People Listen Research Articles

Trump and Us: What He Says and Why People Listen

Trump and Us: What He Says and Why People Listen

Cultural Views of a Society Through Taylor Swift’s Song

Songs as cultural products function to help people to fulfil their needs. When people listen to the songs, they both enjoy the melody and also lyrics of the songs. Songs serve as tools to achieve different essential objectives such as changing moods, relating, and shaping their own identity. In this research, the writer studies deixis in song lyrics from the selected song in Taylor Swift's Folklore album: Cardigan, the Last Great American Dynasty, August, Illicit Affairs, and Betty. The analysis deixis of this study reveals a variety of life issues is treated directly or is strongly involved in the content of the lyrics of songs. This study found that lyrics have undergone dramatic changes when the influence of other cultures is unavoidable. This is an issue of significant interest and concern for parents and educators.

Learning with a Beat: A Study on the Implementation of Students’ Music Interests in High School Humanities Curriculum

From the first-ever Pulitzer Prize for a hip-hop album awarded to rapper Kendrick Lamar in 2014, to the development of entire websites dedicated to popular music analyses, music has become a form of accessible humanities-like education, as people listen to the deeper meaning within a song's beat. Contrarily, the traditional humanities education in today’s high schools has hardly seen change, if any at all, with student apathy rapidly rising. Thus, this research paper asks, "Can the music interests of high-achieving high school students be implemented in humanities-based curricula to combat apathy in learning? If so, how?" The study was conducted in a three-part mixed methods approach. First, an action research survey collected data on the favorite "thought-provoking" songs of high-achieving high school students from two high schools. Next, content analyses on the three songs most frequently mentioned by students were conducted based on humanities-derived categories– theme, rhetoric, and context. Finally, the content analyses were compiled into a hermeneutics-based survey for head teachers in the humanities (reading, English Language Arts, and social studies) departments at the schools. This study supports the general conclusion that the music interests of high-achieving students can be implemented into humanities-based curricula, in multiple ways, to combat learning apathy. The results of this study give a proven basis for reducing apathy in humanities-based learning with music, as the vast majority of students and teachers surveyed advocate for this implementation. Teachers’ reported interpretations provide a framework for new curricula that could improve students’ learning appeal and engagement.

Наш персональный Иисус, или феномен «Прогулок по воде» И. Кормильцева

The research is based on the analysis of the poem “Walks on water” by I. Kormiltsev and consideration of this text as a song of the group “Nautilus Pompilius”. The interpretation of the text is based on comparison of the plot with the text of the New Testament, on analysis of the opposition of the two heroes, on consideration of separate images of the poem within the poetics of the whole creativity of the poet. The anthropological concept of “meme” as a unit of cultural evolution was involved to analyze the reasons for the popularity of this composition. When people listen to the song, they don’t perceive the meaning of the original statement, but only memes are perceived.

Low-Frequency Entrainment to Visual Motion Underlies Sign Language Comprehension.

When people listen to speech, neural activity tracks the entropy fluctuation in the acoustic envelope of the signal. This signal-based entrainment has been shown to be the basis of speech parsing and comprehension. In this electroencephalography (EEG) study, we compute sign language users’ cortical tracking of changes in visual dynamics of the communicative signal in the time-direct videos of sign language, and their time-reversed counterparts, and assess the relative contribution of response frequencies between.2 and 12.4 Hz to comprehension using a machine learning approach to brain state classification. Lower frequencies of EEG response (.2–4 Hz) yield 100% classification accuracy, while information about cortical tracking of the visual envelope in higher frequencies is less informative. This suggests that signers rely on lower visual frequency data, such as envelope of visual signal, for sign language comprehension. In the context of real-time language processing, given the speed of comprehension responses, this suggests that fluent signers employ a predictive processing heuristic based on sign language knowledge.

