Psychology of Music MUSED 681

1. Psychology of Music MUSED 681 REMINDER Course Packet: $10 payable to Don Ester eJournal Feedback

2. The Nature of Musical Ability SEASHORE MEASURES OF MUSICAL TALENTS (1919) Do you have musical aptitude? 

3. The Nature of Musical Ability Definition of terms Capacity, potential, aptitude, ability Often misused as synonymns Ability:a particular talent or ACQUIRED skill Aptitude:a natural talent or ability for something, especially one that is not yet fully developed. Achievement: current level of mastery Assessing aptitude in an effort to predict future achievement

4. The Nature of Musical Ability All children (and adults) have some level of musical aptitude What is the source of this aptitude? Nature (Genetics) or Nurture (Environment)? Public opinion = purely nature “You have such a gift …” True?

5. Nature or Nurture How do we sort out genetic and environmental influences in research? Studies of Twins Consider pre-natal environmental influences Drugs, stress, hormones, exposure to rhythm (heart beat), music, motherese NOT genetic (post conception), but how could we know?

6. Nature or Nurture Genetic factors influence general development in three broad ways Maturational Staged Development Physical Capacity Mental Capacity Is there a “music gene”, or many specific related genes (intonation gene, etc.)? More on this when we address Physiology and Perception & Cognition

7. Nature or Nurture Genetics contributes primarily to the similarities between siblings Environment contributes primarily to the dissimilarities between siblings

8. Nature or Nurture Shared Environmental Influences • Socio-economics of family • Parent’s musical interests • Educational opportunity

9. Nature or Nurture Nonshared Environmental Influences • Placement of sibling (oldest, middle child, etc.) • Different friend groups • Varied musical experiences Nonshared are more important for development of personality characteristics

10. Nature or Nurture Most researchers (Csikszentmihalyi, Gordon) conclude that musical ability develops based on a complex and variable interaction of genetics and environment. Absent Cause-Effect data (which is almost impossible to parce out and confirm), correlational data is valuable

11. Nature or Nurture Known aspects of the Covariation between genetics and environment • Passive Child is “subjected” to the environment (parents “allow” him/her to sing in the car) • Reactive (Evocative) Child/Adolescent reacts to environment based on unique traits, which in turn evokes different environmental responses (parents, teachers, etc.) • Active Child/Adolescent/Adult actively selects or shapes environment to meet needs

12. Environmental Influences Musical Socialization Learning process through which the individual grows into a musical culture, developing and adjusting his or her musical abilities, activities, ways of experiencing, and values in interrelation with the social, cultural, and material environment. (p. 19)

13. Environmental Influences Situational ExpositionThe frequency and duration with which a person is exposed to a particular situation. (p. 18)

14. Environmental Influences Pre-natal environment (discussed earlier) Infant environment Motherese, stroking, rocking, walking/pacing Singing (many parents don’t anymore) Listening (radio, TV, CD)

15. Environmental Influences Early childhood & childhood environment General musical environment US: 93% of 6-9 yr. olds hear music in leisure time; 98% of 12-14 MUCH larger influence than school music program, etc. Concert attendance

16. Environmental Influences Key Parental Roles Early and continuous support of parents; very active up until age 11, moving to intrinsic motivation Observe and encourage child’s early musical responses Careful choice of teachers

17. Environmental Influences Key environmental factors maximizing musical development • Early frequent and casual exposure to musical stimuli • Opportunities over an extended period of time to explore musical media • Early opportunities in music to experience intense positive emotional or aesthetic states • An opportunity to amass significant hours of practice • An opportunity to consistently observe and/or study with role models

18. Music Aptitude Tests WHY measure musical aptitude? Consider/Discuss: There is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of students of unequal ability. Plato in The Republic HOW measure musical aptitude? (sample recording)

19. Music Aptitude Tests The first music aptitude test Seashore Measures of Musical Talents 1919 (most recent revision in 1960)

