VIEWS OF EASTERN SCHOLARS ON NATIONAL MUSICAL PERCEPTIONS

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 77 VIEWS OF EASTERN SCHOLARS ON NATIONAL MUSICAL PERCEPTIONS A. Bakhriyev Professor of “Uzbek Language and Social Sciences” Department, Uzbekistan State Conservatory, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17783841 Abstract. The scope, direction and norms of the formation of musical perceptions depend on the content of the piece’s students listen to, their level of musical comprehension, and their established attitude toward this music. The article provides an analysis of research findings related to these musical-psychological issues. Keywords: perception, emotional-psychological influence, musical perception, attitude, apperception, mentality, listening culture. Introduction. National music is an important means of strong emotional-psychological influence, and Eastern scholars have emphasized the significance of socio-psychological factors in forming adequate perceptions through musical understanding. Great scholars such as Abu Nasr Farabi, Abu Ali Ibn Sina, Al-Kindī, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Mahmud ibn Masud al-Shirazi, Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Amoli, Zayn al-Abidin al-Husayni, Najm al-Din Kavkabiy Bukhari, Khoji Abduqodir Maraghi, Abdulmumin bin Yusuf al-Urmavi, Alisher Navoi, Abdurahmon Jami, Abdulhaq Dehlavi, Darvish Ali Changiy Bukhari and others expressed valuable ideas about the artistic and educational significance of folk music. Therefore, in contemporary general music education, forming musical perceptions in students is considered an important pedagogical task. In particular, the psychological characteristics of adequately understanding the content expressed in music through listening, as well as forming perceptions of folk music, were examined “The Great Book on Music” by Farabi, “Book on Musical Rhythms”, “Book of Knowledge” by Ibn Sina, “Treatise on the Art of Music”; “Treasure of the Sciences” encyclopedia by Fakhr alDin al-Razi; “Book of Cycles” by Urmavi; “Laws of Music Theory and Practice” by al-Husayni; “Treatise on Music” by Kavkabiy Bukhari; “Treatise on Music” by Jami; “Research on the Issue of Hearing” by Abdulhaq Dehlavi and other scholarly works. Methods. In the study, observation of respondents’ interactions, levels of cooperation, and external behavior were conducted, along with interviews aimed at identifying national musical perceptions. A specially developed complex socio-psychological questionnaire and test designed to study national musical perceptions were also used. Results. The special activities carried out made it possible to identify and interpret the characteristics of socio-psychological factors related to the formation of national musical perceptions among respondents. To determine the level of knowledge about folk music, we examined the middle-school experimental groups’ perceptions of the expressive means that constitute a folk musical piece, that is, the components of musical perception. To collect empirical data, the factors of perception were identified according to six criteria. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 78 It was found that musical interests are closely linked to place of residence, social environment, social attitudes toward certain types of music, and the orientation of the reference groups with whom the individual interacts. In the system of national musical perceptions, the evaluative quality expressed by the individual relates to the qualitative characteristics of musical perceptions, enabling the person to focus attention on genres and styles of music that hold personal significance and to assign subjective value to these genres and styles based on their form or content. Among younger schoolchildren, the mechanisms of logical reflection and imagination are not yet fully developed, and because their perceptual apperception lacks a broad reserve of knowledge and experience, their method of evaluating instrumental pieces differed from their method of evaluating songs. In the mentality of the Uzbek people, in their listening culture, and in the specific features of musical appreciation, it is evident that when members of our nation listen to folk musical pieces, they direct their attention solely to the object of perception, internalizing its artistic and social content as emotional experiences, thereby reflecting its emotional qualities within themselves. In our view, these features are linked to the norms of attitude formation that develop among respondents belonging to different age groups. It was also found that whether respondents listened to music in a group or individually played an important role in the formation of national musical perceptions (NMPs). It became clear that when folk musical pieces are listened to in a group setting, their emotional impact is stronger and more engaging for the listeners. When we studied the dynamics of perception formation during their individual and group musical activities, we discovered that group listening creates stronger emotional and aesthetic effects than individual listening, and it also provides greater opportunities for developing generalized perceptions. In other words, the listening environment influences the quality of perception formation. In our view, when a student listens to music in a group, they are able to gain inspiration, understand the meaning of their personal life, compare the events expressed in the musical piece with their own impressions, and adjust