SysMus25 Conference Proceedings

SysMus25 Conference Proceedings June 11th – 13th 2025 RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion University of Oslo, Norway Contents Editorial Note 5 About SysMus 5 About RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion 5 SysMus25 Organizing Committee 5 SysMus25 Reviewers 6 SysMus25 Sponsors 6 Program 7 Day1–June11th............................................ 8 Day2–June12th............................................ 10 Day3–June13th............................................ 12 Keynotes 14 Ecomusicking: How Musical Encounters Shape Environmental Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Computational Modeling of Music Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Measuring Chills... “defrosting” and “dissecting” them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Workshops 15 ConcertListening............................................ 15 Human-Swarm Interactive Music Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Coherence and Cause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Dancingpuzzle............................................. 15 Talk Session 1 – Music, Social Connection, and Emotional Wellbeing 16 The Choir Experiences of People Affected by Homelessness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Tunes and technology: A lifespan comparison on uses and attitudes towards music technologies for mood regulation .............................................. 19 Examining the Psychosocial Effects of Singing in VR: A Mixed-Methods RCT Pilot Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Talk Session 2 – Psychological and Embodied Aspects of Music Performance 23 Discerning the real-time effects of mind wandering on musical creativity: A psycho-phenomenological study of jazz improvisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Feeling Safe Vs. Being Safe: Music Performance Anxiety and Polyvagal Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 The importance of body awareness in Accordion learning and performance . . . . . . . . . . 27 Poster Session 1 30 Lo ferm voler qu’el cor m’intra: the unexpected result of a dice roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Mountains in Motion: The Non-Isochronous Heartbeat of Andean Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 1 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Flow from expected performance in dynamic tempo drum practice: a pilot study . . . . . . . 36 An Inverted-U Shape Preference for Melodies in Parrots and Humans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Feelings in Motion: Embodiment, Emotional Synchrony and Social Connection on the Dancefloor . . . . . . 41 Behind the Beat: Investigating the Cognitive and Musical Foundations of ’Au Fond du Temps’ . . . . . . 43 Why music makes us dance: insights from thematic analysis and computational musical features. . . . . . . . . . . . 45 How do the Psychological Benefits of Nostalgic Music Differ Across Age Groups, and What Makes it Particularly Effective in Enhancing Well-being? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Complex Terrain: What musicians go through when confronted with complex rhythms. . . . . . . . . . . 52 Key roles in opera production regarding achieving singers’ sung text intelligibility . . . . . . . 54 Violently themed music and emotion regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Large (Sleep) Music Analysis – from Raw Audio to Feature Spaces and Clustering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 The Future of Sound: An Evolutionary Perspective on Possible Histories of Homo Musicus . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Talk Session 3 – Neural Mechanisms of Musical Timing, Rhythm, and Memory 63 Exploring Time Perception in Music Listening: How Musical and Personal Factors Influence Duration and Speed of Time Passage . . 64 Mind the Bar: Tracing the Role of Musical Structure in EEG activity and Memory Development . . . . 66 Rhythm-based Temporal Expectations: Unique Contributions of Predictability and Periodicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Talk Session 4 – Music Applications for Health and Stress Management 70 The Impact of Individual Factors and Preferences on Music for Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Soundscapes for Stress Regulation: A Multi-Modal Investigation of Psychophysiological Responses to Environmental Audio Stimuli in Hong Kong Workplaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 How music can jeopardise the abstinence of individuals with substance use disorder . . . . . 77 Talk Session 5 – Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Music Cognition and Perception 79 Favourite Tunes, Cultural Clues: Self-Construal and Musical Rewards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Effect of Length of the Rhythmic Cycle on its Perception and Learning. A Cross-cultural Exploration through North-Indian Rhythmic Patterns. . . . . . . . . . 83 Comparing Absolute Pitch Recognition Between Western and Carnatic Musicians . . . . . . 85 Poster Session 2 87 Chunking, Duration, and Cycle Length: Cognitive Factors Affecting Rhythmic Perception in North Indian Classical Music . . . 88 Violin gesture and expressiveness: aprocess............................................. 90 Alpha-Delta Interplay in Rhythmic Auditory Perception: Investigating the Role of Pre-Gap Alpha Power in Target Detection . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Unveiling the Musical Features of EDM Subgenres: A Music Information Retrieval Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 2 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Music Performance Anxiety in Former Military Musicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Polyrhythm Meets Virtual Reality: A Novel Framework for Cognitive and Neural Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Improvisational Wisdom: Nurturing Human Flourishing Through Music-Making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Exploring Music Making in Everyday Lives through a Grounded Theory Study . . . . . . . . . 103 Impact of Tempo Fluctuations on Brain Dynamics during Naturalistic Music Listening . . . . . 105 How does music training influence the effect of synchrony on social bonding? . . . . . . . . . 108 Auditory neural synchronization and consciousness: EEG study with binaural beats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 The Beat Goes On: Jazz, Dance and Community in the work of Wilfrid Mellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 MUSIFEAST-17: MUsic Stimuli for Imagination, Familiarity, Emotion, and Aesthetic STudies across 17 genres ..............................................114 The Top-down Control of Entrained Delta Oscillations during Rhythmic Auditory Perception: The Effect of Target Onset Predictability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Which role does harmonic clarity play in sound preference across species? . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Accessible instrument performance for everyone: gesture controlled Guzheng, an example of traditional instrument innovation based on audio-visual interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Shared Musical Understanding in Live Performance: A Review and Conceptual Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 The Role of Cultural and Language Familiarity in Cross-Cultural Emotional Communication in Music Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Exploring the role of music in enhancing the well-being of Chinese international students in theUK...............................................127 Talk Session 6 – Music Interventions for Aging and Neurological Conditions 129 Self-regulatory functions of musical imagery in Parkinson’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Becoming me with music - a qualitative investigation of older adults’ autobiographical narratives on music, identity andwellbeing..........................................132 Understanding Neurological Music Therapy, an intervention for Parkinson’s through diffusion tensor imaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Talk Session 7 – Children and Adolescent Musical Experiences 136 Children’s free descriptions of subjective responses to selected musical extracts reveal new taxonomy of music-evoked experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Finnish Adolescents’ Experiences of Scary Music: A Qualitative Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 The role of non-formal musical and sports engagement in children’s development . . . . . . . 141 Talk Session 8 – Music’s Influence on Cognitive and Emotional Processing 143 Thoughtscapes in music: An examination of thought types occurring during music listening across 17 genres . . 