Peak experience in music: A case study between listeners and performers

Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, August 22-26 2006 Peak experience in music: A case study between listeners and performers Sujin Hong College, Seoul National University. Seoul, South Korea hongsujin@hotmail.com ABSTRACT Measuring peak experience (Maslow, 962) while listening to or performing music is difficult as the experimental strategies and measurements are limited. Many of the former empirical studies in diverse fields were about flow theory intimately related to peak experience in view of the emotional transition. e.g. G & C (976), Jackson (996), Csikszentmihalyi (990), O'Neill (999) and etc. Lowis (998, 2002) measured peak experience in music. The present study attempts to reveal the phenomena of peak experience while both listening to and playing the music. Based on the fact that music can abruptly induce deep emotional change, this research supposes two basic hypotheses that the response of peak experience can be delayed and also peak experience can be easily interrupted by an experimental condition. In this study, peak experience is defined as emotional climax felt in music, and this research measured the emotional climax or peak mainly by the questionnaire as a reappraisal method. Experiment and 2 investigated the emotional climax or peak of two listener groups of both fifteen non-music majoring students and fourteen piano performance majoring students, whereas experiment 3 was conducted with the performer group of twelve piano performance majoring students at Seoul National University. In experiment, the participants listened to music twice. After they listened to music, they answered to the questionnaire measuring the frequency and degree of emotional climax or peak. Also, during the second listening, the listeners manipulated the sound mixer s volume dial (up or down) indicating the point of emotional climax or peak. Experiment 2 was conducted in the same way as in experiment. In experiment 3, the participants played the same music, and after their second playing, they answered to the same questionnaire as experiment and 2. The results showed that the mean value of the frequencies and degrees of emotional climax or peak was slightly different among the groups as well as the individuals. Also, familiarity and likeness about music had a little to do with emotional climax or peak. In addition, the specific musical structure associated with psycho-physiological characteristics (Sloboda, 99) seemed to be related with variables of the different emotional climax or peak. At last, this research opens up considerable attention about delay and reappraisal of emotional climax or peak for further study. Keywords Peak experience, emotional climax, listener, performer, questionnaire, delay, reappraisal. INTRODUCTION The various activities, such as sports, fine arts, reading, and music, have very notable triggers to evoke strong emotion to one. Peak experience has been researched in several fields and has been generally defined as the happiest moment in a life. The happiest moments might happen to everybody in music as well as various kinds of activities (Maslow, 962). Peak experience as a strong emotion in music was studied through a descriptive anecdote accompanied by special psycho-physiological characteristics (Sloboda, 99; Gabrielsson, 200). Closely associated with peak experience, flow was studied in fine arts (Getzels & Csikzentmihalyi, 976), sports (Jackson, 996), and music education (O Neill, 999), etc. Csikszentmihalyi(990) mentioned the importance of attention in order to experience flow while listening to music. Most of the studies about peak experience in their early stages were conducted through a ISBN 88-7395-55-4 2006 ICMPC 76

questionnaire. One of the recent studies attempted to empirically measure peak experience in certain music as well as use an open questionnaire for describing the anecdotes of peak experience (Lowis, 998, 2002). In the present study, the first step was to define peak experience. The concept of peak experience as well as flow of emotion in certain music might be limited to experimental condition. For example, in a general semantic point of view, flow as enjoyable life cycle and peak experience as the happiest moment in life can be discussed in psychology: similarly, musical flow and peak can be always existed and researched in certain music. In addition, musical peak can appear within musical flow. Regardless of genre, period, instrument, and mode, all kinds of music can have their own musical peaks, and those musical peaks greatly affect the emotion of one who listens to and plays music. Furthermore, even one listens to music for a short time, as long as a minute or even a few seconds, they can recognize emotion and mood evoked by