their future social behavior accordingly. Particularly, the educational and aesthetic influence of a folk musical piece is more strongly manifested through the creation of an emotional-psychological environment. The experiences expressed in the piece initially resonate with a few members of the group, but quickly spread to all members, and the artistic reality portrayed becomes evident in the form of shared perceptions. In addition, research results showed that perceptions formed while listening to folk musical works can differ depending on whether the music is heard live or in recorded form. Students who watched and listened to live performances inevitably developed broader and more complete perceptions of the music. Members of the experimental and control groups provided written analytical responses regarding the musical pieces they listened to under various social settings. It was found that those who attended a live concert and listened to a folk musical piece performed in person developed complete and broad national musical perceptions. Among those who listened to music in a specially equipped concert hall, 87.4% (criterion 1) had “high” or “medium” levels of adequate musical perception of the pieces, while only 12.6% demonstrated perceptions lacking fully integrated meaning. The quality of perceptions formed through classroom listening of music was “high” or “medium” in 45.9% of students (criterion 2), while 54.1% of students were unable to develop a complete musical perception of the piece. This, in our view, indicates that the listening environment has a leading role as a socio-psychological factor in the formation of national musical SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 79 perceptions. Additionally, the family environment plays a key role in shaping students’ attitudes toward folk music across different age groups, as children may adopt the attitudes of parents and older family members toward various social events, including folk music, as a personal standard. However, when the influence of social environments such as formal, referent, diffuse, and other groups with which the student interacts is stronger than that of the family, the student’s attitude also changes accordingly. Table: Dependence of the formation of national musical perceptions on the perceptual environment n-180 Object Criterias «high» «medium» «low» n- % n- % n- % №1-96 40 42,0 44 45,4 12 12,6 4,26 < X* < 4,31 t<0,05 №2-84 24 28,0 15 17,9 45 54,1 Total 64 35,0 59 31,6 57 33,4 3,72 < X* < 3,77 t<0,05 +1,14 Table Note: n – number of students. Criteria: №1 students, who listened to music in a concert hall; №2 students who listened to music in a classroom setting. For control groups, results were in the range 3.70 < X* < 3.71, or the lower limit of the average arithmetic value across all criteria observed in the experimental groups exceeded the upper limit of the average arithmetic value in the control groups. Moreover, the effectiveness coefficient between experimental and control groups was t < 0.05, amounting to 1.07. In experimental lessons, particular attention was given to understanding the psychological characteristics of emotional and intellectual perception of the movement of sounds as musical perception factors, as well as to studying various forms and styles of folk musical works and their socio-psychological features reflecting national traditions. These factors contributed to the observed results and demonstrated that this methodology inevitably fosters the formation of national musical perceptions in students. During the lessons, motivation and attitude toward singing and listening to folk music were formed, and students’ interests developed into stable needs for folk music, showing progressive refinement. This, in turn, can serve as a foundation for the gradual formation of national musical perceptions in students. Discussion. Adequately understanding the content expressed in music through listening and the psychological characteristics of forming perceptions of folk music have been analyzed in the works of Farabi (“The Great Book on Music”, “Book on Musical Rhythms”), Ibn Sina (“Book of Knowledge”, “Treatise on the Art of Music”), Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (“Treasure of the Sciences”), Urmavi (“Book of Cycles”), al-Husayni (“Laws of Music Theory and Practice”), Kavkabiy Bukhari (“Treatise on Music”), Abdurahmon Jami (“Treatise on Music”), Abdulhaq Dehlavi (“Research on the Issue of Hearing”), and other scholarly works. SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 80 For example, it is noted that “Farabi achieved such a high level of emotional influence on listeners through performance and composition that his playing and performance could astonish people, sometimes calming the agitated and at other times putting the attentive listeners in awe” (1, 10). We can conclude that the scholar considered listeners’ needs when performing, and he was capable of creating a strong emotional effect. Abu Ali Ibn Sina, addressing educational issues, stated: “To strengthen a child’s disposition, two things should be applied. One is gradually stimulating the child, and the other is using music and lullabies to help the child sleep. Depending on how much the child receives of these two, their body develops physical education, and their soul develops musical talent; the first relates to the body, the second to the heart” (2, 94). He evaluates verbal expression as primary, while proportional singing is regarded as a more advanced stage. He adds, “If