144 Kinetic affect and the construction of musical emotions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Talk Session 9 – Methodological Approaches and Theoretical Frameworks in Music Psychology 149 3 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Embodiment Indicators in Music Skill Acquisition: A Systematic Review of Psychophysiological and Biomechanical Studies . . . . . . . . 150 DEEM Instrument: Content Validity Assessments Using Subject Experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 The Origins of Musicality and Music Through an Extended Evolutionary Lens . . . . . . . . . 155 Talk Session 10 – Computational Modeling and Analysis Methods in Music Research 157 A New Way of Thinking: A Proposed Methodology for EDM (Electronic Dance Music) Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 158 Modelling individual differences in chord pleasantness judgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Characterising Sleep Music Preference Through Social Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 4 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Editorial Note It is with great pleasure that we present the official conference proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25). This conference proceedings contains abstracts accepted for spoken and poster presentations at the SysMus25 conference hosted at the RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion, University of Oslo, from June 11-13, 2025. Abbigail Fleckenstein, Hugh Alexander von Arnim, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou About SysMus The SysMus conferences are annual events organized by PhD students for PhD and master’s students whose research relates to the field systematic musicology. These conferences provide an invaluable opportunity for early researchers to come together and share their research with peers and receive feedback on their work in a supportive academic environment. Each SysMus conference invites internationally renowned researchers from the various subfields of systematic musicology to present their work and engage with student attendees. The field of systematic musicology covers a wide range of research topics including music perception, music cognition, music psychology, music therapy, music modelling, music information retrieval, musical acoustics, music theory and analysis, music sociology, music education, music technology, music and culture, music and semiotics, and music philosophy. For more information about the SysMus conference series, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/sysmus/home About RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion The RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time, and Motion is a Norwegian Center of Excellence based at the University of Oslo. RITMO’s research integrates methods from psychology, musicology, and informatics to investigate rhythm as a fundamental property of human cognition, behavior, and culture. In addition to world-class research facilities, including motion capture studios, brain imaging suites, and robotics labs, RITMO is home to a highly diverse, international group of researchers and takes pride in connecting various areas of academia. For more information about RITMO, please visit: https://www.uio.no/ritmo/ SysMus25 Organizing Committee Abbigail Fleckenstein (Chair) Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Assistant Chair) Hugh Alexander von Arnim Maham Riaz Kjell-Andreas Oddekalv Sandra Solli Prof. Jonna Vuoskoski (Academic Supervisor) 5 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 SysMus25 Reviewers Thank you to all our reviewers for your vital contribution to SysMus25. Abbigail Fleckenstein Aishi Huang Ajantha Ramineni Alex Chapman Anish Mahishi Anna-Maria Christodoulou Anna-Maria Niemand Bairavi Selvarajah Bala Siva Sai Akhil Malepati Baptiste Bacot Bharath Kumar Varma Sagi Botao Zhang Bruna Martins Chandrasekar Ramachandran Chang Zhou Daniel Milencovici Dongyu Yao Gene-Ping Yang Haowei Zhang Hariharan Ragothaman Heini Siltainsuu Hugh Alexander von Arnim James Cannon Jiaqi Zhang Jiayi Wang Jue Xiao Kai Xi Katya Ness Kjell Andreas Oddekalv Lijun Zhang Liliana Aparício Madiha Mirza Maham Riaz Mingyang Wan Nádia Moura Nandhini Natarajan Natalia Tomashpolskaia Oliver Tab Bellmann Persefoni Tzanaki Quanchao Lu Rachel Horrell Rory Kirk Run Yu (Ryan Yu) Sai Sandeep Ogety Sandra Solli Sara D’Amario Siwei Wang Srinivasarao Daruna Sudharshan Tumkunta Vasanth Rajendran Weihang Xiao Wenke Du Yan Ru Pei Yue Li zhun zhou Zhuoyue Wang Zijian Zhang Ziyi Wang SysMus25 Sponsors SysMus25 is generously supported by: RITMO through the Research Council of Norway’s Centers of Excellence scheme, UiO: Life Science, the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM), the Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (Sempre), and the SysMus24 Organizing Committee at University of Jyväskylä. We extend our deepest gratitude to all our sponsors for making SysMus25 possible! 6 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Program 7 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Day 1 – June 11th Time UTC+2 Activities Location 09:00–09:30 Morning coffee and name tag pick-up Forsamlingssalen 09:30–10:00 Opening Remarks Forsamlingssalen 10:00–11:00 Keynote 1 Ecomusicking: How Musical Encounters Shape Environmental Thinking Professor Nicola Dibben Forsamlingssalen 11:00–11:10 Break 11:10–12:00 Talk Session 1: Music, Social Connection, and Emotional Wellbeing • Bruna Martins: The Choir Experiences of People Affected by Homelessness • Catherine Tan: Tunes and Technology: A Lifespan Comparison on Uses and Attitudes Towards Music Technologies for Mood Regulation • Dana Greaves: Examining the Psychosocial Effects of Singing in VR: A Mixed-Methods RCT Pilot Study Forsamlingssalen 12:00–13:00 Lunch Psychosocial 13:00–13:50 Talk Session 2: Psychological and Embodied Aspects of Music Performance • Pedro Palhares: Discerning the Real-time Effects of Mind Wandering on Musical Creativity • Cheryl Ockrant: Feeling Safe Vs. Being Safe: Music Performance Anxiety and Polyvagal Theory • Liliana Aparício: The Importance of Body Awareness in Accordion Learning and Performance Forsamlingssalen 13:50–14:00 Break 14:00–14:50 Poster Session 1 Serena Allegra, Rodrigo Almonte, Cesc Bayle, Oliver Tab Bellmann, James Cannon, Francesca Cantoni, Francisco Cossavella, Tyler Davis, Rhun Gwilym, Florian Hoesl, Veeda Kala, Fruzsina Mihok, Jonathan Stumber, Marko Vesić Forsamlingssalen 14:50–15:00 Break 8 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Workshops Workshop 1 — Concert Listening: Qualitative, Phenomenological Inquiry Dr. Remy Haswell-Martin London College of Music, University of West London, London, UK Time: June 11th, 16:00 – 17:00 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/67394295763 Workshop 2 — Human-Swarm Interactive Music Systems: Implementation and data analysis using Python Pedro P. Lucas RITMO, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Time: June 11th, 16:00 – 17:00 UTC+2 Location: Auditorium 3, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/69264043362 Workshop 3 — Coherence and Cause — Exploratory analysis strategies for physiological measurements from live concert participants Finn Upham, Ph.D. RITMO, Department of Musicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Time: June 12th, 16:00 – 17:00 UTC+2 Location: Auditorium 3, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/68879919588 Workshop 4 — Dancing puzzle: reconstructing a dance through collective kinesthetic memory Diego Marín Bucio RITMO, Department of Musicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Time: June 12th, 16:00 – 17:00 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/68332075785 15 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 1 Music, Social Connection, and Emotional Wellbeing Chair: James Cannon Time: June 11th, 11:00 – 12:00 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/67394295763 16 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 The Choir Experiences of People Affected by Homelessness Bruna Francisco Martins University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom Background Housing instability is associated with multilevel issues related to social, psychological, and health challenges. A wealth of research highlights the positive impacts of participating in artistic activities for people affected by homelessness. Impacts are associated with the social, emotional, and cognitive well-being of people who have, in some way, experienced unstable housing situations. In a smaller number, studies about choirs and homelessness also indicate similar outcomes. Choirs can become safe spaces where these populations develop social connections and a sense of belonging (Bailey