Musical Skills Research Articles

Research on Music Teaching Systems Assisted by Artificial Intelligence

In music teaching, the application of artificial intelligence has brought revolutionary changes to teaching and greatly improved the teaching quality and learning effect. The purpose of this study is to explore the application and effectiveness of artificial intelligence in auxiliary music teaching system. With the rapid development of information technology, the application of artificial intelligence in the field of education is more and more extensive, especially in the field of music teaching, and its potential and value are gradually emerging. In this study, by constructing a music teaching system based on artificial intelligence, the influence of learners on music cognition, skill mastery and innovation ability was deeply studied. In terms of research methods, this study uses empirical research methods, combined with questionnaires, teaching experiments, data analysis and other means to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of artificial intelligence-assisted music teaching system.

Future Teachers’ Musicality and Their Competence in Integrating Music into the Classroom

The study aims to determine the interrelationship between future primary school teachers’ confidence in their musicality and the competence to integrate types of musical activity into other subjects. The study included 78 (n=78) part-time students enrolled in the professional bachelor study programme offered by the University of Latvia. The study was based on a quantitative research design in which measurements were made according to three research scales: (1) musicality, (2) self-expression skills using types of musical activity and (3) competence in integrating musical activity types into other subjects. The SPSS 22.0 program was used for data processing, and the results were produced according to the research questions raised in the study. The study revealed that future primary school teachers are confident about their emotional response to music and sense of rhythm. The students are confident in their skills to chant and perform rhythm exercises with and without sound gestures. Confidence in musicality and self-expression skills using different musical activity types are not related to age and teaching experience. Confidence in skills to express oneself using types of musical activity is connected with the competence to integrate them into other subjects. Future primary school teachers are more competent in integrating musical games and listening to music into other subjects than playing musical instruments. The study findings can be used to improve the professional training of future primary school teachers.

The effects of musicality on brain network topology in the context of Alzheimer’s disease and memory decline

Abstract Music’s role in modulating brain structure, particularly in neurodegenerative contexts such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), has been increasingly recognized. While previous studies have hinted at the potential neuroplastic benefits of musical engagement and training, the mechanisms through which music impacts structural connectivity in neurodegenerative pathways remain underexplored. We aimed to examine the impact of music perception skills, active musical engagement, and musical training on structural connectivity in areas relating to memory, emotion, and learning in individuals with worsening memory impairment, investigating the potential neuroplastic effects of music. Employing diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based structural connectivity and graph theoretical analysis, we investigated brain topological features in 78 participants aged 42 to 85 with a range of memory impairments. Participants were assessed for musical training, engagement, and perception skills. The study analyzed regional and local network topological metrics to examine the influence of musical activities on graph metrics, while controlling for stages of objective memory impairment (SOMI) and diagnosis, separately. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of musical perception skills, active musical engagement, and musical training on structural connectivity within memory, emotion, and learning-related brain areas in individuals with varying degrees of memory impairment. We found enhanced structural connectivity of the right hippocampus and the right posterior cingulate cortex was associated with stronger local network metrics, such as clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality, with increased music perception skills like melody and beat perception. Musical training specifically impacted the clustering coefficient of the right hippocampus and the node degree of the right mid cingulate gyrus. Active musical engagement influenced the eigenvector centrality of the right hippocampus. Furthermore, musical training was associated with enhanced global metrics, such as global efficiency and characteristic path length. Our study integrates diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and graph theoretical analysis to reveal significant effects of musical activities on structural connectivity in key brain regions. The results highlight the potential of musical activities to serve as a non-invasive modulatory tool for cognitive resilience, especially in memory impairment and neurodegeneration contexts. These insights contribute to the understanding of delaying AD onset and aiding early-stage patients through music-based interventions, emphasizing the importance of musical engagement in maintaining cognitive and brain health.