Musical DIAMONDS: The influence of situational classes and characteristics on music listening behavior

Music listening behavior has changed significantly due to technological advancements, leading to new listening contexts in which the situational circumstances play an increased influencing role. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the relationship between situational characteristics captured by the Situational Eight DIAMONDS and psychological characteristics of music (Arousal, Valence, and Depth) people listen to in different situations. Hence, an online study was conducted, in which 198 participants described and reported on features of 3 typical, self-selected listening situations. Results suggested that individuals adapted their music listening behavior dependent on the situational characteristics reflected by the eight DIAMONDS. Furthermore, utilizing a Latent Class Analysis, we established a taxonomy of music listening situations, including positive-social, ambivalent-individual, and negative-demanding situations. Finally, both DIAMONDS and the established classes reliably predicted reported music listening behavior and therefore are recommended to be considered in future research on social and music psychology.

A sonic ethnography

We propose a sonic ethnography that focuses on listening, departing from an investigation of a soundscape to one that attends to how people listen. This, we suggest, is crucial for an anthropological approach that understands sound as processual and relational. Rather than describing what the ethnographer hears, we outline a project of listening with others. Listening is ordinary, something at which everyone is expert, even as it expands beyond the ear and beyond the human. In this way, listening is central to an anthropogenic sensorium that shifts away from human exceptionalism. Always emergent, listening—like climate change—is fundamentally uncertain. And while recording technology has long been central to an anthropology of sound, we invite new ways of engaging audio technology that take seriously its presence in everyday listening as well as its expressive capacities.

Storytelling in English and Russian-language lecture discourse


 The advantages of using storytelling as a communication strategy are currently discussed in marketing, psychology, advertising, medicine, and education. It is described as an inborn skill that people relate to and which makes people listen. Storytelling is also described as an educational method (Dumović 2006, Pedersen 1995) and as a communication tool (Dahlstrom 2014, Sundin 2018) that can be used widely in education. The purpose of this paper is to analyze features and functions of storytelling used in academic lectures. For this purpose, three lecturers in Russian and three lecturers in English were analyzed. By means of a mixed-method approach, including discourse analysis and content analysis, it was established that all the lecturers used storytelling as a communication strategy for explanatory and contact-establishing purposes. The conclusion is made that storytelling was used by the Russian and the English-language lecturers to provide their audience with clear and engaging explanations. The lecturers constructed their stories using factual information, emotional and evaluative lexis, verbs of action, as well as discursive strategies that helped them to engage the audience in the topic of the lecture (e.g., the inclusive pronoun we and different kinds of questions). Though the stories have much in common, some differences between the stories in Russian and in English are identified. Based on these results, it is suggested that further contrastive studies of storytelling in academic settings can benefit those who are planning on presenting to an international audience or preparing to teach in an intercultural context.

The geopolitics of improvised language: President John F. Kennedy’s ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ address

AbstractIt is shortly after 13.00 outside Berlin’s Schöneberg Rathaus (City Hall) on 26 June 1963. A strong breeze tosses the banner which hangs behind a narrow speaker’s platform as some 450,000 people listen expectantly to the figure standing before them. Having already been speaking for just over eight minutes, President John F. Kennedy has reached the closing lines of his address: ‘All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words “Ich bin ein Berliner”.’ Although Kennedy’s ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ address has gained something of an iconic status, few are aware of its improvisational and contentious nature. Crucially, the U.S. President would follow only a quarter of the prepared text during its delivery, and geopolitically frame Berlin in such a manner as to imperil his own foreign policy. Developing insights from the so‐called ‘more‐than‐representational’ turn and informed by materials from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library (JFKPL), this paper records both how and why Kennedy elected to stray from the script. More specifically, it examines those agencies – the objects, atmospheres, emotions, and affects – which converged during Kennedy’s address and led him to employ an improvised, geopolitically volatile mode of language.