and Davidson, 2005), strengthening their voices and perspectives for the future (Boal-Palheiros, 2017). However, less attention has been taken to investigating the diverse ways in which people affected by homelessness engage in choirs, and the impacts these forms of engagement might play on the perceived impacts. Aim To explore the ways in which people affected by homelessness engage in choirs and the possible outcomes of their engagement. Methods Observations of choir rehearsals in six cities in the UK were conducted, and further observations will be carried out from January to March 2025 in a new choir. All observed choirs are aimed at people affected by homelessness, and most of their participants are currently experiencing or have faced housing insecurity. The researcher adopts the role of ‘participant observer’ (Robson, 2024), engaging in singing while observing behaviours and interactions. Expected Results Data analysis is currently underway. Notes from all observations have been formally analysed according to nine categories proposed by Spradley (2016) todescribe observations: space, actors, activities, objects, acts, events, time, goals and feelings. This strategy will contribute to the identification of diverse ways by which choir members engage in choirs, including observation of proactive or passive roles and their involvement with the music and with others. Comments collected during the rehearsal will support the findings, helping to understand feelings, and impacts perceived by members. Conclusions Implications of this project concern improved understanding of singing group activities designed for populations affected by homelessness. References 17 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Bailey, B. A., & Davidson, J. W. (2005). Effects of group singing and performance for marginalized and middle-class singers. Psychology of Music, 33(3), 269-303. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735605053734 Boal-Palheiros, G. (2017). Singing Against Loneliness: Songs of a homeless choir in Porto. Music and Arts in Action, 6, 63–79. Robson, C. (2024). Real World Research. Wiley. Spradley, J. P. (2016). Participant observation. Waveland Press. 18 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Tunes and technology: A lifespan comparison on uses and attitudes towards music technologies for mood regulation Catherine Tan1, Laura Cirelli2, Suvi Saarikallio1 1University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland 2University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Background Music listening often supports mood regulation; however, the practice may differ musically and psychologically based on listeners’ individual differences (Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham, 2007; Saarikallio & Erkkilä, 2007; Tan & Harrison, 2025). In today’s technological era, music streaming and listening technologies have altered music consumption behaviours and show potential in supporting personalised mood regulation practices (Agres et al., 2021; Avdeeff, 2012; Goldschmitt & Seaver, 2019; Krause & North, 2016). Nevertheless, little is known about how the use of, and attitudes toward, music and technology as tools for wellbeing differ across the lifespan. Aims This study aims to reveal how music mood regulation compares musically, socially, and technologically across different life stages. We also explore how background variables (i.e., age, sensitivity to musical reward, life satisfaction, resilience) predict the usage of different music mood regulation strategies and their contexts. Lastly, we aim to identify future directions for improving music technologies for mood regulation. Methods An online questionnaire collected demographic details and data on the musical, social, and technological context of seven music mood regulation scenarios, each based on a music mood regulation strategy (Saarikallio & Erkkilä, 2007). Open-ended responses on participants’ attitudes towards incorporating music technologies into their music mood regulation practices were also collected alongside measures on the aforementioned background variables. Expected Results Data analysis will focus on identifying characteristics in the music selected for mood regulation across the life stages and how technologies used for music access and listening may support or hinder the experience. Furthermore, demographic details and measures from participant profiles will be assessed as predictive factors in relation to these themes. Conclusions This research will provide new knowledge on the psychological underpinnings of music mood regulation and their social and technological contexts. Furthermore, it will establish guidelines for the development of music technologies that can meet diverse emotional and psychological needs to support the develop19 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 ment of healthy and resilient individuals. References Agres, K. R., Schaefer, R. S., Volk, A., van Hooren, S., Holzapfel, A., Dalla Bella, S., Müller, M., de Witte, M., Herremans, D., Ramirez Melendez, R., Neerincx, M., Ruiz, S., Meredith, D., Dimitriadis, T., & Magee, W. L. (2021). Music, computing, and health: A roadmap for the current and future roles of music technology for health care and well-being. Music & Science, 4, 2059204321997709. https://doi.org/10.1177/20 59204321997709 Avdeeff, M. (2012). Technological engagement and musical eclecticism: An examination of contemporary listening practices, 9(2). Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Furnham, A. (2007). Personality and music: Can traits explain how people use music in everyday life? British Journal of Psychology, 98(2), 175–185. https://doi.org/10.1348/000712606X111177 Goldschmitt, K. E., & Seaver, N. (2019). Shaping the stream: Techniques and troubles of algorithmic recommendation. In D. Trippett, M. M. Ingalls, & N. Cook (Eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Music in Digital Culture (pp. 63–81). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316676639.006 Krause, A. E., & North, A. C. (2016). Music listening in everyday life: Devices, selection methods, and digital technology. Psychology of Music, 44(1), 129–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735614559065 Saarikallio, S., & Erkkilä, J. (2007). The role of music in adolescents’ mood regulation. Psychology of Music, 35(1), 88–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735607068889 Tan, C., & Harrison, P. (2025). What music do people use for mood regulation? OSF. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/t4w5d_v1 Tan, C., & Harrison, P. (2025). What music do people use for mood regulation? OSF. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/t4w5d_v1 20 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Examining the Psychosocial Effects of Singing in VR: A Mixed-Methods RCT Pilot Study Dana Greaves1, Catherine O’Neill1,2, Lina Gega1, Helena Daffern1 1University of York, York, United Kingdom 2University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom Background In recent years, there have been many studies showing that singing in a group, virtually or face-to-face, can positively affect many facets of an individual’s health. In particular, group singing has been shown to be an important and effective tool for maintaining an individual’s wellbeing and mental health through supporting social connectivity, providing a pleasurable leisure activity, increasing mood, self-esteem, confidence, and feelings of empowerment, reducing negative affects such as anxiety and loneliness, creating life meaning, and improving quality of life. Interestingly, one of the most common psychosocial benefits being reported in virtual group singing (VGS) activities is social connection although this result may have been influenced by a majority of research on this topic being conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims The aim of this study is to examine a) the differences between active and passive musicking/solo and group singing in VGS experiences hosted in VR, b) the extent to which VR group singing experiences that involve no face-to face social interaction affect wellbeing, self-esteem, social connectedness, and mood, and c) the psychosocial potential and interest of hosting VGS in VR for young adult populations. Overall, this study intends to answer the question: if in-person social interaction is removed, can participation in VR group singing experiences still impact psychosocial health? Methods The current study is a mixed methods pilot that involves participants engaging with a singing activity in VR over 2-weeks. Methods include a pre-post, withinand between-groups, four-arm RCT and qualitative analysis. Each participant is assigned one of three conditions (singing with a choir, watching