A music performance is an exciting environment for studying joint action and nonverbal communication. This thesis utilized music ensemble performances to study nonverbal communication occurring from two different perspectives. We examined bi-directional communication between co-performers and uni-directional communication of the musicians to the participants. The first paper (Chapter 2) used statistical measures (i.e., Granger causality analysis) to quantify head movements as a measure of joint action during a musical performance. We observed a change in direction and magnitude of information flow between co-performers based on the availability of visual and auditory cues. We wanted to extend this line of research to see how audience perception of the performances may change due to the auditory and visual manipulations of the performers. The second paper (Chapter 3) examines participant ratings of expression, cohesion, and general liking of the performance when presented with audio-visual, audio-only, and visual-only stimuli. These ratings not only show which sensory modality allows for the highest sensitivity to performer manipulations, but also provide insight into how musicians change their performances to communicate to the audience. My aim was to create a cohesive examination of co-performer communication and observer perception of musical performances. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Learning fractions is the focus for much of elementary school mathematics instruction because it is important and can be difficult. Fractions constitute a system of thinking about numbers and representations that differs in important ways from counting numbers. To understand fractions requires, for example, perceiving that a symbol such as 6 is not automatically associated with a larger quantity than 5 if they are denominators. In the system that constitutes fractions, 1/5 is bigger than 1/6. When students fail to master the system of fractions by a certain age, the inherent difficulty of the concepts can become confounded with discouragement, boredom, and humiliation. Music, especially percussion, not only provides an engaging context for many students but musical patterning can also provide deep analogic experiences to fractions at embodied and representational levels. Reasonable questions about musical patterns can both motivate and guide students towards understanding the properties of systems of fractions and their representations. We utilize this possibility in a new tool and associated curriculum called Sound of Fractions (SoF). SoF incorporates three main ideas to leverage musical interest and skill to provide an alternative approach to teaching fractions: Experiencing the whole and the part at the same time is crucial to learning fractions; Drumming is a compelling, embodied, culturally-relevant activity that allows students to experience the wholes, the parts, and the relationships between them at the same time; A new computer-based representational infrastructure utilizing aural, visual, physical, and temporal components that scaffolds classroom-based activities that bridge the relationship between percussion-related and mathematics activities in such a way as to gradually bring the student towards more standard mathematical representations and usages. We conducted preliminary testing of this approach in two series of after school programs with 5th-8th grade children who were significantly behind in learning fractions. Preliminary indications are that the approach is promising and ready to be tried in more formal contexts. This work illustrates that instruction rich in representational infrastructure and domains continues to be an important component of how technology can have positive impact. / Master of Science

Submitted by Morgana Silva (morgana_linhares@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-09-19T17:48:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 3910935 bytes, checksum: 5bccd9608f461bf57145bba5531cc099 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-19T17:48:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arquivototal.pdf: 3910935 bytes, checksum: 5bccd9608f461bf57145bba5531cc099 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The objective of this research is to understand how a group of musicians of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB) are using strategies to control musical performance anxiety (MPA). A group of undergraduate and graduate music students was asked to respond the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) questionnaire to assess their MPA level along with semi-structured interview, which was recorded for later analysis. In this dialogue, the subjects explained in detail how they are affected by the MPA and the strategies they use for its control. Reported strategies were: spirituality (prayer), use of beta-blockers, meditation routines to focus upon performance, consultation of self-help literature, self-talk, breath control, physical activity, positive perception of arousal, relaxation techniques, acceptance of small errors, switch instruments, simulation of performance and mental practice. The results confirm the existence of the MPA within the group studied and showed how it adversely affects the performance in some of the subjects. It also showed the lack of a systematic use of the different strategies to deal with the MPA. / O objetivo desta pesquisa é entender quais são as diferentes estratégias para o controle da Ansiedade na Performance Musical (APM) utilizadas por músicos da Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB). Para isto, foi selecionado um grupo de estudantes de música dos cursos de Licenciatura em Música, Bacharelado em Música e Pós-graduação em Práticas Interpretativas. Eles então responderam ao questionário Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) para avaliar seu nível de APM e a uma entrevista semiestruturada, que foi gravada para posterior análise, na qual os sujeitos explicaram detalhadamente como são afetados pela APM e as estratégias utilizadas para seu controle. As estratégias reportadas foram: espiritualidade (oração), uso de betabloqueadores, autoconvencimento (self-talk), rotinas para se concentrar no momento da performance, consulta de textos de autoajuda, prática mental, simulação da performance, atividade física, aceitação de pequenos erros, percepção positiva da excitação, controle da respiração, técnicas de relaxamento e até mesmo “trocar para outro instrumento”. Os resultados desta pesquisa confirmam a existência da APM dentro do grupo estudado e mostram como ela afeta negativamente a performance de alguns dos sujeitos. Também mostra a falta de um uso sistemático das diferentes estratégias para o controle da APM.