Towards an Understanding of the Music Value Chain in Ghana: The Role of Artiste Managers

The Ghana music value chain pivots on the dynamics of the artiste managers who handle the various music genres. Unfortunately, studies on artiste managers, the types of artiste managers, and a detailed description of their training, and general operations are rare in the Ghanaian context. Hence, this study was conducted to shed light on the significant roles of artiste managers for a better understanding of the Ghanaian music value chain. The research used a triangulated approach (qualitative and quantitative) to collect data. The primary research method employed was qualitative through semi-structured interviews (face-to-face and telephone as well as video calls). The quantitative method was employed mainly as a secondary source from the MUSIGA-KPMG Report (2014) among others. The results showed that different types of artiste managers in Ghana are found across different genres captured in the music value chain. These artiste managers are key at the marketing stage of the music value chain. Thus, performance is used as a channel to convey the music of the artiste to the music consumers. Based on the results, it is recommended that the government enact policies that streamline music skills development by making music apprenticeships attractive. This can be done by supporting ongoing efforts by private institutions to develop the artiste. Thus, a public-private partnership is a laudable approach that has far-reaching implications in creating artistes in the country. The study offers useful information that may contribute to nurturing and developing the artiste for social and economic gains. Keywords: Artiste Managers, Creative Art Industry, Music Value Chain, Ghana

Analysis of the Results of a Research Conducted on the Music Literacy of Students – Future Teachers

This article presents results of the musical notation skills of current students – future music teachers. The research was conducted at the beginning of the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic year with students from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridskiˮ, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Arts, major “Elementary School Pedagogy and Foreign Languageˮ before studying Didactics of music. The bachelor’s degree provides the acquisition of a teacher’s license after successful completion of the four-year course of study. The diploma of the future pedagogues gives the opportunity to teach the subject of Music in the initial stage of the secondary (general) school. For practical purposes, the study was carried out before the start of the lecture course on the Didactics of Music.

Psychophysical correlates of musicality in musically untrained children: evidence for musical sleepers in children

BackgroundMusic learning induces significant neural changes, enhancing auditory, verbal, and visuospatial skills, IQ, and speech perception. Research studies reveal structural and functional brain plasticity due to music training in adults and children. While musical abilities are linked to formal training, the existence of “musical sleepers” with heightened speech perception without formal training is noteworthy in adults. This study addresses the gap in understanding such phenomena in children, exploring psychophysical abilities in musically adept children, and aiming to impact rehabilitation models.Materials and methodA pre-experimental study involved 164 typically developing children (mean age: 9.93) without musical training. Musical abilities were evaluated using the abbreviated version of Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Musical Abilities (MBEMA) test in DMDX software, covering melody, rhythm, and memory subtests. Psychophysical tests in MATLAB assessed temporal, frequency, intensity, timbre, and binaural resolution.ResultsUsing a median split based on MBEMA test scores (median: 42), 84 children exhibited poor musical abilities, while 80 showed good ones. Descriptive statistics for MBEMA scores and psychophysical tests were conducted. As data did not follow normal distribution, non-parametric inferential statistics were employed.Mann–Whitney U tests revealed significant differences favouring good musical abilities in all assessments: gap deduction (p = 0.01), pitch discrimination at 500 Hz and 4 kHz (p = 0.00), intensity discrimination at 500 Hz (p = 0.00) and 4 kHz (p = 0.01), profile analysis (p = 0.01), interaural level difference (p = 0.023), and interaural time difference (p = 0.038). Spearman correlation showed highest correlation with pitch discrimination at 500 Hz (r = − 0.538), 4 kHz (− 0.416), intensity discrimination at 4 kHz (r = − 0.367), and 500 Hz (r = − 0.311), profile analysis (r = − 0.313), interaural level difference (r = − 0.276), and gap deduction (r = − 0.235). All were significant (p < 0.01), except for the interaural time difference.ConclusionChildren excelling in music surpassed those with weaker abilities in psychophysical tasks. This echoes past research, underscoring auditory discrimination’s influence on musical skills in untrained children. These results potentially support the concept of musical sleepers in children. Key predictors include pitch discrimination, while interaural time difference exhibited minimal correlation. Utilising such assessments may predict musical training outcomes for children with auditory disorders, but additional robust statistical investigation is necessary.