music (Bigand, 2005). Finally, for researching the phenomena of peak experience in certain music in experimental condition, the definition of peak experience had to be limited to emotional climax felt in music through the pilot study. Madsen (997) and Schubert (2004) used CRDI (Continuous Responses Digital Interface) to measure various types of emotions. However, the present study focused on the point that emotional state or feeling from the music could be easily interrupted by the artificial methods. To investigate the emotional climax or peak experience, the researcher must be prudent and flexible, but at the same time, must follow the consistent method. Emotional climax or peak in music has been described as various and subjective experiences. The explanation about climax or peak experiences of both listeners and performers couldn t be solely understood by experimental methods or statistical results. Therefore, this case study interpreted the statistical result, and also didn t reckon without the differences of individuals. METHOD Experiment Participants Fifteen non-music majoring students at Seoul National University participated in experiment. This group consists of two graduate students and thirteen undergraduate students (female 8 / male 7). Materials was for the pretest of the present study and it was Bach Cello Suite No. in G, BWV 007 (Cellist, Maurice Gendron, Germany: Philips, 994). 2 was Bach Well-tempered Clavier Vol., No.3, BWV 848 Prelude (Pianist, Tatiana Nikolayeva, Russia: Firma Melodiya, 997), and 3 was Beethoven Piano Sonata 0p.2 No., mm 49-52 (Pianist, Vladimir ISBN 88-7395-55-4 2006 ICMPC 77 Ashkenazy, London: Decca, 996). Apparatus The music was played by Toshiba notebook computer, and the participants heard music by Panasonic stereo headphones RP-DJ00 with proper volume apt to the individuals. While second listening to music, the participants manipulated the volume dial (up or down) of the sound mixer (Behringer Eurorack UB 002). Sine wave s amplification, which was used to indicate of the participants emotional climax or peak, was recorded on Sound Forge 7.0. Software. Procedure The music was for a pretest of the present study. The participants listened to music once, and then they answered two questions about the familiarity and likeness about music. While the participants second listening to music, they manipulated volume dial (up or down) as to their emotional climax or peak felt in music. When music started to play, the participants moved the volume dial up to the middle position of 0 point from the lowest bottom 00 point. Then, they could freely manipulate volume dial up or down in the central of 0 point as to their emotional climax or peak felt. Finishing the second listening, they answered two questions about the frequencies and degrees of emotional climax or peak as they remembered. Also, the points of emotional climax or peak were recorded through sine wave s amplification by Sound forge 7.0. The Participants listened to music 2 and 3 in the same way, and after finishing the experiment, they answered two more questions about the negative affect of experimental condition: whether they were interrupted by the experimental condition or not while listening to, and what was it if there were the interrupting factors. All questionnaires were answered by 7 point Likert and semantic differential scale except one question. The music was followed 4 kinds of questions: familiarity and likeness after the first listening, and emotional climax frequencies and degrees after the second listening. The questionnaires are below: After first listening to music:. I listened to this music before. (Never listened - normal -Very often listened) 2. I like this music. (Don t like very much- normal - like very much) After second listening to the music: 3. How many times did you remember the emotional climax in this music? (open question) 4. How much degree did you feel the emotional climax in this music? (Very weak - normal - very strong) After finishing the experiment:. How different is this experimental condition to listen to music in comparison with your ordinary listening to music? (same - normal - very different)