You Must Roll 18 or Higher for Your Claims to Succeed: Common Law Trademarks, Unauthorized Merchandise, and the Podcast 'The Adventure Zone'

Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy are among the people who found notoriety and fame during the podcast boom of the 2010s. In addition to their main podcast, “My Brother, My Brother and Me,” thousands of people listen to their tabletop role playing game podcast, “The Adventure Zone,” which they make with their father, Clint. “The Adventure Zone” has been adapted into a graphic novel and a streaming television adaptation is in development. With this comes fans who show their love for the podcast through fan art, some of which is sold online. The McElroys have stated they do not want fans selling items based on their podcasts, although presently have not taken any legal action against fans. The McElroys are one example of people who have become extraordinarily successful because of their podcasts and have reason to protect their creation. Using trademark law, I examine if the McElroys have any legal recourse for infringement. As they do not have any registered trademarks, all possible issues are examined as common law trademarks. The McElroys’ ability to protect characters, as well as items appearing in the podcast, as marks varies depending on the story-line of “The Adventure Zone.” The McElroys and other podcast creators have varying levels of protection for elements of podcasts used as marks. The idea there is broad legal recourse seems like an empty threat made against fan artists. Further, the idea of “bad faith” appears both in trademark infringement and unfair competition. With the statements made by the McElroys, they have presented all people selling unlicensed merchandise as acting in bad faith. This runs contrary to the very roots of artistic expression and courts indiscriminately finding for podcast hosts could harm the delicate relationship between podcast hosts and fans, as well as the ability for fans to interpret and share their love of a property.

Trump and Us: What He Says and Why People Listen. By Roderick P. Hart. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2020. 280p. $84.99 cloth, $24.99 paper.

Trump and Us: What He Says and Why People Listen. By Roderick P. Hart. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2020. 280p. $84.99 cloth, $24.99 paper.

Climate-smart health care: the power of health care action on air pollution and climate change

Abstract If one sector is indisputably at the frontline of climate change and air pollution, bearing the costs of increased diseases and more frequent extreme weather events, it is health care. At the same time, the health care sector is a significant contributor to air pollution and climate change, driving an increase in the diseases it is trying to treat. It is not only health care organizations that will be impacted by these dual environmental health menaces, but every individual who relies on their services. The health sector has an opportunity to not only prevent further damage from the air pollution and climate crises, but also to improve health outcomes by decarbonizing, building climate resilience, and amplifying the message around the interdependency between climate change and human health. We will present a framework, co-developed by WHO and Health Care Without Harm, for climate-resilient, sustainable health facilities. We will also highlight the power of health care strategies to tackle air pollution and climate change, exploring examples from India, the United States, Europe, and other regions. The discussion will focus around our findings that health care is one of the most important actors that can drive widespread sustainable solutions and incentivize positive health outcomes globally. The health sector can also play a critical role in advocating for a healthy environment by using its voice and its economic clout to reduce its own climate footprint while becoming a community anchor for sustainability and a leader in the global climate movement. We conclude that when health care is speaking, people listen; when health care acts, markets respond; when health care improves, people's lives are impacted; and we have a framework for scaling this impact around the world.