20. Music Aptitude Tests Issues concerning the measurement of musical aptitude? Atomistic vs. Gestalt Psychophysiological vs. Musical

21. Music Aptitude Tests Reliability Validity • Formal, Content • Predictive Normal Distribution of musical aptitude

22. Music Aptitude Tests Gordon Musical Aptitude Profile (MAP) 1965, Revised 1995 Developmental Music Aptitude Stage Birth (conception?) - age 9 Interaction of innate potential and environment Stabilized Music Aptitude Stage Age 9 and beyond No environemntal affects

23. Music Aptitude Tests Gordon Musical Aptitude Profile (MAP) Grades 5-12 3 sections (stimuli played on violin & cello) • Tonal (Melody & Harmony) • Rhythm (Tempo and Meter) • Musical Sensitivity (Phrasing, Balance, and Style) Sections 1 and 2: determine same vs. different; one dimension is changed Section 3: preference between two phrases

24. Music Aptitude Tests Gordon PMMA, IMMA, AMMA Tonal and Rhythm sections only Primary Measures of Music Audiation (1979, 1986) Grades K-3 Trial download: http://www.giamusic.com/products/P-2242.cfm Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation (1979, 1986) Grades 1-4 (same design; advanced content) Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (1989) College Students

25. Music Aptitude Tests Per the text, Howe and Cattell maintain that “the close analysis of any ability is impossible without an understanding of three ‘modalities’: ability, personality, and motivation” (p. 5). Do you agree?

26. Music Aptitude Tests How would you measure musical aptitude? (Have your thoughts changed?) How would you use aptitude data? Understanding Music Aptitude article

27. Instrument Selection & Assignment Traits to consider? Physical Traits Lips, fingers, jaw/teeth, hands, other Ring vs. Index finger of LH!!?? Empirical evidence Personality, Motivation

28. Instrument Selection & Assignment

29. Personality Effects CORRELATIONAL Research Introversion: significant level of self-sufficiency (not “shyness”) • Isolation during practice time • Private/independent creativity

30. Motivation Effects Addressed later in the term

31. Music Achievement Tests Colwell MAT Test 1: Pitch Discrimination, Interval Discrimination, Meter Discrimination Test 2: Major-Minor Mode Discrimination, Feeling For Tonal Center, Auditory-Visual Discrimination Test 3: Tonal Memory, Melody Recognition, Pitch Recognition, Instrument Recognition Test 4: Musical Style (composers, texture), Auditory-Visual Discrimination, Chord Recognition, Cadence Recognition

32. Music Achievement Tests Watkins-Farnum Performance Scale

33. Music Achievement Tests How would YOU test for musical achievement?

34. Aptitude and Achievement Research indicates that music aptitude is developmental during the early years of life. A child's aptitude at birth is innate, but can fluctuate until about age nine according to the richness and diversity of musical experiences the child undergoes. After age nine, one cannot expect to achieve in music beyond the limit of one's stabilized music aptitude. It is essential that children receive lots of high quality informal guidance and formal instruction in music in order to best realize their potential for musical fulfillment throughout life. Informal music experience prior to age five is particularly important. (Gordon)

35. Research Projects Guidelines Format & Length see Update Contributor Guidelines http://dester.iweb.bsu.edu/ Content see sample Update articles (and packet chapters) Cognition and motor execution in Piano Sight-Reading: A Review of Literature Sight-Reading Ability in Wind and Percussion Students: A Review of Recent Literature Initial Prospectus Due Sept. 25 Idea Sharing

36. Next Week • Reading assignments • See 681 web site links: • Sound, Physics, and Music • Explore the four areas under Basic Concepts (Table of Contents on left) • Science Friday • Listen to archived audio • Read/explore info by clicking “Lend an ear to the physics of music” link • View/read information under Related Links • Music Physics • eJournal due Wednesday 8 AM • Continue work on Research Project

37. Safe Travels SAFE TRAVELS