Music Professionals Research Articles

Noise Exposure and Otological Morbidity in Military Musicians in Cotonou

Introduction: Military musicians are subjected to a double risk of noise related to the use of combat weapons and then to the use of musical instruments. The objective of this study was to assess the otological damage of military music professionals in Cotonou. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study carried out from July 15 to November 15, 2019. It focused on soldiers from the Music Squadron and the first Motorized Intervention Battalion of Camp Guézo in Cotonou. Results: 110 soldiers were included. The mean age was 34.3 ± 6.2 years. The sex ratio was 17.3. The instruments used were wind (74.5%), percussion (23.6%) and string (1.8%). The average length of service in the Music Squadron was 11.5 ± 6.7 years with extremes of 1 year and 25 years. They practiced military music for an average of 4.58 hours per day for 4 days per week. The mean sonometric measurement during training ranged from 89.1 dB (A) to 116.4 dB (A). Hearing loss was predominant in the military musicians group and was mild degree bilaterally (p = 0.002) and perceptual type (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Military musicians are exposed to high noise levels, putting them at risk of developing hearing problems that may limit their performance. The main otological morbidity found was hearing loss associated with a few cases of tinnitus and headache.

Indigenizing the Mainstream: Music Festivals and Indigenous Popular Music

First Nations, Métis, and Inuit music and dance practices have enacted Indigenous survivance since colonization began. Contemporary Indigenous performers within and beyond present-day Canadian borders continue this performative intervention through popular music, building what I call sonic sovereignty. In response to music industry barriers, Indigenous media professionals created performance spaces for First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and international Indigenous musicians. Facing ongoing political changes, Indigenous music professionals navigated multilayered challenges for the 2020 festival season. As uncertainty continues around music festivals in the future, the article addresses how decolonial possibilities are shifting around cultural and political change through music festival performance.

Feeling to Learn: Ideologies of Race, Aurality, and Manouche Music Pedagogy in France

This article explores how music professionals promote interdiscursive oppositions between musical aurality and musical literacy to unsettle the terms of their racialization. For many French Manouches (a subgroup of Romanies/“Gypsies”), music is a source of pride, profit, and public recognition. Manouche musicians often valorize their own sensorially centered pedagogical approaches in distinction to music literacy as espoused by French schools and conservatories. In doing so, they link notions of expressivity, naturalness, and ethical behavior to their Manouche identity in contrast to White French society. They construct parallel contrasts between Black and White musicalities in the jazz world to convey their value as racialized musicians, pointing to transnational formations of race and White supremacy. Because French color‐blind policy constrains speech about race and racism, advocacy for an aurally centered approach to music pedagogy becomes a way for speakers to denounce the discrimination Manouches face as racialized subjects. For these musicians, self‐exoticization is a multifaceted tactic to develop a market niche, to prove themselves as good neoliberal subjects, and to disrupt the racial logics that render such alterity both an asset and a burden. Their discourse remains powerful even if, in practice, some make use of the very music‐theoretical frameworks they critique.

"This is music!”

This research aimed to understand how elitist thinking takes place regarding music consumption in Brazil. Fifteen music professionals were interviewed, as they were considered individuals with high cultural capital in the subject. The results showed that, although cultural elitism in relation to music is on the way to being softened, it is still very present in Brazilian society, being strongly supported by cultural and social issues. Even if implicitly, a notion of good and bad musical taste can be observed from the (de)valuation of certain musical styles, especially by people professionally involved in the musical world.

Assessing room acoustic listening expertise.

Musicians and music professionals are often considered to be expert listeners for listening tests on room acoustics. However, these tests often target acoustic parameters other than those typically relevant in music such as pitch, rhythm, amplitude, or timbre. To assess the expertise in perceiving and understanding room acoustical phenomena, a listening test battery was constructed to measure the perceptual sensitivity and cognitive abilities in the identification of rooms with different reverberation times and different spectral envelopes. Performance in these tests was related to data from the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index, self-reported previous experience in music recording and acoustics, and academic knowledge on acoustics. The data from 102 participants show that sensory and cognitive abilities are both correlated significantly with musical training, analytic listening skills, recording experience, and academic knowledge on acoustics, whereas general interest in and engagement with music do not show any significant correlations. The regression models, using only significantly correlated criteria of musicality and professional expertise, explain only small to moderate amounts (11%-28%) of the variance in the "room acoustic listening expertise" across the different tasks of the battery. Thus, the results suggest that the traditional criteria for selecting expert listeners in room acoustics are only weak predictors of their actual performances.

