the proposed publication, the possibility of learning these regularities will depend on the presence of a complex of controlled sensations acquired by practicing, thanks to which different types of vocal sound will be able to associate with a determinate mechanism of sound production. It will become possible if, during classroom and independent work, the student can dive іn the process of active observation of the complex interaction of auditory, resonator, and proprioceptive (muscular) sensations that complement singing. As a result, having gone through the trials of overcoming his own mistakes, the vocalist will find confirmation of the correctness of the actions of the vocal apparatus through the signals sent to him by his own body. He will learn not only to analyze the quality of the voice sound but also to imagine the mechanism of its work during voice formation. In the future, when a young specialist starts teaching, he will be able to choose the efficient performing tools for reproducing different types of voice sounds. In addition, he will be able to develop such sensitivity in himself, which will open the possibility of noticing the student's mistakes, guessing their reasons, and passing through and refracting the latter's vocal sound through his sensation. Key words: singing, voice production, musical hearing, resonator sensations, proprioception.

On the Role of Neural Oscillations Across Timescales in Speech and Music Processing.

This mini review is aimed at a clinician-scientist seeking to understand the role of oscillations in neural processing and their functional relevance in speech and music perception. We present an overview of neural oscillations, methods used to study them, and their functional relevance with respect to music processing, aging, hearing loss, and disorders affecting speech and language. We first review the oscillatory frequency bands and their associations with speech and music processing. Next we describe commonly used metrics for quantifying neural oscillations, briefly touching upon the still-debated mechanisms underpinning oscillatory alignment. Following this, we highlight key findings from research on neural oscillations in speech and music perception, as well as contributions of this work to our understanding of disordered perception in clinical populations. Finally, we conclude with a look toward the future of oscillatory research in speech and music perception, including promising methods and potential avenues for future work. We note that the intention of this mini review is not to systematically review all literature on cortical tracking of speech and music. Rather, we seek to provide the clinician-scientist with foundational information that can be used to evaluate and design research studies targeting the functional role of oscillations in speech and music processing in typical and clinical populations.

Формування умінь імпровізації у майбутніх викладачів баяна-акордеона у процесі виконавської підготовки

The article presents an experimental study aimed at developing the skills of improvisation in future teachers of bayan-accordion. The concept of improvisation and its influence on the development of creative abilities of a musician are considered. Improvisation has a great influence on the general professional level of development, namely the education of creative, well-developed musicians, develops musical hearing, sense of rhythm, musical memory, develops a good orientation on the keyboard, strengthens performance skills. Musicians feel confident during the stage performance, the ability to apply their own knowledge and skills in future pedagogical work are formed. The factors influencing the effectiveness of the development of improvisational skills are identified, the importance of a personal approach in accordance with the creative abilities of the student is emphasized. Attention is drawn to the need to use various improvisational forms and direct creative participation of the teacher in the process of working with students. Understanding the complexity and duration of this process, three stages of formation of improvisational skills were developed: motivational-oriented, reflective-informative, creative-activity. Each stage has a specific purpose and a clear sequence of actions, the principles of creative activities and independence, systematic and consistent, the unity of artistic and technical, as well as the development of various improvisational skills. The importance of musical thinking, constant auditory control for the implementation of tasks and the ability to transpose is emphasized. Due to the consistent application of certain stages of learning improvisation, creative and educational activities of students become universal.

L2 rhythm production and musical rhythm perception in advanced learners of English

AbstractThe aim of this research is to investigate the relation between musical aptitude and the acquisition of L2 rhythm by Polish advanced learners of English. A longitudinal study was conducted among 50 Polish students of English reading the “Please Call Stella” passage before and after an intensive two-semester accent training course supplemented by an extensive practical course in English phonetics and phonology. Participants also completed two musical hearing tests (Mandell 2009) and a survey on musical experience. Automated alignment was performed in DARLA (Reddy and Stanford 2015) and reviewed in Praat (Boersma and Weenink 2019). We compared the rhythm metrics calculated in Correlatore (Mairano and Romano 2010) before and after training and juxtaposed them against the pronunciation teachers’ results. We reported a significant difference between the scores for vocalic intervals across all rhythm metrics, indicating that participants’ produced higher vocalic variation after training, more similar to their teachers. However, we observed no significant relationship between the participants’ rhythm metric scores and their musical hearing test scores or musical experience, suggesting that musical aptitude might not play a crucial role in the L2 rhythm production in a formal academic learning environment.