Submitted by LEONARDO CASARIN KAMINSKI null (00539617067) on 2017-05-26T06:21:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 KAMINSKI Leonardo C - 2017 - TESE.pdf: 4549779 bytes, checksum: b111796649ce466bd2fb49cee39ec537 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-05-30T16:33:05Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 kaminski_lc_dr_ia.pdf: 4549779 bytes, checksum: b111796649ce466bd2fb49cee39ec537 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-30T16:33:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 kaminski_lc_dr_ia.pdf: 4549779 bytes, checksum: b111796649ce466bd2fb49cee39ec537 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente trabalho trata da preparação, realização e avaliação da performance em música de câmara, mais precisamente, sobre os níveis e presença do estresse da ansiedade envolvidos nessa prática. Partiu-se da premissa de que seja possível desenvolver estratégias para otimizar o controle dos níveis de ansiedade e do estresse na performance de músicos cameristas, visando a excelência na performance nesse processo. A ocorrência e sintomas psicopatológicos diferem- se em atividades individuais e coletivas, motivando o autor a realizar a pesquisa com grupos de câmara. A metodologia empregada mesclou pesquisa bibliográfica (onde foi realizada uma revisão da literatura concentrada em publicações dos principais congressos brasileiros ocorridos nos últimos anos e em publicações de autores de referência na área de cognição musical) e pesquisa de campo (na qual foram aplicados dois inventários, o K-MPAI e o ISSL, respectivamente, sobre ansiedade na performance musical e estresse, além de um Questionário adicional sobre hábitos cotidianos do músico). O trabalho está organizado em quatro capítulos: 1) Revisão da literatura; 2) Metodologia e estratégia de ação, 3). Discussão dos resultados da consulta e revisão e 4) Sugestões de estratégias para o enfrentamento do estresse e da ansiedade na performance camerística. As discussões cruzando revisão de literatura e pesquisa de campo permitiram identificar possíveis geradores de estresse e ansiedade na performance musical bem como elaborar algumas sugestões de procedimentos que podem ser adotados na preparação e realização da performance musical de grupos de câmara. / The present work deals with the preparation for performance, the performance itself and its evaluation in chamber music, more precisely what concerns to control of levels and presence of anxiety stress involved in this practice. The argument was based on strategies that would be developed to optimize levels of anxiety and stress of musicians to achieve the excellence in performance in these processes. The occurrence and psychopathological symptoms could be distinct in individual and collective activities, motivating the author to carry out the current research with chamber music groups. The methodology used merged bibliographical research (review of the literature with publications from main Brazilian congresses, occurred in the last years and assigned publications in area of musical cognition) and field research (in which two inventories were applied, K-MPAI and ISSL, respectively, on anxiety in musical performance and stress, as well as an additional questionnaire on daily habits of the musician). The work is divided in four chapters: 1) Literature review; 2) Methodology and strategy of action, 3). Discussion of the results with consultation and review; and 4) Suggestions of procedures in the preparation and realization of the musical performance in chamber groups. Discussions across literature review and field research have identified feasible generators of stress and anxiety in musical performance as well as suggest of procedures that can be adopted in the preparation and realization of the musical performance of chamber groups.