„...mér má finnast öðruvísi...“ Hugleikur – samræður til náms í leikskóla

Í þessari grein er fjallað um starfsþróunarverkefnið Hugleik – samræður til náms í leikskóla. Um er að ræða verkefni sem unnið var í samstarfi leikskólans Lundarsels á Akureyri, Miðstöðvar skólaþróunar og kennaradeildar Háskólans á Akureyri. Megintilgangur verkefnisins var að starfsfólk leikskólans lærði um samræður og efldi leikni sína til að nota samræðuaðferðir með börnum í daglegu skólastarfi með það að markmiði að efla með börnum hæfni til að draga ályktanir, taka afstöðu og efla rökhugsun. Margvíslegar rannsóknir hafa farið fram á samræðum sem sýna að þær hvetja börn til að ígrunda og skerpa vitund þeirra um eigin hugsunaraðferðir. Samræðuaðferðir fela t.d. í sér að spyrja spurninga sem hvetja til ígrundunar í þeim tilgangi að efla með börnum gagnrýna hugsun og hæfni til að ræða saman. Verkefnið fellur vel að hæfniáherslum Aðalnámskrár leikskóla (2011) eins og þær birtast í almennum hluta þar sem lögð er áhersla á að skólar efli með börnum og ungu fólki hæfni til að afla gagna og upplýsinga og beita gagnrýninni hugsun við mótun og miðlun hugmynda á skapandi hátt. Í Aðalnámskrá leikskóla (2011) er m.a. lögð áhersla á að í leikskóla sé skapaður vettvangur þar sem allir taki virkan þátt í samræðum um almenn málefni, hlusti hver á annan, skiptist á skoðunum og taki þátt í heimspekilegum samræðum. Starfsþróunarverkefnið náði yfir tveggja ára tímabil og voru alls haldnar 8 samræðusmiðjur, auk þess sem starfsfólk leikskólans skráði niður valdar samræðustundir og tók þátt í rýnihópaviðtölum. Sagt verður frá hugmyndafræðilegum grunni verkefnisins, umfangi, inntaki, aðferðum og verkfærum. Auk þess verður greint frá niðurstöðum skráninga og rýnihópaviðtala. Niðurstöður gefa starfsfólki leikskóla tilefni til að ígrunda og endurskoða starfshætti með það að markmiði að efla samræður með börnum í skólastarfinu.

Do the shuffle: Exploring reasons for music listening through shuffled play.

Adults listen to music for an average of 18 hours a week (with some people reaching more than double that). With rapidly changing technology, music collections have become overwhelmingly digital ushering in changes in listening habits, especially when it comes to listening on personal devices. By using interactive visualizations, descriptive analysis and thematic analysis, this project aims to explore why people download and listen to music and which aspects of the music listening experience are prioritized when people talk about tracks on their device. Using a newly developed data collection method, Shuffled Play, 397 participants answered open-ended and closed research questions through a short online questionnaire after shuffling their music library and playing two pieces as prompts for reflections. The findings of this study highlight that when talking about tracks on their personal devices, people prioritise characterizing them using sound and musical features and associating them with the informational context around them (artist, album, and genre) over their emotional responses to them. The results also highlight that people listen to and download music because they like it-a straightforward but important observation that is sometimes glossed over in previous research. These findings have implications for future work in understanding music, its uses and its functions in peoples' everyday lives.

ВЗАЄМОЗВ'ЯЗОК МІЖ ОСОБИСТІСНИМИ ЦІННОСТЯМИ ТА МУЗИЧНИМИ ВПОДОБАННЯМИ

This article describes the main correlations that were obtained between music preferences and personal values. It has been discovered that personal values play a significant role in people’s music preferences and they are at the forefront in proposing a map that links personal values to music preferences. According to the results, music preferences can be defined by personal values since people tend to listen to a specific type of music if corresponding values are projected such as conservatism and openness. In this case, music is broken into four preference dimensions which include reflective and complex for folk, jazz, and classical, rebellious and intense comprising of punk, rock, and alternate, conventional and upbeat comprising of pop, country, and soundtracks, and lastly rhythmic and energetic including funk, electronica, hip-hop, and soul. Besides, preferences may be defined by socio-demographic characteristics such as age and gender such that the young people tend to prefer music because of what the other peers listen to and enjoy music in social places such as bars, restaurants, and music festivals, middle-aged people listen to the music of their preferences and at the time of their choosing at homes or while carrying out activities, the aged tend to have less music preference but some cannot do anything without listening to music and therefore have to keep their preference music always. Males tend to focus on certain genres of music such as heavy metal and rock which are associated with cognitive listening and demonstrates a negatively conservative nature of music while females prefer listening to pop music more than males. This article discloses the main results that were obtained in the empirical study of different articles concerning the topic of the relationship between personal values and music preferences. No such research was conducted on Ukrainian-speaking samples before.