Scoring Alien Worlds: World Music Mashups in 21st Century Sci-Fi and Fantasy TV, Film and Video Games

This article provides three case studies of the use of world music resources to build alien worlds in mainstream screen media with Sci-Fi or Fantasy settings. The case studies—the TV series Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome, the film Avatar and the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) video game World of Warcraft—show how composers and associated music professionals in the early twenty-first century increasingly draw on such sonic materials to generate a rich sense of sonic otherness and note the means they employ to sidestep such music’s existing geographical and cultural references. Each case study explores a contrasting subject position—composer, music consultant and consumer—to better trace not only the creation of such soundtracks but also what senses disparate groups of ordinary listeners subsequently make of them. The examples suggest that outside the sphere of big-budget cinema there is a growing confidence in both the creation and reception of such sonic projections, and that, when sufficiently attracted by what they hear, listeners may actively seek out ways to follow-up on the expressive characterisations put forward in such soundtracks. Three broad types of mashup are uncovered, those that work with world music ingredients by insinuation, integration and creolisation.

Composer phenomenon in a historical retrospect of an authorship idea formation in European musical culture of the middle ages

The article is devoted to comprehension of specifics and formation prerequisites of composer’s and musical authorship phenomena historical formation in European culture of the Middle Ages. Genesis of composer’s phenomenon and individual musical authorship model is considered on the basis of historical, socio-cultural and aesthetic-artistic transformations, on awareness about their dynamic’s tendencies and general cultural institutionalization of an authorship phenomenon, as well as on an increasing role of individual creativity in an artistic realm. It is stated that multi-ethnic and anonymous culture of oral tradition, folklore and Christian singing practices, as well as instrumental improvisation’s traditions, became spiritual sources of this phenomena and turn into a strong foundation of musical professionalism and creative impulse for European authorial music evolution. It is emphasized that process of composer’s formation as a creativity subject and musical professionalism carrier was stimulated by the necessity of everyday vocal-choral practice, conditioned by the spiritual context of time, by intention on theocentric world’s picture and religious – Christian outlook dominance. Significant role of secular direction development in the context of music-author’s discourse formation and composer’s figure assertion in the late Middle Ages is highlighted.

The emergence of promotional gatekeeping and converged local music professionals on social media

The digitalization of creative industries has undermined the business models of legacy media outlets as well as the music industries. This article discusses the two primary ways that legacy media has functioned in the context of the music industries—as a producer of symbolic value and as an engine of music promotion. However, the central aim of this study is to analyze the development of these functions in the new media sphere by identifying music promotion practices on Facebook. Based on in-depth interviews conducted with local music industry professionals in Estonia, two sets of promotional approaches have been identified: brand-centered approaches and community-oriented approaches. The findings indicate a continuing convergence of autonomous music criticism and music promotion across many dimensions and the presence of “promotional gatekeeping” as a form of business activity in small creative industries.

Factors identifying musician entrepreneurship in a less-developed country: a case of Indonesia's independent musician

Purpose This paper aims to examine Indonesian independent musicians' (indie) adaptation to the environmental business model. The research on institutional entrepreneurship (IE) has been used in organizational studies, including the music profession. However, the music industry's information and technology advancement has not been scrutinized in a less developed country (LDC) context. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach is used to conduct semi-structured interviews with 14 independent music professionals and enthusiasts. The interview result was three stages of coding, including open, axial and selective, as well as generating appropriate themes. Findings The results summarize entrepreneurial behavior, socio-economy and technology factors. The existing literature supports these results, though new perspectives are only identified in the LDC context. Internal factors drive IE, while socio-economy, including music literacy, education and legal issues, influence its sub-setting. On the other hand, technology positively or negatively impacts IE based on individual utilization. Research limitations/implications Despite the massive piracy and copyright issues, independent musicians require creativity and innovation beyond product creation. Weak and unclear regulations in Indonesia prevent musicians from revealing their identity and publishing their artwork, preventing or obstructing them from their goals. Practical implications This paper illustrates the urgency to implement copyright regulations for musicians in Indonesia, which are insufficiently enforced by law enforcement. Such conditions prevents musicians from revealing their identity and publishing their artwork. Social implications This paper addresses the extent to which a community such as independent musician, struggles to find its identity toward the changing of its business model. By mapping the factors associated with an independent musician, the paper suggests that this community has strategic economic potential as a creative entity. Originality/value This paper examines the music industry in less-developed nations by contextualizing their institutions using the IE framework. It contributes to identifying the environmental factors influencing independent institutional musicians. Internal and external factors significantly contribute to identifying Indonesia's independent musician setting through IE.

Stereotypes regarding musicians in Guadalajara: Music professionals perspective and how stereotypes affect their careers.