a choir, or singing alone) and participates in a waitlist condition for 2-weeks before starting the study for a total of 4-weeks of participation. Participants are instructed to engage with a pre-recorded, VR group singing experience according to their assigned condition and asked to complete a series of preand postforms which measure the socio-psychological effects of their engagement and asked open-ended questions about their experiences. Expected Results It is hypothesized that there will be a positive, significant relationship between participating in singing activities and wellbeing, mood, and self21 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 esteem. Social connectedness is expected to have no significant changes across conditions. If these hypotheses are correct, this may indicate that the lack of social interactions within VGS experiences does not necessarily hinder the satisfaction of the experience or ability to ascertain certain psychological benefits through that participation. Therefore, this type of singing activity can be beneficial to certain populations with certain goals outside of creating community or social connection. Conclusions The implications of this study may provide insights into the functions of socialising and musicking in VGS experiences which may inform our understanding of how group singing as an instinctive, human activity promotes individual and collective health. As VGS research continues in a post-COVID 19 world, the accessibility and target demographics of varying VGS technologies should be considered. Further understanding these relationships between singing and psychosocial health can inform the future directions of this research and technology. 22 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 2 Psychological and Embodied Aspects of Music Performance Chair: Kjell Andreas Oddekalv Time: June 11th, 13:00 – 13:50 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/67394295763 23 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Discerning the real-time effects of mind wandering on musical creativity: A psycho-phenomenological study of jazz improvisation Pedro Palhares1, Óscar Gonçalves2 1University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal 2Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique, Porto, Portugal Background Mind wandering (MW) is a prevalent and ubiquitous phenomenon (Smallwood & Schooler, 2015) that despite its negative effects on cognitive processes like working memory, sustained attention, or response inhibition, has found in later years increasing evidence that it could play a key role in creative cognition. While several studies suggest that MW benefits creativity if it occurs in the incubation period of a creative problem-solving task (Baird et al., 2012; Leszczynski et al., 2017), it remains unclear if MW during the course of a creative task does benefit the real-time expression of creative behaviour (Hao et al., 2015). Musical improvisation provides an ecologically useful framework for studying the real-time effects of MW on creativity. Indeed, a recent preliminary study by the present authors suggested that MW during a jazz improvisation task enhanced the creativity of musical improvisation in expert pianists, compared with improvisation during on-task attention (Palhares, Branco & Gonçalves, 2021). Aims Here, we aim to replicate these findings with a bigger sample size and a more refined experience sampling methodology that not only captures mind wandering, but also other off-task thought phenomena, namely mind blanking and taskrelated interference. Therefore, we ultimately aim to discern the real-time impact of each type of off-task phenomena on ongoing musical creativity. Methods 52 jazz musicians (piano, guitar, double-bass, voice, vibraphone, saxophone, trumpet and violin) of various levels of expertise underwent a series of jazz improvisation tasks interleaved with random experience sampling probes. Expected Results We expect to replicate previous findings of MW-associated enhancement of musical creativity. We also expect that this effect will be more prevalent in proficient musicians, compared to novices. Finally, we expect that mind blanking and task-related interference will pose instances of off-task thought that do not positively affect improvisatory performance. Conclusions Should we obtain our expected results, this investigation will sediment our previous claim that mind wandering during improvisation is associated with a significant increase in musical creativity. It will also provide the first account of the real-time impact of different attentional states on musical performance. 24 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Lo ferm voler qu’el cor m’intra: the unexpected result of a dice roll Serena Allegra Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy Background The composition Lo ferm voler qu’el cor m’intra by Arnaut Daniel marks the birth of the lyric sestina, a fixed form of six stanzas (coblas) with six endecasyllabic verses each, plus a three-verse leave-taking (tornada). The sestina is notable for its absence of a conventional rhyme scheme, with the six ending words of the first stanza repeating in a set sequence across the stanzas (ABCDEF, FAEBDC, CFDABE, etc.). However, Lo ferm voler contains peculiarities that need to be reinterpreted within the context of the trobador’s oral performance (Mayo, 2012). The piece’s significance lies not in formal contrivances, but in the composer’s intent to infuse the performance with his passion for gambling (Marchis, 2009). Aims The dice are not only an aesthetic feature but connect to the mental states of the game, involving the audience. According to Schechner (2013), it is not the stage that defines the performance, but rather everyday actions, which hold a performative dimension where we replay behaviors. Therefore, Lo ferm voler qu’el cor m’intra can be seen as a form of gamification: Arnaut Daniel aimed to transcribe the dice game into music, creating a blend of musical, prosodic, and semantic effects. Main Contributions An analysis of the text reveals a consistent permutation following the 6-1-5-2-4-3 pattern, derived from the dice faces, where opposite faces sum to seven (6+1, 5+2, 4+3). Rhymes and notes become the dice with which Arnaut plays, and the sestina is reshaped into a series of possible random combinations (Canettieri, 2023). This is further enhanced by melodic patterns (Rossell, 2015): unusual intervals of thirds, the iambic rhythm, and textual allusions immerse the listener in a goliardic tavern setting, where dice games are common, resulting in a playful art. Implications The focus shifts from the text as a historical document to its role as an expression of cognitive, emotional, and social processes, prompting a multidisciplinary approach that blends musicology and cognitive science. A renewed humanism would be beneficial, recognizing that creative output is connected to perception and cognitive processes. Thus, the sestina is not only a metric reflection of the dice faces but a musical and linguistic reification of the dice game, involving the audience in a participatory experience with Arnaut. References 31 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Canettieri, P. (2023). La “sestina” di Arnaut Daniel: permutazione e rime. In Barbieri, L., & Vuagnoux-Uhlig, M. (Eds.). (2023). Contrainte créatrice: la fortune littéraire de la sextine dans le tempo et dans l’espace : 31-69. Edizioni del Galluzzo, Firenze. Marchis, V. (2009). Storie di cose semplici. Springer Science & Business Media, Milano. Mayo, A. R. (2012). La tradición musical de la sextina de Arnaut Daniel ”Lo ferm voler qu’el cor m’intra” (BDT 29, 14): un artefacto lírico perfecto. In Medievalia,15 : 33-38. Rossell, A. (2015). Medieval liturgical drama, carmina burana and the arnaut daniel’s sestina: Music and literature. In Proto, T., Canettieri, P., & Valenti, G. (2015) Text and Tune. On the Association of Music and Lyrics in Sung Verse. Text and Tune: On the Association of Music and Lyrics in Sung Verse : 23-52, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main. Schechner R. 2013, Performance studies: An introduction , Routledge, London and New York. 32 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Mountains in Motion: The Non-Isochronous Heartbeat of Andean Music Rodrigo Almonte Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland Background The non-isochronous rhythms of Andean music represent a unique aspect of its cultural and performative identity. Previous studies differ from each other regarding their interpretations of the aural perception of Andean rhythms and their notated values, while highlighting the uniqueness of this rhythmic performance (see d’Harcourt, 1925; Vasquez, 1990; Cross & Stobart, 