Orientador: Sonia Ray / Resumo: Esta tese investiga o papel da prática mental no processo de preparação para a performance musical. Adota como referencial teórico o conceito de pedagogia da performance musical de Ray (2015), que propõe uma abordagem interdisciplinar entre a educação e a atuação prática do músico. O objetivo geral desta pesquisa é propor a prática mental como estratégia pedagógica na preparação para a performance musical. A metodologia inclui revisão da literatura disponível, pesquisa de campo (questionário aplicado a estudantes e professores de performance musical de cursos graduação e pós-graduação no Brasil) e discussão dos resultados. O trabalho está estruturado em quatro capítulos: 1. Revisão de literatura, 2. Metodologia e pesquisa de campo, 3. Discussão dos resultados, 4. Estratégias pedagógicas para aplicação da prática mental. As conclusões apontam para a confirmação da tese de que a prática mental pode ser uma importante ferramenta pedagógica no processo de preparação para a performance musical. / Abstract: This dissertation investigates the role of mental practice in the process of preparation for musical performance. It has as theoretical reference the concept of music performance pedagogy by Ray (2015), who proposes an interdisciplinary approach between the field of education and the practical acting of the musician. The main objective of this research is to propose mental practice as a pedagogical strategy in preparation for music performance. The methodology includes review of available literature, field research (questionnaire applied to students and teachers of music performance of undergraduate and graduate courses in Brazil) and discussion of the results. The dissertation is divided in four chapters: 1. Literature review, 2. Methodology and field research, 3. Discussion of results, 4. Pedagogical strategies for using mental practice. The conclusions point to the confirmation of the thesis that mental practice can be an important pedagogical tool in the process of preparation for musical performance. / Doutor

Lung Man Wai. / Thesis submitted in: December 2005. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgements --- p.v / "Figures, Tables, and Examples" --- p.viii / Romanization --- p.ix / Abbreviations --- p.x / Chapter Chapter I --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter a. --- Related Studies --- p.10 / Chapter b. --- The Model --- p.17 / Chapter c. --- Methodology --- p.19 / Chapter d. --- Chapter Summary for the Thesis --- p.20 / Chapter Chapter II --- "Musicians, Service Seekers and Agents" --- p.23 / Chapter a. --- Training Backgrounds of Musicians --- p.25 / Chapter b. --- "The Network of Musicians and the ""Key Musicians""" --- p.33 / Chapter c. --- Discipline --- p.39 / Chapter d. --- Summary: How Can Musicians Obtain More Gaidong Performing Opportunities? --- p.45 / Chapter e. --- "Money vs. Dignity, Professional Ethics, and Competitions" --- p.46 / Chapter f. --- Service Seekers and Agents --- p.49 / Chapter Chapter III --- The Music of Gaidong --- p.56 / Chapter a. --- Repertoire --- p.57 / Chapter b. --- "Collections of Pieces - The Gaidong ""Fake Books""" --- p.67 / Chapter c. --- Choices of Music --- p.78 / Chapter d. --- Combinations of Instruments --- p.89 / Chapter e. --- Performance Practice and Improvisation --- p.92 / Chapter Chapter IV --- "Venue, Occasion and Audience" --- p.105 / Chapter a. --- Venue: Outdoors vs. Indoors --- p.107 / Chapter b. --- Occasion: Center of Attention vs. Background Music --- p.109 / Chapter c. --- The Role of the Host --- p.111 / Chapter d. --- The Audiences --- p.115 / Chapter e. --- Requests for Songs by Audience Members --- p.117 / Chapter Chapter V --- Influence from the Environment -Two Case Studies and the Impact of the Twelve Girls Band --- p.124 / Chapter a. --- "Case Study One: Chinese New Year Celebration at Hong Kong International Airport,2004" --- p.125 / Chapter b. --- Case Study Two: The Standard Chartered Bank Board Visit Staff Dinner --- p.129 / Chapter c. --- Other Examples of Gaidong Affected by the Twelve Girls Band --- p.139 / Chapter d. --- The Twelve Girls Band --- p.144 / Chapter e. --- Other Environmental Factors --- p.149 / Chapter Chapter VI --- The Model: The Ecology of Gaidong --- p.155 / Chapter a. --- Mutualism and Competition --- p.160 / Chapter b. --- The Extended Model --- p.161 / Chapter Chapter VII --- Conclusion --- p.164 / Appendix 1 List of Gaidong Performances in which the Author Participated --- p.170 / Appendix 2 Contents of the Gaidong Po --- p.175 / Appendix 3 Contents of the Blue Score --- p.181 / Appendix 4 Contents of the MLCO Gaidong Score Album --- p.183 / Appendix 5 Music Pieces Used in Gaidong: The Combination of Contents of Three Gaidong Scores --- p.184 / Appendix 6 Selected Scores from the MLCO Gaidong Score Album --- p.192 / Appendix 7 Agenda for Standard Chartered Bank Staff Dinner gaidong (Case Study2) --- p.196 / Appendix 8 Selected Scores Used in the Standard Chartered Bank Staff Dinner gaidong (Case Study2) --- p.198 / Appendix 9 A Copy of the Audience Members' Handwritten Requests for Gaidong No.84 --- p.200 / Character List and Glossary --- p.201 / References Cited --- p.205 / Websites --- p.210 / Supplementary Materials: / Chapter a. --- The Blue Book Scores / Chapter b. --- The Gaidong po Scores