2. If you have difference in question, what was it? (open question) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The mean value of 7 point scale about familiarity, likeness, and emotional climax degree felt in music, 2, and 3 was presented on table. very high consistency within each other (8/5, 53%). Also, those figures were very similar to the amplification figure of music 2 of CD sound recording (Figure.2). Table. The mean of familiarity, likeness, and emotional climax degree felt in music, 2, & 3. familiarity Likeness Climax degree 5.3 5.3 5.2 2.93 4.43 4.35 3 2 4.77 5.37 was for a pretest, but the participants were most familiar to music. Although the familiarity is very low in music 2 and 3, the likeness and climax degree are relatively high. Especially, the participants felt stronger emotional climax in music 3 than music 2 (Table ). Through the correlation analysis of the scale of questionnaires, two correlated relationships were founded. In general, likeness and emotional climax degree show the positive correlation (Table 2). Table 2. Non-music majoring participants listening non-music majoring participants listening Familiarity Likeness Climax degree -0.0956 0.7346 0.47686 0.0723* Familiarity 2 Likeness 2 2 Climax degree 2 0.06973 0.8050 0.26805 0.334 Familiarity 3 Likeness 3 3 Climax degree 3-0.02804 0.920 0.77925 0.0006* Note. SAS correlation analysis, alpha<0.. * is correlation coefficient, and if this number is less than 0., that means the significant positive correlation between variable. In music, emotional climax degree and likeness showed a little positive correlation (alpha<0., Pearson correlation coefficient 0.0723). Another correlation was founded in music 3. A strong positive correlation was shown between likeness and emotional climax degree in music 3 (alpha<0., Pearson correlation coefficient 0.0006). The interesting point was that the mode about the emotional climax frequencies of music 2 was 2 times (0/5, 67%). On the other hands, the answers of the emotional climax frequencies in music and 3 were varied. Similarly, the amplification figures of music 2(Figure ), which the participants manipulated, showed Figure. Non-music majoring listener (N_L_9 ) s figure of emotional climax point in music 2 (figure magnification, : 4,096, duration, :.0 ) Figure 2. 2, Bach Prelude BWV 848. (Pianist, Tatiana Nikolayeva, Russia: Firma Melodiya, 997; figure magnification, :4,096, duration, :.50 ) In case of music 3, there was not a consistent figure of emotional climax point through the amplification figures among the participants just as music 2. The frequencies of the emotional climax were not consistent, neither. On the other hand, the participants delayed response about emotional climax or peak was suspected by the comparison between the figures. Through all eight participants figures, which showed similar patterns like Figure, the emotional climax point was delayed ~2second than the enlarged amplification s climax of CD recording. The emotional climax points in score are below: Figure 3. Bach Prelude BWV 848. mm 69-89. (mm 73 is 49, mm 77 is 5, mm 8 is 54, & mm 83 is 56 ) The 9 th non-music majoring student. ISBN 88-7395-55-4 2006 ICMPC 78

Figure 4. Bach Prelude BWV 848. mm 97-04. (mm 97 is :05 and mm 04 is :.50 ) than music 2. Two strong positive correlations between likeness and emotional climax degree in music 2 and 3 were founded out through SAS correlation analysis (Table 4.). Except music, which was for a pretest, likeness was positively correlated with emotional climax degree. According to the eight participants amplification figures, these two parts (Figure 3 and 4) were the emotional climax points. Especially, mm 76-77 in figure 3 and mm 97-99 in figure 4 were the climax point. Also, from Figure 2, the phrase of 49-54 and :05-:.50 seconds are two main parts, whose amplification was greatly enlarged. As musical analysis, figure 3 showed an enlarged pitch extent, and the highest pitch was in mm 77(5 ). However, the more amplified sound part in this music playing of figure 2 was mm 83-86(56-57 ). This part cannot be said a musical peak, nevertheless, participants recognized to emotional climax, and the playing amplification was enlarged because of strong bass part s melody. METHOD Experiment 2 Participants Fourteen piano performance majoring students at the same university participated in the same way to experiment. Two graduate students and ten undergraduate students were consisted of the group of experiment 2 (all females). Materials and apparatus and apparatus were same as experiment. Procedure Experiment 2 was conducted in the same way to experiment. Table 4. Piano majoring participants listening piano majoring participants listening Familiarity Likeness Climax degree -0.203 0.4862 0.0062 0.9832 Familiarity 2 Likeness 2 2 Climax degree 2 0.0750 0.808 0.69888 0.0054* Familiarity 3 Likeness 3 3 Climax degree 3 0.38623 0.726 0.56456 0.0354* Note. SAS correlation analysis, alpha<0.. * is correlation coefficient, and if this number is less than 0., that means the significant positive correlation between variable. There was the remarkable consistency of emotional climax frequency and point in music 2 just as the results of experiment. 