When sounds, colors, and shapes meet: Investigating children’s audiovisual art in response to classical music

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate children’s audiovisual art, following intuitive listening to complete classical works from different historical periods. The study aimed to examine the effect of different musical stimuli on children’s audiovisual output. Two related questions were asked: (1) How do children visually and verbally represent music from different historical periods? (2) What musical and extra-musical elements are represented? Participants were 181 second graders (age 7.0–8.5). Three compositions were presented: a 12th-century anonymous choral from the liturgical drama “ Danielis Ludus,” Chopin’s prelude op. 28 no. 10, and Bartók’s “ Melody in the Mist” Vol. 4 no. 107, from “ Mikrokosmos.” Each composition is based on distinct musical parameters: vocal timbre, melodic contour, and texture alternations, respectively. Data consisted of 495 audio-graphic productions and related accounts. Analysis progressed in three stages abbreviated MSC: Morphological dimensions, focusing on type of symbols employed; Structural dimensions, focusing on the overall graphical design; and Conceptual dimensions focusing on the generic meanings of the productions. Results indicated significant differences in children’s reactions to each of the three compositions, showing that MSC dimensions are influenced by the type of music presented and that differences in MSC dimensions are statistically significant. Experiencing “audiovisuology” in school is one way of promoting art integration.

Script Structures in Modern Audio-Visual Art

“…Since ancient times, scholars have attempted to describe the study of established arts within the framework of theoretical knowledge. There were many great thinkers of the past such as G. Hegel, I. Herder, G. Lessing, F. Schelling, as well as modern scientists, among whom S.S. Abbas (2019), Q. Cao (2020), E. Akçalı (2019), R. Elkoshi et al (2019). It is significant to take into consideration the contemporary scholars' ideas about audio-visual art.…”

“…Collage composition is one of the most complex types. It is based on a content of a plot that is built on the structural scheme of the whole script, but each part of the script composition (exposition, introduction, culmination, outcome, finale) is revealed by a separate story (Elkoshi, 2019).…”

A study of rhythmic emergent literacy within an Orff-based program implemented in Israel

“…The summary of the above examples refers to three components of the audio-graphic data: Morphological, Structural, and Conceptual (abbreviated MSC) (Elkoshi, 2002(Elkoshi, , 2017. Morphological parameters (M) relate to the type of sign produced.…”

“…The analysis of the audio-graphic data was based on morphological, structural, and conceptual criteria (Elkoshi, 2002(Elkoshi, , 2017. The morphological categories that emerged from the complete set of data are scribbles, recognizable pictures of concrete referents, abstract shapes (lines and encapsulating frames), common icons (i.e.…”

“… 1. “Audio-graphic” refers to the invention of graphic symbols to represent musical stimuli (e.g. Elkoshi, 2017). The use of audio-graphic notations implies the integration of audio stimuli and the act of presenting sounds through graphic and/or pictographic (e.g.…”