This study investigated the effectiveness of a commercial wearable tactile bass system (WTBS), device often used to enhance concert experiences for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, in conveying the emotions expressed by music to a mixed panel of participants (deaf and hearing individuals). The central hypothesis proposes that emotions conveyed through music are diminished during audio-tactile substitution (ATS) and that this diminution is reflected in how well both deaf and hearing individuals perceive the emotions. To test this, we assessed participants’ ability to recognize musical emotions from a set of film music excerpts. These excerpts were presented to both deaf and hearing participants under two different experimental conditions: auditory and tactile modality (experimental condition 1), and tactile modality with an auditory masking stimulus (experimental condition 2). To evaluate the emotional content of the music, we used a dimensional model, asking participants to rate their judgments on two dimensions: arousal and valence. The results revealed a significant difference in valence recognition between the two experimental conditions, particularly for music with positive valence. This suggests that the WTBS used was not able to reliably transmit the emotional dimensions of the music, particularly in terms of valence. These findings could enhance our understanding of how musical emotions are experienced through tactile means and inspire further efforts to create more inclusive musical experiences.

This study used eye-tracking technology to investigate the gaze behavior of an expert musician while learning a newly composed piece of contemporary classical cello music from the initial sight-reading of the score to a performance run-through. Unlike previous research relying on self-report and observation, this study combined analyses of physiological data and the musician’s reported thought processes, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the learning-to-performance journey. The subject of investigation was the second movement (Introspection) of Resonance for solo cello by Jill Jarman. A combination of frame-by-frame and automated analysis of eye-tracking data allowed the capture of significant amounts of data across three data-collection points. Patterns of learning relating to technical challenges were displayed for this cellist across the recorded sessions, and initial links between self-reported thinking, cognitive processing, and the resulting recorded performance sessions were explored. Results provided preliminary insights into connections between perception, cognition, and performance, and advanced-level music learning approaches and performance practices.

The relationship between music and emotions has often been investigated. It has been shown that there are differences between the emotions aroused in listeners by music and the emotional content or quality of music, as perceived by listeners, but the effect on listeners of ascribing emotions to the composer of the music has not yet been studied. Since emotional responses to music are modulated by personal attitudes to managing emotion, the relationships among emotions aroused in listeners, perceived emotional quality of the music, and emotions ascribed to the composer should vary depending on the extent to which the listener has mastered emotion-regulation skills. We therefore investigated potential differences between these three different types of emotion attribution. We also investigated the effect of emotional dysregulation on emotional responses to music by comparing the emotion attributions of adolescents with borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits with those of a healthy control group. Participants listened to 10 excerpts from pieces of music selected for their different emotional qualities and rated them for felt emotion ( myself ), perceived emotional quality ( song ), and the emotion ascribed to the composer ( composer ). Participants’ skin conductance level was measured to assess their physiological arousal while they were listening to each excerpt. In comparison to controls, participants with BPD traits demonstrated significantly lower levels of arousal. There were no differences between the emotion attributions of the two groups but, overall, participants gave higher ratings for perceived emotional quality and higher ratings for excerpts representing happiness and anger. For excerpts representing fear, higher ratings were given for felt emotion and perceived emotional quality than the emotion ascribed to the composer. These findings contribute to the understanding of emotional responses to music in adolescence and reveal patterns of responses to music representing emotions that are not affected by emotional dysregulation.

The immersive experience of media such as music, films, games, and virtual reality is becoming increasingly important in the entertainment industry. The 10-item Immersive Music Experience Inventory (IMEI) was recently developed in an online study to measure the immersive experience of listening to music via headphones. However, it had not yet been tested in a laboratory setting with loudspeaker playback. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to validate the IMEI in a laboratory context using techniques from classical test theory, including a reanalysis of data from the online study, and item response theory. The second aim was to compare immersive experiences of listening to headphone playback in the online study and loudspeaker playback in the laboratory study after testing for invariance. Based on data from 57 participants listening to 29 stimuli in various audio formats through loudspeakers in a laboratory, the IMEI showed a reasonable fit in a confirmatory factor analysis and good reliability. Evaluation of these data using the probabilistic model of many-facet Rasch measurement resulted in a good fit both overall and for the items and the response scale. Based on two musical examples presented in the audio formats of mono, stereo, and three-dimensional (3D) audio in both studies (online and laboratory), we found evidence for measurement invariance. The comparison between listening conditions suggests that listeners have similar immersive experiences when listening through headphones and loudspeakers. We conclude that the IMEI is a reliable and valid measure of immersive music listening experiences in both contexts.