2000; Ferrier, 2010; Carrasco, 2017; Valencia, 2020). These rhythms are especially evident in traditions such as huayno music and chakiri music. Unlike western rhythmic frameworks, which often rely on evenly spaced subdivisions, Andean music employs complex patterns that emerge organically from ritual and communal participation. This paper situates these rhythms within the concept of ”metric bridges”1, a term introduced by Steyn de Wet (2017) and inspired by Malcolm Braff’s approach to non-isochronous rhythmic structures (2015). Metric bridges provide a lens to analyse the connections between rhythmic complexity and cultural stimuli, such as pilgrimage rituals and embodied practices, in Andean musical traditions. Aims The aims of this research are to examine the role of non-isochronous subdivisions in Andean music, particularly in the huayno and chakiri genres, explore how cultural and performative stimuli activate and sustain these rhythmic structures, analyse the application of metric bridges as an interpretive framework for understanding non-western rhythmic practices, and investigate how simplifying these rhythms into quantised grids affects their cultural and performative essence. Methods This research combines ethnographic fieldwork conducted by the author in Cusco, Peru, with focus groups and interviews involving traditional musicians. Participant collaboration and rehearsal recordings provide primary data for spectrographic rhythmic analysis using Sonic Visualiser. Using Braff’s metric bridges as a conceptual tool, the research applies empirical rhythmic analysis to identify correlations between ritual contexts and the emergence of complex rhythmic patterns. Additionally, qualitative insights from traditional and contemporary 1Metric bridges are conceived as transitional rhythmic structures that enable modulation between distinct temporal frameworks. They operate by gradually transforming one set of microbeat groupings into another through non-isochronous interpolation, effectively sustaining intermediate durations that mediate between contrasting tuplets. This allows performers to aurally navigate otherwise disconnected metric spaces, creating perceptual bridges that serve both expressive and structural functions in performance. 33 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 practitioners inform interpretations of how these rhythms function within communal and sacred settings and provide validation on spectrographic data. Results Preliminary findings suggest that non-isochronous rhythms in Andean music are deeply tied to ritual and social contexts, where performative triggers such as sacred spaces, communal participation, and pilgrimage events foster rhythmic fluency. The application of metric bridges reveals how performers navigate rhythmic complexity intuitively, bypassing formal musical theory. However, the simplification of these rhythms into quantised grids, often for external analysis or adaptation, risks distorting their cultural essence and performative purpose, as is currently the case with the vast majority of adaptations and transcriptions of Andean music for western audiences. This paper anticipates further insights into how ritual dynamics and cultural transmission underpin these rhythmic practices. It also anticipates further possibilities of rhythmic evolution in Andean music through the use of metric bridges and metric modulation as creative compositional tools. Conclusions The findings of my research, included in this paper, underscore the importance of situating Andean music within its cultural and ritual contexts to appreciate its rhythmic sophistication fully. Metric bridges provide a valuable framework for understanding the interplay between non-isochronous rhythms and cultural triggers. However, the imposition of external rhythmic frameworks highlights the tension between preserving cultural authenticity and engaging with globalised musical paradigms. These findings contribute to broader discussions on rhythm as a culturally embedded phenomenon, challenging universalised assumptions of musical structure. References Braff, Malcolm, ‘Basic Principles’, General Theory of Rhythm (2015) http://genera l-theory-of-rhythm.org/category/theory/ [accessed 8 March 2025] Carrasco, Rolando, ‘El Huayno, apuntes sobre su rítmica’, Cuadernos Arguedianos, 16 (2017) https://cuadernosarguedianosjma.escuelafolklore.edu.pe/articulos-pdf /edicion-16/16-7.pdf [accessed 8 March 2025] Cross, Ian, and Stobart Henry, ‘The Andean Anacrusis? Rhythmic Structure and Perception in Easter Songs of Northern Potosí, Bolivia’, British Journal of Ethnomusicology, 9.1 (2000), 63–94, https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3060646.pdf [accessed 8 March 2025] De Wet, Steyn, ‘Malcolm Braff’s Approach to Rhythm for Improvisation: Definition, Analysis and Aesthetic’ (Master’s thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017) https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/items/f19a3760-bd7b-48d4-9ec 0-4dac04f7ff78 [accessed 8 March 2025] 34 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 D’Harcourt, Raoul and Marguerite, La Musique des Incas et ses survivances (Paris: Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, 1925) Ferrier, Claude, El huayno con arpa: estilos globales en la nueva música popular andina, 1st edition (Lima: Instituto de Etnomusicología PUCP, 2010) Valencia, Roger, ‘Análisis informatizado y transcripción del huayno Maura Zapato, de Daniel Kirwayo’ (Master’s thesis, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, 2020) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340901711_Analisis_informatizado_y_ transcripcion_del_huayno_Mauka_zapato_de_Daniel_Kirwayo?enrichId=rgreq-3 3a4de8383569c2ca2c851435a515aa0-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOz M0MDkwMTcxMTtBUzo4ODU5OTU5NjA1MzcwODlAMTU4ODI0OTMwNjIzNg %3D%3D&el=1_x_2&_esc=publicationCoverPdf [accessed 8 May 2025] Vázquez, Chalena, and Abilio Vergara, Ranulfo, el hombre (Lima: CEDAP, 1990) 35 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Flow from expected performance in dynamic tempo drum practice: a pilot study Cesc Bayle, Anton Berg, Benjamin Ultan Cowley University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Background Flow is widely investigated as an indicator of task engagement, particularly in the context of skill acquisition, where it is used to study participants’ motivation (Engeser et al, 2021). In music learning, much of this research is conducted outside experimental contexts (Tan & Sin, 2021; Harmat et al, 2021) relying heavily on retrospective self-reported practice (Araújo & Hein, 2016), highlighting a need for further investigation into how Flow is operationalized. Previous studies on Flow and task learning in a steering paradigm (Cowley et al, 2019; Palomäki et al, 2021) found that Flow is affected more by discrepancies between anticipated and actual performance than by normative skill level. In this pilot study, we investigate this phenomenon in a behavioral longitudinal experiment on drum learning. Aims This study aims to explore the relationship between skill acquisition and Flow during the learning process and how performance expectations influence this psychological state. Specifically, we examine participants’ expectations derived from two measurement sources: the power-law learning curve fitted to their trialwise performance data, and participants’ trial-wise predictions of their own performance. The pilot serves as a preliminary exploration of these relationships and aims to refine the experimental design for full-scale implementation. Methods In the experiment, participants learn to perform a drum rudiment over a dynamic tempo sequence (accelerating, holding peak tempo, decelerating), with temporal accuracy score as an indicator of skill level. They performed several trials per session (13 to 27 trials), and multiple sessions (3 to 5). Their goal is to improve accuracy and progress to higher tempos. Participants predict their scores and report their experience of Flow, using the Flow Short Scale Form (Laakasuo et al, 2022), when the skill-demand balance is met (Moneta, 2021). The pilot involved four participants over two iterations, two in each. In the first iteration, participants had trouble performing consistently, showing a considerable missed note ratio, especially in the peak tempo section, due to the parameters for progressing to further levels of difficulty. In the second iteration, we adjusted these parameters to improve the skill-demand setting, reflecting an increase in performance consistency. MixedEffects Linear Model regressions analyzed Flow as the outcome, using trial-wise skill level, deviations from expected performance, and participants’ self-reported predictions as independent variables. 