Ämnet för studien var improvisation och improvisationsundervisning i relation till begreppet Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) samt tänkbara kopplingar däremellan. MPA beskrivs enklast som ångestkänslor i samband med musikutövande. Syftet med studien var att utforska Music Performance Anxiety utifrån en jazzmusikers perspektiv. Är det möjligt att känna prestationsångest i en kontext där det egentligen inte går att ”spela fel”? Jämförelser med konstmusiken blir därför relevant. Ett vidare syfte var att finna verktyg för att kunna uppmärksamma och hjälpa elever med MPA inom ensembleundervisning med fokus på improvisation. Vilka metoder och material använder pedagogerna? I studien valdes en kvalitativ metod, baserat på forskningsintervjuer med tre olika musiker och pedagoger inom improvisation. Det kompletterades genom att utforska befintlig litteratur inom improvisation och MPA. Studiens resultat påvisar att samtliga informanter hade stora erfarenheter och personliga upplevelser av både improvisation och MPA samt kopplingar däremellan och att MPA är ett förekommande fenomen inte bara inom konstmusik utan även bland jazzmusiker. Resultaten påvisar även att MPA framställs som något mindre vanligt bland jazzmusiker än hos klassiska musiker. Det finns inom jazzkulturen en reservation mot att visa tecken på svagheter som nervositet och prestationsångest. Förhoppningvis kan studien bidra till att lyfta ämnet MPA inom jazz och populärmusik, då det tidigare inte varit så beforskat inom dessa genrer. En vidare aspiration är att uppmärksamma musikpedagoger på hur de kan hjälpa elever som upplever svårigheter i improvisationsundervisning. / The subject of the study was improvisation and improvisational teaching in relation to the concept of Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) and possible connections between them. MPA is most easily described as feelings of anxiety in connection with playing music. The purpose of the study was to explore Music Performance Anxiety from a jazz musician's perspective. Is it possible to feel performance anxiety in a context where it is not really possible to "play wrong"? Comparisons with classical music therefore become relevant. A further purpose was to find tools to be able to draw attention to and help students with MPA in ensemble teaching with a focus on improvisation. What methods and materials do the educators use? In the study, a qualitative method was chosen, based on research interviews with three different musicians and educators in improvisation. It was supplemented by exploring existing literature in improvisation and MPA. The results of the study show that all informants had great experiences and personal experiences of both improvisation and MPA as well as connections between them and that MPA is a common phenomenon not only in art music but also among jazz musicians. The results also show that MPA is presented as somewhat less common among jazz musicians than among classical musicians. There is a reservation in jazz culture against showing signs of weaknesses such as nervousness and performance anxiety. Hopefully, the study can help to raise the topic of MPA in jazz and popular music, as it has not previously been so researched in these genres. A further aspiration is to draw the attention of music educators to how they can help students who experience difficulties in improvisational teaching.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur musiklärare inom musikskola, gymnasiet och högskola ser på och arbetar med nervositet och scenskräck i undervisning. Studiens teoretiska grund utgörs av diskurspsykologi. Fokusgrupper har tillämpats som datainsamlingsmetod vilket inneburit två olika gruppsamtal där lärare diskuterat om ämnet scenskräck och nervositet. Samtalen spelades in, transkriberades och analyserades utifrån en diskurspsykologisk synvinkel i ett sökande efter tolkningsrepertoarer. Resultatet presenteras utifrån tolkningsrepertoarer om hur lärarna formulerade sin syn på nervositet. Två motstridiga repertoarer framkom i resultatet: nervositet som plötsligt angripande och nervositet som kan bemästras där nervositet konstruerades som både ett störningsmoment och som något önskvärt. Ålder, mognad och musikalisk utveckling formulerades påverka nervositet genom tolkningsrepertoaren nervositet ur ett mognadsperspektiv. Vidare formulerade respondenterna sitt arbete med nervositet och scenskräck i undervisning vilket synliggjorde tolkningsrepertoaren genre och arbete med nervositet. I denna tolkningsrepertoar lyftes genre som påverkande för arbetet med nervositet. I repertoaren läraren som terapeut konstruerade lärarna sig som inkännande utifrån samtal som metod. Repertoaren mental träning som fenomen formulerade ett förebyggande arbete som något värdefullt men tidskrävande, vilket kan ställas emot repertoaren nervositet som tidskrävande arbete där lärarna formulerade en tidsbrist och en känsla av otillräcklighet i arbetet med nervositet. Diskussionen lyfter resultatet i förhållande till tidigare forskning och litteratur där fyra områden diskuteras: Lärares syn på nervositet och elevpåverkan, hantera nervositet genom samtal, arbetet med nervositet i förhållande till tidsamt syn på nervositet och genrers påverkan. / The purpose of this study is to investigate how music teachers in music school, upper secondary school and music college view and work with nervousness and stage fright in teaching. The theoretical framework of the study is discourse psychology. Focus groups have been used as a data collection method, which has involved two different