Cognitive stimulation has been widely recognized in recent years for its ability to enhance overall cognitive functioning in older adults, including those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Among various non-pharmacological approaches, music-based interventions have demonstrated significant effects on both general and specific cognitive functions, engaging brain areas associated with memory, motivation, emotion, cognition, and motor function. This article reports a pilot study evaluating the feasibility of a novel cognitive-stimulation protocol using digital tools and musical instruments that was developed by an experienced music therapist. The primary objective of the protocol was memory enhancement, alongside broader cognitive activation including perception, focused attention, auditory-motor synchronization, and executive function. Designed for implementation in an Italian daycare center for older adults, the protocol comprises musical activities of varying types and progressive levels of complexity, tailored to each participant’s cognitive abilities. These activities require either verbal responses or the use of musical instruments. The effects of the intervention on memory, general cognitive function, and quality of life were assessed through neuropsychological evaluations. Preliminary findings and future research directions are discussed.

Social sciences are navigating an unprecedented period of introspection about the credibility and utility of disciplinary practices. Reform initiatives have emphasized the benefits of various transparency and reproducibility-related research practices; however, the adoption of these across music psychology is unknown. To estimate the prevalence, a manual examination of a random sample of 239 articles out of 1,192 articles published in five music psychology journals between 2017 and 2022 was carried out. About half of the articles were publicly available (112/239) and 39% share some of the research materials, but 5% share raw data and 1% analysis scripts. Pre-registrations were not observed in the sample. Most articles (82%) included a funding disclosure statement, but conflict of interest statements were less common (27%). Replication studies were rare (3%). Additional searches of replication studies were conducted beyond the sample. These analyses did not find substantially more replication studies in music psychology. In general, the results suggest that transparency and reproducibility-related research practices were far from routine in music psychology. The findings establish a baseline that can be used to assess future progress toward increasing the credibility and openness of music psychology research.

Psychological interventions to enhance musicians’ self-regulation are increasingly being recognized as essential for supporting them in their development and optimization of performance skills. The aim of this review was to provide a synthesis of such interventions and examine their effects on expert-rated music performance quality. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, we initially identified 3,182 articles, of which we selected 89 studies. Using the theoretical framework of self-regulated learning, we present a comprehensive overview of experimental, quasi-experimental, and single-case studies published until April 2022 that tested how musicians can improve their performance through self-regulation strategies such as goal setting, imagery, attention focusing, relaxation, and self-evaluation. The results show mixed evidence with mostly positive or non-significant effects, indicating that expressive writing, external focus, feedback, combined electromyographic (EMG) and electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback, and imagery combined with physical practice can increase expert-rated music performance quality. The reported methodological quality, the applied performance task and evaluation, and potential mechanisms underlying the interventions should be considered when interpreting the results. We critically discuss possible improvements for future studies, as well as practical implications.

Recent theory and data suggest that inaccurate ( poor-pitch or poor ) singing may be based on impoverished sensorimotor mapping between auditory perceptual representations and motor plans. One of the symptoms of poor singing is a restriction of vocal pitch range during pitch matching tasks that is not reducible to physical vocal limitations. We here test the hypothesis that remediation of poor singing may be best achieved by incorporating a wide pitch range during training. Two treatment groups underwent singing training using a procedure found to be effective in recent research. One group matched pitches from a wider range of one octave, whereas the other matched pitches from a narrower range of seven semitones (a perfect fifth). A third group completed visual imagery tasks for the same period of time and served as a control group. All three groups completed the Seattle Singing Accuracy Protocol (SSAP) before and after training, with all phases completed in a single session. The only significant improvement was found in the wide-range training group, for matching of single pitches from the SSAP, rather than four-note melodies. Results thus offer partial support for the hypothesis and suggest that successful remediation of singing accuracy may benefit from adopting a wide range of pitches.

In this article, we explore the idea that music listening can achieve neurological and psychological effects that are somewhat similar to those facilitated by psychoactive substances. To motivate this claim, we delve into the mechanisms behind music perception, psychoactive substance use, and their mutual relationship, relying on recent developments in psychedelic therapy and neuropsychopharmacology. Using a comparative approach, we discuss some underlying mechanisms of peak experiences and their neurochemical properties and suggest that music may be regarded as an alternative psychoactive trigger, prompting neurochemical responses in the brain, with resulting feelings of coping, (aesthetic) pleasure, and reward.