36 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Results The exploratory results of this pilot generally align with findings from earlier studies (Cowley et al, 2019; Palomäki et al, 2021), where Flow is influenced by deviations between expected and actual performance, as predicted by the powerlaw model. Interestingly, deviations between participants’ predicted performance and actual performance seem to have the opposite effect, with greater divergence associated with lower reported Flow. However, there was considerable variability among participants in these relationships, as well as in the statistical significance of the effects. Conclusions This pilot study introduces a novel experimental design for investigating skill acquisition and Flow in music learning. It aims to contribute to more advantageous approaches for investigating activity engagement in music learning within experimental frameworks. Despite the impossibility of generalizing from the findings given the small sample size, results are promising and support further research in subsequent stages of the project. Potential educational implications emphasize the importance of maintaining an optimal challenge-skill ratio in practice environments to facilitate Flow and motivate continued engagement in music learning. References Araújo, M.V., Hein, C.F. (2016). Finding Flow in Music Practice: An Exploratory Study About Self-Regulated Practice Behaviours and Dispositions to Flow in Highly Skilled Musicians. In: Harmat, L., Ørsted Andersen, F., Ullén, F., Wright, J., Sadlo, G. (eds) Flow Experience. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-286 34-1_2 Cowley, B.U., Palomäki, J., Tammi, T., Frantsi, R., Inkilä, V-P., Lehtonen, N., Pölönen, P., Vepsäläinen, J., Lappi, O. (2019). Flow Experiences During Visuomotor Skill Acquisition Reflect Deviation From a Power-Law Learning Curve, but Not Overall Level of Skill. Front. Psychol. 10:1126. doi: https://10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01126 Engeser, S., Schiepe-Tiska, A., Peifer, C. (2021). Historical Lines and an Overview of Current Research on Flow. In: Peifer, C., Engeser, S. (eds) Advances in Flow Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53468-4_1 Harmat, L., de Manzano, Ö., Ullén, F. (2021). Flow in Music and Arts. In: Peifer, C., Engeser, S. (eds) Advances in Flow Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1 007/978-3-030-53468-4_14 Laakasuo, M., Palomäki, J., Abuhamdeh, S., Lappi, O., & Cowley, B. U. (2022). Psychometric analysis of the flow short scale translated to Finnish. Sci Rep 12, 20067 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24715-3 Moneta, G.B. (2021). On the Conceptualization and Measurement of Flow. In: 37 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Peifer, C., Engeser, S. (eds) Advances in Flow Research. Springer, Cham. https: //doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53468-4_2 Palomäki, J., Tammi, T., Lehtonen, N., Seittenranta, N., Laakasuo, M., Abuhamdeh, S., Lappi, O., & Cowley, B. U. (2021). The link between flow and performance is moderated by task experience. Computers in Human Behavior, 124, 106891. http s://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106891 Tan, L., & Sin, H. X. (2021). Flow research in music contexts: A systematic literature review. Musicae Scientiae, 25(4), 399-428. https://doi.org/10.1177/1029864919 877564 38 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 An Inverted-U Shape Preference for Melodies in Parrots and Humans Oliver Tab Bellmann1, Melina Witt1, Marisa Hoeschele1, Roberta Bianco2 1Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Wien, Austria 2Neuroscience of Perception & Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology, Roma, Italy Background There’s a well-known inverted U-shaped relationship between the complexity of a stimulus and human preference. This means that people tend to prefer stimuli with a moderate level of complexity, while both low and high complexity are less appealing. This preference is believed to be rooted in a mechanism that drives organisms towards stimuli that are optimally useful for learning. In vocal learning species, such as birds, medium-complexity auditory signals could strike a balance between facilitating communication and optimizing learning. This same principle appears to apply to music, which is often transmitted through social learning and relies on repetitive patterns and variations. Research suggests that humans prefer music with a balance of predictability and novelty, avoiding both overly simple and overly complex patterns. However, it remains uncertain whether this preference in the acoustic domain is a recent cultural phenomenon, an adaptation specific to music, or a more general characteristic shared by vocal learners. Aims We aimed to determine whether the preference for intermediate levels of complexity in acoustic patterns is a uniquely human trait or if it’s shared with other species. To address this, we focused on a parrot species renowned for its vocal learning abilities and pattern recognition skills: The budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). Methods Both humans and budgerigars were presented with similar sets of pitch sequences in a three-option place preference paradigm, ensuring maximum comparability between the two species. In a given session, participants could choose between two of the three stimulus types: Random tones (tones arranged in a random order); Changing repeated patterns (sequences of different tone patterns, each repeated four times); Single regular patterns (the same pattern repeated indefinitely). The third place option was always silence, serving as a control condition. To minimize bias, all stimulus combinations were presented to each participant in a randomized order and were counterbalanced across physical positions. Results Our results demonstrate that budgerigars, like humans, exhibit a preference for intermediate stimulus complexity (changing repeated patterns), suggesting that this may be a fundamental trait shared across species. 39 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Conclusions The inverted-U-shaped preference for stimulus complexity might not stem from specific adaptations for music or its cultural transmission. Instead, it may be rooted in general auditory processing mechanisms shared by budgerigars and humans, potentially linked to vocal learning. However, further research on other vertebrates could reveal whether this phenomenon extends to acoustic patterns in non-vocal learners. Interestingly, research on other vertebrates has shown an inverted-U-shaped relationship in various non-auditory behavioral contexts, such as prey choice and playmate familiarity. Our findings further suggest that human aesthetic perception might be grounded in our fundamental vertebrate nature, opening up exciting avenues for future research beyond the auditory and musical domains. 40 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). Most people are not WEIRD. Nature, 466(7302), 29-29. Hosken, F. (2020). The subjective, human experience of groove: A phenomenological investigation. Psychology of Music, 48(2), 182-198. Hudson, S. S. (2022). Bang your head: Construing beat through familiar drum patterns in metal music. Music Theory Spectrum, 44(1), 121-140. Janata, P., Tomic, S. T., & Haberman, J. M. (2012). Sensorimotor coupling in music and the psychology of the groove. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 141(1), 54. Leman, M. (2010). An embodied approach to music semantics. Musicae Scientiae, 14(1), 43-67. Senn, O., Bechtold, T. A., Hoesl, F., & Kilchenmann, L. (2021). Taste and familiarity affect the experience of groove in popular music. Musicae Scientiae, 25(1), 45-66. Witek, M. A., Clarke, E. F., Wallentin, M., Kringelbach, M. L., & Vuust, P. (2014). Syncopation, body-movement and pleasure in groove music. PLOS ONE, 9(4), e94446. 