Effects of Ensemble Size and Repertoire Difficulty on Ratings of Concert Band Performances

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine effects of ensemble size and repertoire difficulty on listeners’ perceptions of concert band performances. Undergraduate music majors ( N = 210) viewed an audiovisual stimulus consisting of various images of large and small concert bands paired with identical audio performances of either an easy or difficult composition. Participants rated each ensemble’s tone quality/intonation, musicianship/expression, and rhythm/articulation using a 10-point Likert-type scale. Results indicated no main effects for ensemble size or order. There was a significant main effect for repertoire difficulty, with difficult repertoire being evaluated more positively than easier repertoire. We also found a significant Ensemble Size × Repertoire Difficulty × Order interaction, indicating that results were moderated based on order. Within the four orders, the largest mean difference in scores occurred in Order 3 (small/difficult, large/easy, small/easy, large/difficult), with the smallest mean differences occurring in Order 2 (large/difficult, small/easy, large/easy, small/difficult). The small/easy and large/easy videos and the small/difficult and large/difficult videos resulted in positive changes in ratings only when seen first and last, respectively. We recommend blind evaluation and the use of required “test pieces” in concert band festivals as ways to possibly mitigate effects of repertoire difficulty and ensemble size.

Relationships Among Band Festival Ratings, Director Gender, and Other Selected Factors

“…This suggests that director gender itself is not the primary reason for the differences in scores. Instead, repertoire difficulty and ensemble name emerged as the main predictors of festival ratings, aligning with previous research (Hash, 2012; Mick & Pope, 2018; Silveira & Silvey, 2020; Silvey, 2009).…”

“…A more puzzling finding is the significant difference in repertoire difficulty between male-directed ensembles and female-directed ensembles. This insight suggests that, rather than gender directly causing female-directed ensembles to receive lower festival ratings, female-directed bands tend to perform less difficult repertoire, which decreases the likelihood of receiving a "I" rating, as other researchers have also discovered (Hash, 2012;Mick & Pope, 2018;Silveira & Silvey, 2020).…”

“…In a study of music education majors’ ratings of solo instrumentalists, Elliott (1995/1996) found that black performers received significantly lower scores than white performers. Repertoire difficulty may also influence ratings, as numerous studies have shown that ensembles performing more difficult repertoire are rated significantly higher than those playing easier repertoire (Hash, 2012; Mick & Pope, 2018; Silveira & Silvey, 2020). Finally, Silvey (2009) found evidence that even an ensemble’s name can influence the rating received.…”

Effects of Transitional Elements on Listeners’ Aesthetic Responses to a Choral Performance

“…However, visual cues made both edits highly distracting—applause over the moving transition while the conductor continued conducting was jarring, as was an abrupt change in standing formation from the end of one piece to the beginning of the applause video. Rather than introducing these additional distractions, we opted to fade to black at the end of each piece (similar to Ryan et al, 2006; Silveira & Silvey, 2020). The screen remained black for approximately 30 seconds of audio-only applause.…”

Performance Practice in a Pandemic: Training Ensemble Skills Using E-Tivities in Music Teacher Education

“…In musical creation and performance in Africa, researchers emphasize on the "importance of the group over the individual" and describe traditional forms of music activity, such as choral and instrumental ensembles (Andang'o, 2019). At the same time, the authors affirmed the educational effects including advantages for personal improvement like listeners' perceptions, which do not depend on ensemble size or repertoire difficulty (Silveira and Silvey, 2020). Also, these effects spread far beyond the school classroom; a variety of people's cohorts who participate in music ensembles indicated benefits of non-formal learning for developing musical competencies (Haning, 2019).…”