the melody is adorned with verse and proportion, it affects the heart more strongly” (1, 19). Safiuddin Urmavi, in his musical views, advanced rationalistic ideas and analyzed theoretical issues of music in Sharafiya and Book of Cycles, drawing conclusions based on laws of perception (1, 22). He emphasized that the movement of musical sounds and their relationships, evaluated from the perspective of perceptual laws, should generate certain emotional and cognitive perceptions in the listener. In Qabusnama, Kaykavus discussed the performance relationship between musicians and listeners, stating: “…if you are a singer, be cheerful and pleasant, always keep yourself clean, emit a pleasant fragrance, speak kindly, avoid harsh words, and keep your eyelids relaxed. Do not always play the same maqams, nor always play light pieces, because music should not be performed uniformly, as people are not all the same and their natures differ; the people are diverse” (3, 21). The work reflects the scholar’s views on music theory and practice, the importance of music as a tool of strong emotional influence, and the role of music in the system of social relations. In particular, regarding listeners’ national musical perceptions, interests, and attitudes toward different works, it is emphasized that performers must base their renditions on the demands and needs of the listeners. Only in this way can the content expressed in the music be properly understood, and full perceptions of it be achieved. Abdurahmon Jami, in his “Treatise on Music”, explains the psychological and emotional influence of music on a person and its ability to evoke a variety of feelings in listeners such as grief or joy, sadness or hope through specific social perceptions. He writes: “It happens that one of the deepest states of the heart grief or joy, melancholy or hope, depression or exaltation is wrapped in the color of sound and affects the listener. Thus, the listener becomes aware of this inner state and derives a special pleasure from it” (3, 20). Conversely, he notes, “Failure to derive pleasure from music, and the inability of the soul to attain a harmonious mood, indicates that the person’s inner world remains at a purely physical level and has not taken a step toward spiritual perfection” (4, 97). Regarding the compositional work by Alisher Navoi, the prominent literary scholar and musicologist Abdurauf Fitrat, in his treatise “Uzbek Classical Music and Its History”, emphasizes that Qari Navo or Qari Navoi melody was composed by Navoi. He notes that ghazals of Navoi, besides their profound philosophical meaning and high artistic quality, are also distinguished by exceptional melodiousness and musicality (5, 196). One of the major scholars of the 15th century, Zayn al-Abidin bin Mahmud al-Husayni, in his work “Scientific and practical rules of music”, provides numerous scientific conclusions regarding the structure of melodies, the ability of musical sounds to evoke various moods in listeners, and their effect on emotions (6, 74). In SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 81 particular, he emphasizes that the emotional-psychological impact of maqam music on listeners can vary, and he gives high regard to the communicative and educational power of folk music. Reflecting on the possibilities of musical perceptions, Shaykh Sadi noted that listening to pleasant melodies can save a person from ignorance and strengthen their human feelings (7, 100). The insights of the great thinkers, encyclopedic scholars, and musicologists of the East, as cited above, provide a deeper understanding of the socio-psychological requirements that must be considered today for fostering personal development, awareness of national and spiritual identity, and particularly, for forming active positive attitudes toward folk music in students through the cultivation of national musical perceptions. Conclusions. The social attitude formed toward specific genres and styles of folk music is reflected in differences in the content of students’ perceptions according to performance directions. Folk music genres, through their expressive capabilities, can evoke perceptions related to ethnic life and lifestyle among students of various age groups. Since these perceptions are the product of experience, they are not only individual but also have a social character. The synthetic perception of different artistic products in music manifests as an important condition for comprehension and can be reflected in the content of national musical perceptions. In this regard, it is advisable to regularly use visual and applied arts, as well as examples from music history and literary-artistic works, during lessons in the subject “Music Culture.” REFERENCES 1. Matyoqubov, O. Introduction to the foundations of professional music in oral tradition (Textbook). Tashkent: 1983. P.64. 2. Rakhimov, S.R. Psychological and pedagogical views of Abu Ali Ibn Sina. Tashkent: O‘qituvchi, 1979. P.168. 3. Yoldosheva, S.H. Development of music education and training in Uzbekistan (Textbook). Tashkent: 1985.P. 272. 4. Saidov, A. On the Moral and cultural development of music teachers. In: Proceedings of the Republican Scientific-Practical Conference. Tashkent, 2002, Pp. 95-100. 5. Torayev, F.J. Poetry and Music of Navoi. In: Proceedings of the Republican ScientificPractical Conference. Bukhara, 2002, Pp. 195–196. 6. Hamidov, H. History of Uzbek traditional singing culture. Tashkent: 1996. P.176. 7. Rajabov, I. On the issue of maqams. Tashkent: Publishing, 1963. P.304.