7 participants of 4 (50%) reported that they felt emotional climax two times in music 2 through the questionnaire. On the other hand, participants of 4 (79%) showed the similar figures, such as Figure 5. Figure 5 has two main enlarged points of amplification. In contrast to experiment, the interesting point was that there were some cases, whose emotional climax points were preceded or same to the two main points of CD recording amplification s figures. Those cases implicated the relation between familiarity with music and emotional climax point in view of the expectation (Meyer, 956). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The mean value of 7 point scale about familiarity, likeness, and emotional climax degree felt in music, 2, and 3 was below on table 3. Table 3. The mean of familiarity, likeness, and emotional climax degree felt familiarity Likeness Climax degree 6.86 6.2 5.64 2 6.36 5.28 4.93 3 6.29 5.36 5.2 Compared to the non-music major participants, these piano performance majoring participants were remarkably familiar with music, 2, and 3. In addition, the means of likeness and emotional climax degree were a little higher than experiment (Table and 3.). The participants reported stronger emotional climax degree in music 3 Figure 5. Piano majoring listener (P_L_) s figuring of the emotional climax point in music 2 (figure magnifivation, :2,048, duration, :0.50) METHOD Experiment 3 Participants Twelve piano majoring students participated in ISBN 88-7395-55-4 2006 ICMPC 79

experiments 3 (female 0 / male 2). One male graduate student and eleven undergraduate students played the music 2 and 3. Materials and apparatus score of Bach Well-tempered Clavier Vol., No.3, BWV 848 Prelude and Beethoven Sonata Op.2, No. mm.49-52 was prepared for playing. Young-Chang grand piano at electrophonic music room was used for performing experiment. Procedure Experiment 3 was for investigating how performers experience the emotional climax or peak in music. In the pilot experiment, when the performers played the instrument, it was impossible for them to manipulate an artificial implement for expressing their emotional climax or peak. Instead, they could remember the emotional climax point in music. Inner hearing or playing over again of the specific parts in music was very often used by the performer participants. They draw the curved line on the score as they felt emotional climax. There was no rigid regulation about drawing. The participants answered the same questionnaire as experiment and 2. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The mean value of 7 point scale about familiarity, likeness, and emotional climax degree felt in music 2 and 3 was presented on table 5. Table 6. Piano majoring participants performing Piano majoring participants performing Familiarity 2 Likeness 2 2 Climax degree 2-0.67367 0.063* -0.09243 0.775 Familiarity 3 Likeness 3 3 Climax degree 3 0.37 0.352 0.20473 0.5233 Note. SAS correlation analysis, alpha<0.. * is correlation coefficient, and if this number is less than 0., that means the significant positive correlation between variable. The emotional climax or peak points that the participants draw a curved line in music 2 and 3 were varied. Especially, emotional climax lines in music 2 were continuously ranged from the beginning to the end of music with different degrees. Among the lines in music 3, two main parts were narrowed down (Figure 3. mm69-82, Figure 4. mm97-04). The ascending pitch and dynamics were the main musical characteristics of emotional climax or peak. Meanwhile, in music 3, some participants draw the curved line all over the score, too. Table 5. The mean of familiarity, likeness, and emotional climax degree felt familiarity Likeness Climax degree 2 5.3 5.3 4.7 3 4.58 4.83 5.54 Although these piano performance majoring participants of experiment 3 were from the same population with experiment 2, experiment 3 s mean of familiarity was reasonably lower than experiment 2. The participants like music 2 more, and felt stronger emotional climax in music 3 than music 2(Table 5.). By SAS correlation analysis, one curious thing was that there was no correlation between likeness and emotional climax degree (Table 6.). Moreover, there was the negative correlation between familiarity and emotional climax degree in music 2. The more the participants know music 2, the less they felt emotional climax. This meaning, however, had to be understood through not only statistical correlation from the questionnaire, but also the each case from individual score. Even though the participants showed lower emotional climax degree about music 2 through the questionnaire, they generally draw a curved line all over the score. By the short interview, they said that they felt small emotional climax many times because of the musical characteristic of Bach s prelude. Figure 6. Beethoven Sonata Op.2, No. mm30-39. Figure 7. Beethoven Sonata Op.2, No. mm46-52. During the playing, all participants said it was very difficult to be totally immersed in playing without enough practice