Music Education in the Western Zhou Dynasty and its Practical Significance

In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the organization of music education was large and the teaching management was strict. The content taught by music, music language and music and dance were the main body. The teaching progress and teaching time were managed to a certain extent and had high standardization. Educators through learning a variety of musical skills, such as instrumental music, vocal music, music and dance, to achieve the all-round development of people. This paper aims to find the connection between modern and contemporary music education and Western Zhou music education by combing the system and content of music education in Western Zhou.

Neuroanatomical correlates of musicianship in left-handers

BackgroundLeft-handedness is a condition that reverses the typical left cerebral dominance of motor control to an atypical right dominance. The impact of this distinct control — and its associated neuroanatomical peculiarities — on other cognitive functions such as music processing or playing a musical instrument remains unexplored. Previous studies in right-handed population have linked musicianship to a larger volume in the (right) auditory cortex and a larger volume in the (right) arcuate fasciculus.ResultsIn our study, we reveal that left-handed musicians (n = 55), in comparison to left-handed non-musicians (n = 75), exhibit a larger gray matter volume in both the left and right Heschl’s gyrus, critical for auditory processing. They also present a higher number of streamlines across the anterior segment of the right arcuate fasciculus. Importantly, atypical hemispheric lateralization of speech (notably prevalent among left-handers) was associated to a rightward asymmetry of the AF, in contrast to the leftward asymmetry exhibited by the typically lateralized.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that left-handed musicians share similar neuroanatomical characteristics with their right-handed counterparts. However, atypical lateralization of speech might potentiate the right audiomotor pathway, which has been associated with musicianship and better musical skills. This may help explain why musicians are more prevalent among left-handers and shed light on their cognitive advantages.

Theory of the Diversity of Alternative Music Pedagogy Methods

Our music education is based on the concept of Zoltán Kodály and the methodological guidance of Katalin Forrai in early childhood, which is an indispensable foundation and support for Hungarian music education. The method uses fundamental values to develop children's musical skills and abilities. At about the same time, music teachers throughout Europe were engaged in reforming the structure and methodological tools of music teaching. Among these music teachers, I would like to highlight the pedagogy of Dalcrose, Orff, Willems and Freinet, who successfully applied early childhood music education and the development of children with special educational needs in their programmes. Based on their pedagogy and methods, they agreed on the following principles: musical education should start as early as possible, continuous musical activity (singing, rhythm, listening, movement, improvisation, instrument, listening) should be given priority, and in addition to age-specific characteristics, adequate emphasis should be given to individual talents, since the uneven development of psychic abilities can lead to differences in levels within a single age group over several years. Music can develop empathy and social skills. Through rhythms and harmonies, the development of large and fine movements can be achieved. It is beneficial for thinking, creativity, self-expression and the development of the sense of self. Music improves well-being, concentration and actively helps to develop attention. It leads to openness and flexibility. It also has a powerful effect on speech, imagination and improvisation skills. That is why we can use music for healing and developmental purposes. There is a long line of research that proves that the earlier in life you start to develop, develop or correct your personality through music, the earlier you should start.