In this article, we will question stereotypes regarding musicians and the influence that they may have in the development of a professional career. In order to do this, we will try to answer three questions: Which are the prevailing stereotypes about musicians in Mexico and particularly in Guadalajara? How do these harmful stereotypes affect their career? Which strategies do musicians implement in order to face these stereotypes? Based on a sociological perspective, we have implemented a qualitative method, directly interviewing the actors involved in this process. It is inferred that, despite the presence of positive representations, negative stereotypes may strongly affect the career of musicians, causing a direct impact that, according to them, derive in a poor appreciation of the trade. The consequences may go from the family´s imposition to study a better appreciated major to the dropout of the current studies. In certain situations, it may even have a direct effect on employment conditions.

A Look Into SPACE

SPACE: A Journal for (Future) Music Therapists to Explore and Express through Songwriting is a resource for music therapy students and professionals developed by the author of this article. Rooted in the personal and non-intrusive means of self-experiential learning, this small, spiral-bound journal is meant to supplement, inspire, and encourage learning and growth. Beginning with a brief introduction of basic chord progressions and song forms, the users then journey through a series of logs from inward to outward exploration and from structured to free songwriting.
 This article’s intent is to provide insight into the author’s personal songwriting journey and its influence on the creation of SPACE and to present its contents along with examples of its use in hopes that current and future professionals will benefit from this resource.

Музиката в българското училище в края на XIX и началото на ХХ век. Автор: Росица Драганова. София, Институт за изследване на изкуствата – БАН, 2020, 211 с. ISBN: 978-954-8594-00-4

In her monograph Rositsa Draganova introduces new data and facts in the unique process of the creation and performance of bulgarian educational system particularly in its sector dealing with musical teaching. In the first three chapters of this survey the author analyzes in details the normative documents, the pedagogic practice, the philosophic and pedagogical concepts, the published during the surveyed period textbooks, guide books and training materials, as well as discussions between the musical pedagogues. The last chapter of this book presents historic information on Bulgarian musical professionals who are of particular importance for the development of musical pedagogy in our country. This book presents great interest not only for the researchers in the musical pedagogy sphere and for the professionals focused on the history of Bulgarian musical culture, but also for the teachers in music at the secondary schools. It could be used as basic reference in the training of future musical pedagogues.

How to dress to impress: The effect of concert dress type on perceptions of female classical pianists

Audiences expect music performers to follow tacit dress codes for the concert stage. In classical music performance, audiences favor performers in formal dress over casual dress, but it is unclear what constitutes appropriate formal attire. A perceptual study was designed to test for different interpretations of suitable concert dress. Four female pianists in three contrasting black outfits (long dress, short dress, and suit) were video-recorded performing three musical pieces, and the audio was dubbed throughout for audio consistency. Thirty listener/viewers rated the clips on musicality, technical proficiency, overall performance, and appropriateness of dress. Performances in the long dress were rated significantly higher than in the short dress or suit. The short dress was consistently rated lowest, whereas the suit received more complex responses. Follow-up interviews confirmed listener/viewers’ unconscious bias toward untraditional formal attire and their tendency to objectify the performers. They were unblinded to the purpose of the task and were able to reflect on the tangible implications of concert dress, stage manner, and physical appearance on their evaluations. Future studies should harness the potential for experiential learning, or “learning by doing,” to expand future music professionals’ critical evaluation skills.

Contact dermatitis in music professionals referred for patch testing: North American Contact Dermatitis Group data, 1996-2018.

Contact dermatitis in music professionals referred for patch testing: North American Contact Dermatitis Group data, 1996-2018.

Assessing Music Expertise

We introduce the Berlin Gehoerbildung Scale (BGS), a multidimensional assessment of music expertise in amateur musicians and music professionals. The BGS is informed by music theory and uses a variety of testing methods in the ear-training tradition, with items covering four different dimensions of music expertise: (1) intervals and scales, (2) dictation, (3) chords and cadences, and (4) complex listening. We validated the test in a sample of amateur musicians, aspiring professional musicians, and students attending a highly competitive music conservatory (n = 59). Using structural equation modeling, we compared two factor models: a unidimensional model postulating a single factor of music expertise; and a hierarchical model, according to which four first-order subscale factors load on a second-order factor of general music expertise. The hierarchical model showed better fit to the data than the unidimensional model, indicating that the four subscales capture reliable variance above and beyond the general factor of music expertise. There were reliable group differences on both the second-order general factor and the four subscales, with music students outperforming aspiring professionals and amateur musicians. We conclude that the BGS is an adequate measurement instrument for assessing individual differences in music expertise, especially at high levels of expertise.

Music composers and bipolar disorders: Where do we stand?