and without constructing an own idea about music. Nevertheless, even though they couldn t be absorbed in music completely, they draw many curved lines on score, or circled the emotional climax points. This had to be implemented by short interview with the performers about emotional climax felt in music. They said that they always felt the sense of climax, peak, even flow when they were playing. Even if when they perform very small phrase, they felt emotional climax or peak of that small phrase. In this small phrase, emotional climax or peak was more or less weak, and it helped a natural playing as they said. Therefore, to those performers, the emotional climax or peak was divided as two concepts: one was small and weak climax of phrase and the other was critical and strong climax of music. ISBN 88-7395-55-4 2006 ICMPC 80

GENERAL DISCUSSION Three participant groups answered the questionnaires for emotional climax or peak degree as well as familiarity and likeness of music. The frequencies of emotional climax or peak were measured by the questionnaire as well as by sound mixer. Two listener groups of experiment and 2 manipulated Sound mixer volume dial (up or down) when they felt emotional climax or peak while listening to music. Performer group draw the curved line on score through remembering of emotional climax or peak of music. The researcher told all participants that the present study didn t purpose to measure the desirable musical climax or peak, but participants own natural emotional climax felt in music. All three experiments took a time of fifteen minutes per individuals in electrophonic music room, and performers used Young-Chang grand piano in the same room. Through SAS ANOVA, there was no significant difference of emotional climax degree among groups (Table 7; alpha=0.0, F value 0.33, Pr>F 0.7223). However, there was significant difference of emotional climax degree between music 2 and 3 (alpha=0.0, F value.95, Pr>F 0.0009). Table 7. ANOVA Mean Square F Value Pr > F type (music 2 & 3) 5.5862805.95 0.0009 Group type (three groups) 0.42607796 0.33 0.7223 Note. R-square 0.3920, Coefficient of Variation 23.6444, Root MSE.4979, Climax degree Mean 4.929878, alpha = 0.0 The participants of experiment 2 and 3 liked music 3 more than music 2 (Table and 3). Also, there was positive correlation between likeness and with emotional climax or peak degree. On the other hand, the participants of experiment 3 showed the slightly reversed case. In other words, although they reported that they felt stronger emotional climax or peak in music 3 than music 2, they liked more music 2 than music 3. Especially, through the individual short interview about experimental condition, the performers explained generally two points: one was that they couldn t be completely and emotionally fallen to the music without enough practice. Second, they reported that they had difficulty when they chose a few of the emotional climax or peak points in music because they experienced emotional climax or peak even in a small phrase. Relatively, the participants of experiment 3 showed lower emotional climax felt than experiment 2: that could be inferred to a burden of performance without enough practice. From experiment and 2, the most frequent reported answer about emotional climax or peak frequencies of music 2 were two times. 67% (0/5) participants of experiment and 50 %( 7/4) participants of experiment 2 answered that they felt two times of emotional climax in music 2. From the figures of amplification, the figures ISBN 88-7395-55-4 2006 ICMPC 8 of 53 %( 8/5) participants of experiment and 79% (/4) participants of experiment 2 were closely similar. Moreover, the two points of emotional climax were almost same. The interesting thing was their different starting points of emotional climax in figures between experiment and 2. The figures showed slightly difference at the starting point of emotional climax in music 2. In general, the participants starting point of emotional climax in experiment was delayed in relation to the enlarged starting point of amplification of CD recording of music 2. Some starting points of emotional climax of a few participants in music 2 of experiment 2 were preceded or same to the enlarged starting point of amplification of recording music 2. These cases could be affected by familiarity with music. Familiarity can affect the timing of solution of tension or expectation. However, delayed responses or precedent responses didn t correspond completely with the degree of familiarity. This had to be studied in future study. Through comparing between the answers of the questionnaire and the figures in experiment and 2, the meaning of reappraisal should be carefully considered. Even the participants reported the frequencies by the questionnaire and volume dial, those results