Analysing the effectiveness of online digital audio software and offline audio studios in fostering Chinese folk music composition skills in music education

Analysing the effectiveness of online digital audio software and offline audio studios in fostering Chinese folk music composition skills in music education

Reproduction and representation of musical rhythms of increasing complexity: insights from children's home settings

ABSTRACT The aim of the study encompasses three primary objectives: (1) To examine the capability of children of varying ages to reproduce increasingly complex rhythms through hand-clapping and drumming; (2) To explore the ability of children of different ages to notate increasingly complex rhythms; and (3) To investigate the impact of age on children's invented rhythmic notations and their artistic ability to draw a person using the Draw-A-Person (DAP) Test. The participants comprised 42 children aged between 2.6 and 11.6 years old. Individual one-hour sessions were conducted in participants’ homes. Each session was divided into three parts: playing three rhythms of increasing complexity and length, inventing notations to represent each rhythm, and completing the DAP test. The study found age effects on all measures tested: rhythm reproduction competency, rhythm notations, and person depiction. The novelty of this study lies in its unique research in-situ setting and the administration of both graphic and audio-graphic tasks. The findings have implications for rhythm education, music literacy, and in-situ research in music education. They underscore the significance of adopting a multi-modal approach in music education to enhance music skills and foster artistic expression in children.

Development of tonality and consonance categorization ability and preferences in 4- to 6-year-old children.

Consonance perception has been extensively studied in Western adults, but it is less clear how this perception develops in children during musical enculturation. We investigated how this development occurs in 4- to 6-year-old children by examining two complex musical skills (i.e., consonance and tonality preferences). Accordingly, we developed a child-focused approach to understand the underlying developmental processes of tonality and consonance preferences in 4- to 6-year-old children using a video interview format. As previous studies have confounded preference with perception, we examined each concept separately and measured perceptual abilities as categorization. For tonality, the ability to categorize tonal and atonal melodies developed by the age of 6 years. It is noteworthy that only children who could categorize successfully showed a preference for tonality at the age of 6. For consonance, we observed an early preference for consonance at 4 years of age, but this preference was only measurable with large differences between consonant and dissonant stimuli. We propose that tonality and consonance preferences develop during childhood with increasing categorization ability when the surrounding musical culture is marked by Western tonality and consonance.

The pedagogical–artistic strategies of community music facilitators as an inspiration for formal music education: A single case study

In this article, we elaborate on the pedagogical–artistic strategies of a community music project and how they may inspire formal music educational practices. To do so, we draw on findings from a study on the pedagogical–artistic strategies of the musicians–coaches of The Ostend Street Orchestra (TOSO), a community music project that started as an artistic response towards the commotion around a group of homeless people in the coastal town of Ostend, Belgium. The pedagogical–artistic strategies adopted by the TOSO coaches foster the emergence of an educational approach that may have the potential to enrich music educational practices by creating a learning environment that is more democratic and inclusive. Data collection included in-depth semi-structured interviews with the TOSO coaches in 2017 and 2021, as well as video-stimulated recall. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Seven themes emerged from our analysis: embodied interaction, co-coaching, re-thinking musical parameters, personal musical skills, collaboration, collective experiential learning and inclusion. We present the framework and rationale of the study, describe the pedagogical–artistic strategies of the coaches, and discuss the results. In conclusion, we briefly consider possibilities for further research and music teacher education.

Genre and species characteristics of musical and performing interpretation

The relevance of the publication lies in the importance and necessity of determining the influence of genre and species characteristics on musical and performance interpretation. So, the main purposes of this article are to identify the main factors that influence the development of interpreting skills, analyse how students of higher music institutions have evaluated their own musical interpretation skills, provide an assessment analysis of how independent music experts have evaluated students' musical interpretation skills, provide a comparative analysis of these assessments, provide rationale for the importance of musical and performing interpretation skills regardless of the music genre, and provide recommendations for the development of musical performance interpretation skills for teachers of higher music institutions. While considering the issue of genre and species characteristics of musical and performing interpretation, the methods of this scientific work were applied: the deductive method, method of argumentation, method of matching, methods of combination and differentiation, method of categorisation, method of questionnaire survey, and systematic analysis, which provided an opportunity to link all the research results together. The study suggests the outcome of the research conducted, discovers the key peculiarities of the art process that influence the development of interpretation skills, analyses the results of self-assessment by students of higher music institutions, provides a comparative analysis with the assessments of independent experts, substantiates the need for closer attention to the development of musical and performing interpretation skills for musicians of all genres, both instrumentalists and vocalists, and provides recommendations for developing the musical and performing interpretation skills of future musicians. The practical value of the study lies in the fact that its results can be used both in the concert activity of musicians and in the process of mastering the performing disciplines by students of colleges and higher educational institutions related to the art of music.