THE ROLE OF THE MUSICAL HEARING IN THE FORMATION OF PHONETIC AND PHONOLOGICAL COMPETENCE

The main objective of the study was to determine whether the musical hearing may be considered among factors affecting the degree of a foreign accent in a second language (L2) and how important it is mastering the perceptual and productive aspects of the suprasegmental level of foreign languages by students of linguistics specializations. The results of the study showed that subjects with developed musical hearing performed tasks on both aspects perceptual and productive more successfully. However, there are reasons to assume that the significance degree of the influence of a developed musical hearing on both the perceptual and productive aspects may differ depending on a range of other factors. Therefore, further research aimed at establishing the role of musical hearing in the hierarchy of the factors affecting the development of the phonetic and phonological competence is of great importance. The obtained results might contribute to finding new original forms and methods of teaching phonetics of foreign languages based on musical art, as well as to improving the efficiency of mastering the phonetic-phonological competence by students of linguistics majors, and to creating auxiliary programs aimed at the developing of musical, and, consequently, phonetic hearing.

Auditory Self-Control in the Training of Future Teacher of Music Art in Instrumental Ensemble Classes

The article examines the essence of the concepts “self-control”, and “auditory self-control”, characterises their meaning and purpose. Scientific works which determine the essence of the concepts “musical-auditory self-control”, “musical hearing”, “ensemble”, their content and structural components are analysed. Current works of modern scientists who investigate the self-control of future teachers of music art in various types of educational and instrumental performance activities are highlighted. The article substantiates the role of auditory self-monitoring of the future music teacher in instrumental ensemble classes, in particular the violinist ensemble. It is emphasised that collective music making is one of the most complex types of music activity and has its own specifics. And teaching music is a multifaceted process in which the teacher must not only develop professional performing skills, but also cultivate healthy aesthetic tastes and a broad artistic outlook. It is determined that auditory self-control is based on a person’s ability to perceive, realise and evaluate the result of his own activity. Three stages of studying a musical piece in instrumental ensemble classes are also considered, indicating the role of auditory self-control of a future music teacher in this process. At the first stage, attention is focused on laying solid foundations for the development of the most important elements of instrumental ensemble sonority of violinists, nuances. The second stage gives us the widest space for the practical implementation of artistic ideas. And, finally, the tasks of the third final stage are to give the performance artistic integrity and completeness. This period completes all previously performed work, improving the performance of the work to the possible limits.

Musical hearing in the system of musical abilities

По мнению исследователей, отсутствие интонационного слуха лишает человека возможности заниматься музыкой даже в качестве любителя. А развитый мелодический и гармонический слух позволяет музыканту добиться высоких профессиональных результатов.

MÜZİK TEORİSİ VE İŞİTME EĞİTİMİNE YÖNELİK ÇALIŞMA SAYFASI MUSICTHEORY.NET’İN İÇERİK YÖNÜNDEN İNCELENMESİ

In this research, it is aimed to examine Musictheory.net, which is one of the worksheets created for musical hearing, reading and writing education, in terms of content and to reveal its usability in this education framework. In today's world where distance education has become widespread, it is important to examine internet-based pages created to improve hearing, reading and writing skills, and to reveal the usability of such pages in education and assessment and evaluation, as a guide for educators and students. It is also a resource for future studies. This study is a descriptive research and the data obtained in the research were analyzed by content analysis method. Topics such as how the exercises in the relevant worksheet appear in terms of content, their features, the use of the exercises and the suitability for measurement and evaluation have been examined. This worksheet is analyzed in six sections. The first five exercises are about musical hearing and theory, and the last section was created to personalize these exercises according to the readiness of the students and to make assessment and evaluation as a result of the exercises. As a result of these, the importance of this and similar worksheets in terms of facilitating the students to practice, regardless of time and place, has been pointed out, and their positive and negative features are presented under the title of results and suggestions.

Successful Music Performer’s Personality Traits

Abstract Music-education practice has revealed the fact that, in order to become a successful music performer, not only certain physical and perceptive attributes (such as the amplitude of open palm, thoracic capacity, rhythmic accuracy, musical hearing), but a series of personality traits related to the complexity of social, cognitive and emotional activities associated to music performance are also needed. Scientific research focused on high quality music performers’ personality traits has been generated by a series of stereotypes that had been developed across time in the musical world. For example, it has often been said (Woody, 1999) that trumpet players are proud, impetuous, detached and dominating, whereas woodwind players are more feminine, more intelligent and shyer. The present study aims to review the most relevant experiments related to the personality profile of the successful music performer. A growing body of research has discovered ten important traits: androgyny, originality, independence, self-motivation, perseverance, sensibility, high capacity of interpersonal communication, extroversion, the need for attention, and trait anxiety. I discuss about a series of educational implications of this personality profile in connection to the development of a successful career in academic music. Discovering and developing these traits early on could be an essential support in creating an exceptional educational path in vocal and instrumental music performance.

The Effectiveness Of Transformational Trends In The Use Of Pedagogical Technologies In The Formation Of National Musical Hearing Skills Among Students

This article examines the effectiveness of the use of pedagogical technologies in the transmission of the national musical heritage from generation to generation through the improvement of technologies for the formation and development of national and classical musical hearing aids.