Flow research in music contexts: A systematic literature review

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to review flow research in music contexts from 1975 until the first quarter of 2019. Specifically, frequencies/percentages were calculated for (a) output in five-year periods; (b) publication type; and (c) methodologies employed, including measurement instruments used. Content analyses were also conducted on topics covered. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, a total of 3,341 records were examined, with 95 studies eventually included in the analysis. Findings indicated a steady increase in research output over the last 25 years. Studies overwhelmingly sampled participants from Western populations, especially the United States. The majority of quantitative studies used self-report questionnaires, of which those developed by Jackson and colleagues were most prevalent. Among the qualitative approaches, interviews and observations were the most common means of data collection. Topics covered in the studies reviewed include the psychophysiological aspects of flow, transmission and group experience of flow, the association of flow with a range of positive outcomes, factors that contribute to flow experiences, and flow experiences of young children. Implications for future research were proffered in light of the findings.

Why Adolescents Participate in a Music Contest and Why They Practice – The Influence of Incentives, Flow, and Volition on Practice Time

“…In recent years, interest in flow as another component of the broad term "motivation" within music contexts has increased tremendously (Tan and Sin, 2019). The concept of flow, originally described by Csikszentmihalyi, refers to a state which is characterized by the following components: (a) focusing exclusively on one's actions in the present, (b) a sense of control over one's actions, (c) experiencing the activity as pleasurable, (d) an absence of self-consciousness, as well as (e) a distorted perception of time, and (f) "the merging of action and awareness" (Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi, 2005, p. 90).…”

Beta and theta oscillations correlate with subjective time during musical improvisation in ecological and controlled settings: a single subject study

“…see [8, 15, 27, 47]. Previous research on flow state during improvisation was mostly done using interviews and observations [47]. In our case, a qualitative analysis of the values taken by the Focus rating, together with informal observations discussed with the performer, suggested that Focus was generally staying high during musical improvisation performance, and corresponded to a target for appropriate performance.…”

“…Another perspective developed in the literature consists in considering musical improvisation as a subjective state [6, 15, 26, 47]. This perspective revisits the involvement of brain networks of spontaneous, endogenous activity such as the default mode network [37], and considers the notion of flow state as central in the phenomenology of musical improvisation [47].…”

“…Another perspective developed in the literature consists in considering musical improvisation as a subjective state [6, 15, 26, 47]. This perspective revisits the involvement of brain networks of spontaneous, endogenous activity such as the default mode network [37], and considers the notion of flow state as central in the phenomenology of musical improvisation [47]. Nevertheless, with the exception of [15] that considered EEG measurements on performers and audience in a live concert, researchers have mostly relied on controlled lab experiment that compared improvisation with “non-improvisation” conditions [6].…”

Giving voice to jazz singers’ experiences of flow in improvisation

“…It is a form of optimal experience comprising a complex dance of cognitive, physiological and affective processes (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975(Csikszentmihalyi, , 2002. There has been increased research interest in flow and music (see Tan & Sin, 2019 for a systematic review). Flow experiences during improvisation are an important part of jazz culture and performance and are seen as integral to jazz musicians' competence as improvisers (Hytönen-Ng, 2013).…”