Improving Social Relations Between Students Through Learning Dayak Music Ensembles Using the Peer Tutor Method

Preserving Dayak culture and developing musical abilities among the younger generation are important aspects in the revitalization of society. Learning Dayak music ensembles can help students to improve their social skills more effectively, so that they can be more calm, focused and productive in making music. This research used a qualitative descriptive method involving first semester students of the Performing Arts Education Study Program. Dayak music ensemble learning is carried out once a week. This learning includes theoretical and practical material for playing Dayak musical instruments, such as dau, gedobokng and agukng. These three instruments are often found in accompanying music for Dayak traditional ritual ceremonies. Learning activities take the form of exercises in ensemble format so that in the process students need to interact and socialize in order to be able to play music correctly. The development of students' social skills is obtained through observation, interviews and documents. Data analysis shows that the peer tutoring method makes a significant contribution to the development of social skills among students. This technique is used to determine aspects of social abilities, such as the ability to communicate, collaborate, leadership and responsibility effectively. The findings of this research contribute to the development of structured Dayak music ensemble learning strategies to improve students' social abilities which are reflected in aspects of social sensitivity, the emergence of a sense of empathy and self-confidence. Additionally, these findings highlight the transformative power of peer mentoring in fostering social-emotional development and musical skills.

In “Tone” with dogs: exploring canine musicality

This study investigates the musical perception skills of dogs through playback experiments. Dogs were trained to distinguish between two different target locations based on a sequence of four ascending or descending notes. A total of 16 dogs of different breeds, age, and sex, but all of them with at least basic training, were recruited for the study. Dogs received training from their respective owners in a suitable environment within their familiar home settings. The training sequence consisted of notes [Do-Mi-Sol#-Do (C7-E7-G7#-C8; Hz frequency: 2093, 2639, 3322, 4186)] digitally generated as pure sinusoidal tones. The training protocol comprised 3 sequential training levels, with each level consisting of 4 sessions with a minimum of 10 trials per session. In the test phase, the sequence was transposed to evaluate whether dogs used relative pitch when identifying the sequences. A correct response by the dog was recorded as 1, while an incorrect response, occurring when the dog chose the opposite zone of the bowl, was marked as 0. Statistical analyses were performed using a binomial test. Among 16 dogs, only two consistently performed above the chance level, demonstrating the ability to recognize relative pitch, even with transposed sequences. This study suggests that dogs may have the ability to attend to relative pitch, a critical aspect of human musicality.

The association between music performance skills and cognitive improvement in a musical instrument training program for older adults

Recent studies have reported positive effects of music training on older adults’ executive functions. However, it is not completely known whether these outcomes were due to improvement in music performance skills or due to other components of training, such as social interaction and music listening. Here, we investigated the effect of a 10-week melodica training program on a group of healthy older adults in Japan and the relationship between their early music performance and improvements in executive functions. Participants were divided into an experimental and a passive control group; both completed a battery of executive function measures before and after the intervention. The experimental group also completed a music performance evaluation developed for the current study. We found a significant improvement in an executive function composite index for the intervention group as compared with the control group. Moreover, individual musical performance was the only factor to predict cognitive improvement. Our results suggest that musical instrument training has a positive impact on older adults’ cognition which is not solely attributed to social interaction or music listening. Further research should consider the potential of examining individual differences in music performance skills inside the experimental group to understand the effects of instrument training programs.