47 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 How do the Psychological Benefits of Nostalgic Music Differ Across Age Groups, and What Makes it Particularly Effective in Enhancing Well-being? Tyler Davis, Sarah Sauve University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom Background Historically, linked to disease, nostalgia is now recognised as a selfrelevant social emotion (Sedikides et al., 2008). Research has shown that feeling nostalgic can mitigate existential anxiety through shared beliefs that imbue meaning in life and help regulate negative emotional states (Wildschut et al., 2006; Routledge et al., 2008 Sedikides et al., 2008). However, there are inconsistencies regarding whether age influences the potency of nostalgic experiences or whether nostalgia is experienced regardless of age (Turner, 2021; Routledge et al., 2008). Aims This study explored how personally significant nostalgic music affects psychological well-being across different age-groups. Individual relationships with nostalgia and baseline well-being were measured and compared to post-music mood. Methods A sample of 59 participants, divided into four age groups (18-25, 26-40, 41-59, and 60+) was recruited through snowball sampling and online advertisements. Reflexivity and diverse referral networks were employed to mitigate selfselection bias. Data was collected using a QuestionPro survey. Pre-task measures included the Southampton Nostalgia Scale (SNS; Routledge et al., 2008). Items 4-7 were adapted to measure participants’ relationship with music. Followed by the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Participants were then asked to listen to a personally significant nostalgic song and asked to rate the intensity of their nostalgic experience using two 5-point Likert style questions. As song selection was participant-led the musical components (e.g., pitch, tempo, melody) were not analysed, although the title, artist and genre of selected songs were collected. Post-task mood was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson et al., 1988), followed by a reflective writing task to capture psychological themes. Results The descriptive statistics showed that the sample collected had high trait nostalgia, low psychological distress, as well as high post-music nostalgia and positive mood following listening to nostalgic music. For hypotheses 1 and 2, a multiple linear regression was conducted with age group and well-being predicting postmusic nostalgia. For hypothesis 3, a multiple linear regression with an interaction between age group and baseline nostalgic predicting post-music nostalgia. It was 48 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 found that age group did not predict post-music nostalgia, however slightly higher levels of nostalgia were reported in the older age groups (41-59 and 60+). It was also found that lower well-being scores marginally predicted post-music nostalgia, though these findings were not statistically significant. Finally, it was found that trait nostalgia strongly predicted post-music nostalgia, but the analysis revealed that this was not predicted by age group. Conclusions These findings suggest that listening to personally significant nostalgic music can support emotional regulation and reduce anxiety regardless of age. Further exploration of music evoked nostalgia may hold therapeutic potential in settings such as music therapy or art therapy, or even as a daily well-being task. However, future research should collect larger more diverse samples and employ standardised post-music nostalgia measures. References Barrett, F. S., Grimm, K. J., Robins, R. W., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., & Janata, P. (2010). Music-evoked nostalgia: Affect, memory, and personality. Emotion, 10(3), 390-403. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019006 Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Psychology Foundation. Routledge, C., Arndt, J., Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2008). A blast from the past: The terror management function of nostalgia. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44(1), 132-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2006.11.001 Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Arndt, J., & Routledge, C. (2008). Nostalgia: Past, present, and future. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(5), 304-307. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00595.x Turner, J. R., & Stanley, J. T. (2021). Holding on to pieces of the past: Daily reports of nostalgia in a life-span sample. Emotion, 21(5), 951–961. https://doi.org/10.1 037/emo0000980 Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063-1070. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54 .6.1063 Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Arndt, J., & Routledge, C. (2006). Nostalgia: Content, triggers, functions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(5), 975-993. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.91.5.975 49 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 The Exploration of How a UBI Model Would Affect the Behaviours of EDM Artists and if a Credible Way Forward in the UK Rhun Gwilym University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom Background The nightlife scene is in decline. With more clubs closing each year and a predicted collapse of the scene by the end of 2029 in the UK (NTIA, 2023), this study proposes to look at the ways in which a UBI (Universal Basic Income) model could help EDM artists escape this predicted reality and how it could also change the way they behave in the production of their music building on past work, particularly work from the pandemic (Cannizzo, Strong and Whiting, 2024 & Madden, 2021). Specific models of UBI are explored and an intended sample of EDM artists will be gathered through an interview format. Additionally, some UBI or more accurately, Basic Income models exist already in one of which is Ireland, a current example that could be followed which is considered to be included in the interview questions (Johnston, 2022) and its viability (Reed, Johnson, Lansley, et al. 2023). All in all, this paper looks at the outcomes that can benefit the EDM artist through the use of UBI or conversely, hinder them as a potential way forward in this uncertain, ever-changing scene that they live in. Further research ideas are also contemplated. Aims The aims of this article is to: investigate the different experiences of musicians in Ireland who receive UBI and (EDM) artists in the UK who do not, explore how musicians in receipt of UBI in Ireland and (EDM) artists in the UK experience their creative output differently, examine and compare specific areas of difference in the creative life of musicians in receipt of UBI and those who are not in receipt, and compare the different experiences of musicians in Ireland post-Covid-19 pandemic with and without UBI. Methods Through Interviews with UBI artists from the Ireland UBI trial and artists (most likely EDM) from the UK in a semi-structured format. There will be a series of predetermined questions and done as a qualitative study. Main Contribution Through Interviews with UBI artists from the Ireland UBI trial and artists (most likely EDM) from the UK in a semi-structured format. There will be a series of predetermined questions and done as a qualitative study. Implications The expected results is to discover how (EDM) artists in the UK would think that given a model similar to the Ireland trial would benefit them greatly 50 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 in ways such as no creativity pressure, financial security, well-being and more of the like. References Cannizzo, Fabian, Catherine Strong, and Sam Whiting. ”Basic income for creative justice: Weathering inequity in the creative industries during COVID-19.” Journal of Sociology (2024) Madden, David. ”Covid Nights: Crisis, and Street-level Institutions in Montreal and Beyond.” Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture 13(1) (2021): 5468. Reed RH, Johnson MT, Lansley S, et al. ”Universal basic income is affordable and feasible: Evidence from UK economic microsimulation modelling.” Journal of Poverty and Social Justice 31(1) (2023): 146–162. Patel, Salil B., and Joel Kariel. ”Universal basic income and covid-19 pandemic.” BMJ 372 (2021). Johnston, H. (2022). Basic Income in Ireland: The Development of Two Pilots. European Journal of Social Security, 24(3), 243-256. https://doi.org/10.1177/1388 2627221109287 51 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Complex Terrain: What musicians go through when confronted with complex rhythms. Florian Hoesl HSLU - Musik, Luzern, Switzerland Background Research on defining, measuring and effects of rhythmic complexity on listeners has been done extensively in recent years, especially within the groove research community (for overviews: Etani et al. 2024, Senn 2023). However, there seems to be a gap when it comes to systematic investigations on musicians’ experiences when confronted with complex rhythms. With this small-scale autoethnographic pilot study I have taken my first steps to explore if such research gives valuable insights. Aims The goal was a systematic observation and description of my reactions (i.e. stress, imbalance, frustration, joy, etc.) that occur while practicing complex rhythms. Methods The autoethnographic approach met my personal interest as a musician (Poulos 2021) and the limited resources for this study. It ensured that practicing and data collection was executed thoroughly. The data was collected via journaling and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. I