What Determines the Perception of Segmentation in Contemporary Music?

Frontiers in Psychology

Luke A. Jones¹  Andrew J. Stewart¹  Marcus du Sautoy²  J. Matthew Wilcoxson³  Pip Willcox³  David De Roure⁴  Emily Howard⁵  Michelle Phillips⁵ 

[1] Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom;Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;Oxford e-Research Centre, Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;The Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom;The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, United Kingdom;

关键词: music perception;    large-scale form;    segmentation;    contemporary music;    Ligeti;    live music;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01001

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThis study concerns the perception of musical segmentation during listening to live contemporary classical music. Little is known about how listeners form judgments of musical segments, particularly when typical section markers, such as cadences and fermatas, are absent [e.g., Sears et al. (2014)] or when the music is non-tonal (e.g., in much contemporary classical music).AimsThe current study aimed to examine the listeners’ segmentation decisions in a piece of contemporary music, Ligeti’s “Fanfares”?MethodsData were gathered using a smartphone application [Practice & Research in Science & Music (PRiSM) Perception App] designed for this study by the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) Centre for PRiSM and the Oxford e-Research Centre. A total of 259 audience participants were asked to “tap” when they felt that a section had ended. Subjective responses were captured, as well as contextual data about the participants.ResultsThe audience members demonstrated high levels of agreement regarding segmentation, mostly at places in the music involving breaks in the musical texture (one piano hand resting), changes in dynamic (volume), and changes in register/pitch. A sense of familiarity with contemporary repertoire did seem to influence the responses—the participants who self-reported being familiar with contemporary music used a wider range of cues to make their segmentation decisions. The self-report data analysis suggested that the listeners were not always aware of how they made decisions regarding segmentation. The factors which may influence their judgment of musical segmentation are, to some extent, similar to those identified by music analysis (Steinitz, 2011) but different in other ways. The effect of musical training was found to be quite small.ConclusionWhether musically trained and/or familiar with contemporary classical music or not, the listeners demonstrate commonalities in segmentation, which they are not always aware of. This study has implications for contemporary composers, performers, and audiences and how they engage with new music in particular.

【 授权许可】

Unknown