Is community radio in crisis in the Global North?: Lessons from Australia and the United States

Abstract This article explores the relevance of community radio in the Global North. Its significance in the Global South is uncontested (Gumucio Dagron, 2011; Rodríguez, 2011; Tacchi, 2002), however, in the Global North the role of community radio is not necessarily so clear. According to a 2017 study published by New York University, newer digital services are changing the way people listen to content, endangering the future of traditional radio (Miller, 2017). In this environment, the relevance of community radio can be put into question. Based on three different case studies – two in Australia and one in the US – our analysis explores community broadcasters’ strategic initiatives that, although different, intend to address specific communication needs in particular audiences. Our analysis suggests that the future of community radio in the Global North depends on its ability to detect needs and audiences at the hyper-local level.

Colloquy: Attention, Anxiety, and Audition's Histories

### FRANCESCA BRITTAN and CARMEL RAZ > Fiction may struggle to hold us spellbound in the manner of music, but its prompting of more diverted states of mind, and its depictions of the richness and freedom found in the sloppiness of drifting thought, suggests how constricted a world can be that

Peace Up, A-town Down: Exploring the Evolution of Popular Music

People listen to music for a variety of reasons and these reasons are different for everyone. What specifically are the reasons large numbers of people tune into the most popular songs? This qualitative study thematically examined the lyrical changes in popular songs across three decades. Discovering the lyrical characteristics of popular songs over time could give some insight into how people were feeling at a certain point in time, their opinions towards various subjects, or how they enjoyed themselves in their free time. This can be illustrated by which particular song is most popular over a specific year and how this song is structured lyrically. Conceivably, uncovering the lyrical progression and evolution of music over time will provide a better understanding of society in general, how society changes over time, and where society and its preferences are headed towards moving forward.

Hey, Hey, Hey—Listen to What I Gotta Say: Songs Elevate Youth Voice in Alberta Wildfire Disaster Recovery

Music pulses emotion in its lyrics, its tune, and in the creative process.A song can move people to dance, to reflect, and—often—to act. For an artist, a song’s creation can also reveal and clarify one’s own emotions. When people listen, a song can legitimize that the artists have something valuable to say—especially when the artists are youth who believe their ideas need a wider audience. This article talks about the power of song for youth recovery post-disaster in the context of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire disaster in Alberta, Canada. It highlights the use of music in a community-engaged research project that aimed to understand and amplify youth ideas for improving their community. The article draws on the value of Youth-Adult Partnerships, where eight youth worked with a professional recording studio in the wildfire-affected community to produce original songs for a youth-centric social media campaign. Focusing on the youths’ songs and personal experiences of their development, the article offers ways forward for wildfire recovery through processes that strengthen youth voice and wellbeing. The community-engaged research process underscores the power of music creation as an empowering method for enhancing youth engagement and reveals youths’ insights through their musical reflections on their priorities for a resilient community after disaster.

Seeing a drummer’s performance modulates the subjective experience of groove while listening to popular music drum patterns

Spontaneous rhythmical movements, like foot-tapping and head-bobbing, often emerge when people listen to music, promoting the enjoyable sensation of ‘being in the groove’. Here we report the first experiment to investigate if seeing the music maker modulates this experience. Across trials we manipulated groove level in the audio beats (high vs low), and manipulated the match between the audio beats and a concurrently observed point-light display (PLD) of the drummer. The visual display was either fully corresponding with the audio beats, or incompatible across three conditions: a static PLD, a corresponding but asynchronous PLD (0.5s time shifted); or a non-corresponding PLD (e.g. high groove audio paired with low groove PLD). Participants (n = 36) rated: (a) their desire to move; and (b) their perceived groove, purely in response to the audio beats, using 8-point Likert scales. The main effects of groove level and visual display were significant in both measurements. Ratings increased for high compared to low groove audio overall, and for the fully corresponding condition compared to the other visual conditions. Ratings of the desire to move also increased in the static compared to the non-corresponding condition, and the two-way interaction was significant. Desire to move significantly increased for high compared to low groove audio in the fully corresponding, static and asynchronous conditions, while this effect was absent in the non-corresponding condition. These findings identify the importance of seeing as well as hearing the musician for an enhanced experience of groove, which necessitates a multimodal account of music perception.