often didn t correspond to each other, especially in music 3. In contrast to music 2, music 3 had more dynamical changes and less regular rhythm and ostinato. Nevertheless, both music 2 and 3 were very articulated for understanding the musical structure and the similar patterns of musical structures were systematically repeated. However, reappraisal such as a questionnaire method includes the cognitive process of retrospection, and there sometimes the error can be reported. Similarly, volume dial method for recording continuous and immediate emotional responses can be over understood than the phenomenon itself. Most participants answered that even though they didn t feel such a strong climax, which they experienced as a peak or happiest moment of the music, in this experiment, they tried to find out the emotional climax. It was because of emphasizing about emotional attention to the climax or peak while the participants were listening to or playing music. As a result, it rather worked as a load. On the other hand, musical characteristics in present study might be less touchable to listeners or performers. For instance, more popular music (music was more popular and familiar than music 2 and 3), or background music of movie which has a clear context, or a concerto accompanied varied instruments with abundant tone than solo music can induce emotional climax or peak easily than the music in present study. Also, the change of pitch, dynamic, or meter as well as the mood and melody in music can induce emotional climax. But those emotional climaxes or peak induced by musical characteristics might have the different natures each other. The question about what kind of musical characteristics affect more emotional climax or peak is another zestful realm for further study. Measuring the frequencies, degrees, and points of

emotional climax or peak in music may suggest an alternative cue about how music can evoke abruptly emotion: it could be possible through investigating where one experiences emotional climax in music, how one s emotional climax or peak is changed, and what the relationship between the musical peak and one s emotional peak is. The present study is for the first step to this emotional climax or peak in certain music. Therefore, this study investigated the phenomena itself of emotional climax or peak felt in certain music first. Above of several results of the experiments, two affairs as a start of peak experience study in music were narrowed down: one is that the delayed or preceded emotional climax or peak responses of the listener participants in experiment and 2 can be understood in relation to familiarity and expectation, but the meaning of correspondence is not solved completely and remained for further study. Also, reappraisal such as a questionnaire method should be carefully considered, and supplemented with the continuous method such as a volume dial or content analysis through interviews in this study. Jackson, S.A. & Marsh, H. (996). Development and validation of a scale to measure optimal experience: the Flow State Scale. Journal of sport and exercise psychology, 8(), 7-35. Lowis, M. J. (998). and peak experience: an empirical study. Mankind Quarterly, 32(2), 203-225. Lowis, M. J. (2002). as a Trigger for Peak experiences among a college staffs population, Creativity Research Journal, 4(3, 4), 35-359. Madsen, C. K. (997). Emotional Response to as Measured by the Two-Dimensional CRDI, The Journal of Therapy, 34, 87-99. Maslow, A. H. (962). Lessons from peak experiences. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 2, 9-8. Meyer, L.B. (956). Emotion and meaning in music, The University of Chicago Press. REFERENCES Bigand, E., Vieillard, S., Madurell, F., Marozeau, J. & Dacquet, A. (2005). Multidimensional scaling of emotional responses to music: The effect of musical expertise and of the duration of the excerpts, Cognition and emotion, 9(8), 3-39. Csikszentmihalyi, M (990). Flow: the psychology of optimal experience, New York: HarperPerennial. Gabrielsson, A. (200). Emotions in strong experiences with music, In Juslin, P. N. & Sloboda, J. A., and emotion: theory and research (Edition, pp.43-452). New York, US: Oxford University Press. O'Neill, S. (999). Flow Theory and the Development of al Performance Skills. Bulletin-Council for Research in Education, 29-34. Schubert, E. (200). Continuous Measurement of Self- Report Emotional Response to. In P. Juslin and J. Sloboda (Eds.), and Emotion: Theory and Research. (pp. 393-44) Oxford University Press. Sloboda, J. A. (99). structure and emotional response: some empirical findings. Psychology of, 9, 0-20. Getzels, J. W. & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (976). The creative vision: a longitudinal study of problem finding in art, New York: Wiley. ISBN 88-7395-55-4 2006 ICMPC 82