group discussions where teachers discussed the topic of stage fright and nervousness. The conversations were recorded, transcribed and analyzed from a discourse psychological point of view, in search of interpretative repertoires or small discourses. The result is presented through different interpretive repertoires on how teachers formulated their views on nervousness and stage fright. There, two contradictory repertoires emerged: nervousness as suddenly attacking and nervousness that can be mastered, where nervousness was constructed as both a disturbing moment and as something desirable. Age, maturity and musical development were formulated to influence nervousness through the interpretative repertoire nervousness from a maturity perspective. Furthermore, the respondents formulated their work with nervousness and stage fright in teaching, which made visible the interpretation repertoire genre and work with nervousness. There, the genre was emphasized as influencing the work on nervousness. In the repertoire teacher as a therapist, teachers constructed themselves as empathetic through conversation as a method. The repertoire mental training as a phenomenon formulated a preventive work as something valuable but time-consuming, which can be put opposite the repertoire nervousness as time-consuming work, where the teachers formulated a lack of time and a feeling of insufficiency. The discussion lifts the result in relation to previous research and literature where four areas are discussed: Teacher’s view on nervousness and student influence, dealing with nervousness through conversations, work with nervousness in relation to time and views on nervousness and the influence of genres.

In 1959 French composer Francis Poulenc composed the opera La Voix humaine based on Jean Cocteau’s original play (1928). La Voix humaine is a one-act opera for soprano. The main character, Elle, spends the opera on the phone with her ex-lover who is marrying another the next day. Many musicians believe this opera is difficult or impossible to update, due to the use of the telephone and its dated operator system, which is a large aspect of the action and drama. This document provides the reader with a new interpretation of the opera with modern technology. Chapter One begins with a brief history of the creators of the play and opera, Jean Cocteau and Francis Poulenc. It delves into their early years, leading up to their time involved with Les Six. Chapter Two discusses Cocteau’s vision and creation of the play and continues to his collaboration with Poulenc on the opera. Chapter Three offers a view of how the phone plays a large part in the play, continues to the telephone’s function during the time period the play was written, and concludes with a look at how current technology may be applied to an updated interpretation of the opera. Chapter Four provides a look at the sections of the libretto that is linked to the telephone, thus making its use unavoidable in certain portions of the opera while providing musical examples. It also discusses how the libretto poses a problem with a modern-day telephone system and how to address these issues. Chapter Five presents ways to incorporate the use of an iPad into the second section of the opera, through analysis and interpretation of the text. Chapter Six gives a look into modern research on technology and its effects on mental health, following with how this research can be applied to a modern interpretation of the work and Elle’s untimely suicide due to effects of technology addiction. This chapter also discusses how the text and music support these ideas. Finally, the conclusion summarizes main ideas and their application into the opera.

My recent engagement as music director and conductor of Robert Nelson’s A Room with a View (1992, rev. 2004) has offered me the valuable opportunity to work on an opera side by side with its composer. The purpose of this dissertation is to reconstruct the various stages of the process of creation, interpretation, and performance of a contemporary opera, addressing aspects of the collaboration between the composer and the conductor. The methodology used in my research is based primarily on direct observation and interview. The investigation is conducted from the perspective of a “participant-observer,” due to my personal involvement in the project, as music director and conductor first, and then as interviewer and researcher. The document will be organized in three sections: - the first chapter will establish the context and specific features of my research, providing a scholarly background in relation to the study of the relationship between composer and conductor; - the second chapter will focus on the process of composition in all its stages. I have defined this as the “extended creative process” of A Room with a View; - the third chapter will discuss the Michigan State University production of the opera, considering several aspects of the artistic collaboration between Robert Nelson and me, as well as my involvement in the process as conductor. Through my research, I wish to provide useful insight into the crucial aspects of the composition and the production of new music. In addition, the project aims to offer a fresh contribution to the investigation of the relationship between composers and interpreters, and perhaps could provide some background reference for an interrogation about the current state and the future of American opera.