IntroductionThe intersection between bipolar disorders and creativity has been investigated in western literature. Although psychopathology has been proposed for famous artists in painting, writing, music and other forms of art, there is no systematic study examining bipolar disorders and music production in composers.ObjectivesThe aim of this review is to investigate this relationship by providing an overview of published studies.MethodsThe search included papers published in English as abstracts as well as in full length until October 2020. The literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PUBMED and GOOGLE SCHOLAR databases. For all the searches, the terms/key words that were used were “bipolar disorder”, “music”, “creativity”, and “composers”.ResultsSearch results for composers from different music genres and musical periods indicated that the proposed origin of the overall bipolar pattern is attributed to several stressful environmental factors which are taking the form of interpersonal problems regarding the expressed emotion, life events, and paucity of stress-management skills. In addition to that, bipolar psychopathological patterns seem to influence the quantity of music composing activity indirectly due to changes in everyday functional abilities.ConclusionsPublished reports, although based on biographical research, do provide evidence in support of a strong bipolarity-music creativity/production link for famous composers. Further well-designed studies in living music professionals engaged in music composition are needed.

The Education of Asian American Music Professionals: Exploration and Development of Ethnic Identity

Abstract Asian American people make up approximately 5.8% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019) and pursue careers in a variety of musical professions. However, a monoracial view of Asian Americans (Mok, 1998) that conceives of all Asian Americans as a homogenous group without regard to ethnicity or cultural background has led to widespread stereotypes. The desire to acculturate to U.S. culture and Western European art music ideals can pressure Asian Americans to play certain instruments, restrict their involvement to particular areas of music, or force them to portray their ethnicity in offensive ways. This study looked at the racial and ethnic identity development of nine Asian American music professionals from various career paths in education, performance, curation, and history through a web survey and subsequent semistructured interviews. Findings pertained to the musical upbringing of participants both inside and outside of school, the social contexts that affected participants’ musical endeavors, pressures from dominant cultures that participants faced while in school and during their careers, and the actions participants took in their careers that were a result of growing up as Asian Americans in various music learning contexts (e.g., school, community, familial, and informal).

A New Definition of Music Literacy: What, Why, and How?

The purpose of this article is to articulate clear definitions of music literacy and text, explain what impact they may have on music education generally, and describe their application to day-to-day teaching. The broadened definitions are intended to unite music professionals’ understanding of music literacy and help them more clearly approach music literacy instruction while simultaneously fulfilling curricular expectations of administrators and other stakeholders. Specific benefits of the new definitions include (1) aiding conversations between music teachers and literacy administrators, (2) providing clarity in the examination of broad issues and general approaches in music education, and (3) enhancing clarity and effectiveness in day-to-day instructional planning and delivery.

Artificial intelligence became Beethoven: how do listeners and music professionals perceive artificially composed music?

PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI) has reached creative industries such as music. Algorithms now produce high-quality artistic content (e.g. original songs), for hedo consumption and utilitarian business applications. While available literature to-date focuses mainly on technological development and applications, this paper aims to address the resulting research gap by investigating listeners’ perceptions towards music composed by AI.Design/methodology/approachFirst, an online survey was conducted with 446 respondents and compared perceptions of music professionals (n = 72) and non-professional listeners (n = 374). Following this, a 2 × 2 laboratory experiment was conducted, where 86 participants listened to songs composed by AI but were presented different narratives regarding the composition process (human versus AI).FindingsOverall, results from the online survey indicated a rather negative perception, low purchase intention for AI music and a negative credibility perception of musicians using AI. Findings from the experiment indicated no significant differences between the groups, suggesting that the awareness of the use of automation did not influence the perception towards the music.Originality/valueThis paper contributes by highlighting the current perception of both listeners and music professionals towards the application of artificial creativity in music composition. Furthermore, it contributes to the existing literature on artificial creativity applied in music, by providing evidence of its impact on listeners’ perception. Results reveal the importance of further investigation on the topic.

Pleasure in music and its relationship with social anhedonia (Placer por la música y su relación con la anhedonia social)

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the inability to feel pleasure towards music — or musical anhedonia — is part of the psychological construct of anhedonia (DSM-5) or whether they are both independent constructs, as suggested by the field of cognitive neuroscience. To assess this objective, six unpublished musical compositions were created to evoke basic emotions. We analysed the level of arousal and valence in a sample of 153 music professionals and 303 students (M = 17.58 years, SD = 4.16) and were able to verify a high consistency between the results of both groups. By using a structural equation model, we subsequently observed a statistically significant high correlation (r = .63, p < .001) between the latent means of valence (pleasure evoked by musical fragments) and levels of social anhedonia, measured by the Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale (ACIPS). Furthermore, social pleasure maintained inverse correlations with the emotions of negative valence (Anger, Fear and Disgust) provoked by musical fragments, which allowed us to conclude that musical anhedonia is strongly related to social anhedonia.