Research on the Integration of Guzheng Performance and Music Aesthetic Principles

The purpose of this study is to explore the integration of guzheng performance and music aesthetics, and to reveal the unique status and value of guzheng art in modern music aesthetics. Through the method of literature analysis and theoretical discussion, this study first sorted out the historical development of guzheng performing art, and analyzed its aesthetic characteristics and evolution process in different historical periods. Then, the research deeply discusses the basic principles of music aesthetics, including formal beauty, emotional expression, cultural connotation and so on, combined with the specific practice of guzheng performance, analyzes its embodiment and application in music aesthetics. In the process of research, through the aesthetic analysis of the classical works of guzheng, it reveals the unique expression of guzheng music in the aspects of sound beauty, structural beauty and emotional beauty, and discusses how these aesthetic characteristics can be conveyed and sublimated through the performance art. The results show that the performance of guzheng is the display of musical skills, and the concrete practice and embodiment of the principles of musical aesthetics. Through its unique timbre, playing techniques and cultural connotation, guzheng music shows rich aesthetic value and can occupy an important position in the modern music aesthetic system. The research also points out that the aesthetic value of the performance art of guzheng lies in the inheritance of its traditional culture, and in its innovative application in modern music creation and performance. Through the integration of guzheng performance and music aesthetic principles, this study provides a new perspective and method for the theoretical research of guzheng art, and also provides theoretical support for the development and innovation of guzheng performing art.

Do early musical impairments predict later reading difficulties? A longitudinal study of pre-readers with and without familial risk for dyslexia.

The present longitudinal study investigated the hypothesis that early musical skills (as measured by melodic and rhythmic perception and memory) predict later literacy development via a mediating effect of phonology. We examined 130 French-speaking children, 31 of whom with a familial risk for developmental dyslexia (DD). Their abilities in the three domains were assessed longitudinally with a comprehensive battery of behavioral tests in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Using a structural equation modeling approach, we examined potential longitudinal effects from music to literacy via phonology. We then investigated how familial risk for DD may influence these relationships by testing whether atypical music processing is a risk factor for DD. Results showed that children with a familial risk for DD consistently underperformed children without familial risk in music, phonology, and literacy. A small effect of musical ability on literacy via phonology was observed, but may have been induced by differences in stability across domains over time. Furthermore, early musical skills did not add significant predictive power to later literacy difficulties beyond phonological skills and family risk status. These findings are consistent with the idea that certain key auditory skills are shared between music and speech processing, and between DD and congenital amusia. However, they do not support the notion that music perception and memory skills can serve as a reliable early marker of DD, nor as a valuable target for reading remediation. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Music, phonology, and literacy skills of 130 children, 31 of whom with a familial risk for dyslexia, were examined longitudinally. Children with a familial risk for dyslexia consistently underperformed children without familial risk in musical, phonological, and literacy skills. Structural equation models showed a small effect of musical ability in kindergarten on literacy in second grade, via phonology in first grade. However, early musical skills did not add significant predictive power to later literacy difficulties beyond phonological skills and family risk status.

Playing by ear and the development of music skills at pre-school age

The aim of the present research was to investigate the evolutionary course of rhythmic development in pre-school children in a private kindergarten (age 4–5 years) in Athens, Greece, through Lucy Green’s ‘Playing by ear’ method. Tools and strategies taken from qualitative methodology, and more specifically from action-research were used. What was investigated was to what extent the ‘Playing by ear’ method developed the rhythmic skills of the students and to what extent it enhanced the students’ ability to play music in small groups without the teacher’s instructions. It is important to mention that the research was conducted in connection with the goals set in the Analytical Curriculum of the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (ΥΠ.Ε.Π.Θ.). The results of the research showed that Green’s ‘Playing by ear’ method helped the students’ development of rhythmic ability with the use of musical instruments, as well as their rhythmic ability through kinetic behaviour. It also helped students to engage in early experimentation. Finally, the method enhanced the students’ ability to play music in small groups without the teacher’s continuous and direct instruction, developing in this way new communication and cooperation practices and skills.