conducted thirteen practice sessions of approximately 60 minutes. The topic was a 3 beat drumset pattern within a 5 4 meter. I took handwritten notes on my observations on a protocol sheet during the sessions. Results I observed a large variety of reactions. Currently the preliminary categories are: Physical reactions (i.e. muscle tension), Emotions/moods (i.e. stress), Mental state (i.e. focus), Performance (i.e. inspiration). The most obvious observations were the number and variety of reactions and how rapidly they changed. In just a few moments they can shift from frustration to ecstasy or from tension to relaxation. A closer look revealed one interesting pattern. At times, I experienced states best described as “losing groundedness” and “orientation” combined with strong focus and quick mental exhaustion. This occurred especially when I changed exercises, and the challenge was increased. Interesting about these states is that they match some important theories on complexity and how it is processed. Pressing described complexity as the mental effort an organism must make to solve a problem (Pressing 1999). Another interesting theory from neuroscience that has been used to explain complexity in music is called predictive coding (Vuust et al. 2022, Senn 2023). Here an organism interacts with its environment by making predictions of incoming sensory stimuli. Complexity is the level of surprisal aroused 52 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 by prediction errors. Both theories might be useful to explain the states mentioned above. Furthermore, I observed how quickly reactions wore off and one exercise became “just a normal task” in my daily routine. Conclusions Despite the limitations (researcher bias, small number of sessions, only one drum pattern) I am confident that this direction of research on complexity is worth pursuing. Not only will it provide basic knowledge but understanding complexity on a scale of “feelings” might contribute to new approaches on problem solving. If investigated more extensively, including band work and interviews with fellow musicians, these findings may also add a complementary perspective on certain concepts for defining and measuring complexity like predictive coding or others. References Etani, T., Miura, A., Kawase, S., Fujii, S., Keller, P. E., Vuust, P., & Kudo, K. (2024). A review of psychological and neuroscientific research on musical groove. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 158, 105522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiore v.2023.105522 Poulos, C. N. (2021). Essentials of Autoethnography. American Psychological Association. Pressing, J. (1999). Cognitive complexity and the structure of musical patterns. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Cognitive-complexity-and-the-structure -of-musical-Pressing/8fcbf060908058873a91389f156891ad357aba91 Senn, O. (2023). A predictive coding approach to modelling the perceived complexity of popular music drum patterns. Heliyon, 9(4), e15199. https://doi.org/10.1 016/j.heliyon.2023.e15199 Vuust, P., Heggli, O. A., Friston, K. J., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2022). Music in the brain. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 23(5), 287–305. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583 -022-00578-5 53 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Key roles in opera production regarding achieving singers’ sung text intelligibility Veeda Kala, Marju Raju Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Tallinn, Estonia Background Even if the text is sung in a language the listener knows, it is difficult for them to understand the words sung in the traditional Western classical style in operas. Reasons given for this include very high notes (Sundberg, 2018). So far, the perspective of singers on achieving intelligibility has been collected in various contexts, such as in their biographies. Aims This study aimed to systematically collect information on aspects of intelligibility from the singers’ perspective, relating to the contributions of the various key roles in an opera performance. Methods This study involved interviewing 30 opera singers from Europe and North America in a semi-structured way. Eleven of the singers were interviewed in Estonian and the remaining 19 in English. As the issue affects all voice types, all opera singers who agreed to participate in the study were included. These singers included two basses, one bass-baritone, two baritones, seven tenors, one contratenor, six mezzo-sopranos and eleven sopranos. The interview did not include any direct questions about other people who influence singers’ ability to make text intelligible. Results Analysis of the interviews shows that a number of issues in opera production affect lyrical clarity, and that these issues do not depend solely on the singers. The interviewed singers shared their thoughts on various topics, including training, textual clarity, receiving feedback, and organisational aspects of the production. Conclusions The study shows that, to achieve intelligibility in opera, cooperation must be improved between singers, singing teachers, cultural organisers, stage directors, conductors and listeners. If possible, composers and librettists should also be involved. The results described in the poster also provide guidance on how to enhance cooperation. References Sundberg, J. (2018). Phonetics of Singing in Western Classical Style. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/978019938 4655.013.412 54 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Violently themed music and emotion regulation Fruzsina Mihok University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland Background Music is a widely used tool for emotion regulation with listeners selecting genres based on personal preferences and emotional needs. Factors such as age, gender, musical background, and specific musical characteristics such as tempo, instrumentation and rhythm influence how music impacts mood and emotions (Saarikallio, 2007; Cook et al., 2017). Genres often perceived as aggressive or extreme, such as heavy metal and drill, are frequently associated with violent themes due to their intense sonic qualities and explicit lyrics (Weinstein, 2009; Ilan, 2020). Despite these negative stereotypes, research shows that fans use these genres for mood regulation, emotional catharsis, improved mood, and identity formation (Hines & McFerran, 2014; Saarikallio, 2007; Sharman & Dingle, 2015). Research on aggressive music often focuses on the symbolism and violence depicted in lyrics and visuals. However, less attention is given to how fans interpret or relate to these themes. While heavy metal often incorporates visuals and lyrics about violence, vengeance, or anger, many subgenres also address societal injustices and mental well-being (Buts & Engels, 2010). Additionally, drill music, originating in Chicago, often reflects hyper-masculinity and violence while exploring systemic injustice and community struggles (Ilan, 2020; Farje, 2022). Though these genres are linked to violence and antisocial behavior, they help fans process complex emotions and offer a sense of community (Olsen et al., 2022; Thompson et al., 2019). Aim This study explores two questions: (1) How do fans of these genres use music for emotion regulation? (2) How do fans of violently-themed music relate to this categorization and the themes in heavy metal and drill? It examines how these often stigmatised genres contribute to emotional well-being and identity formation among listeners. It provides in-depth data on how fans perceive the violent themes associated with these genres and whether extreme music can be utilized for emotional regulation, challenging the negative stereotypes associated with it. Method This research was conducted through an online, anonymous, and voluntary survey focused on personal experiences and perspectives of heavy metal and drill fans. The data was collected through open-ended questions and focused on exploring narrative responses to uncover patterns related to emotion regulation using extreme music and fans’ perceptions of the violent themes found in the highlighted genres. 55 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Results Data gathered from 37 participants suggests that while fans are aware of these violent themes, they rarely pay attention or engage with these elements. According to their testimonies, fans resonate more with the emotionality of these genres, using the music for catharsis, ecstasy or to feel powerful. Conclusion Preliminary results suggest heavy metal and drill help fans process complex emotions and find comfort. Although previous research has focused on the symbolic and lyrical violence in these genres, by exploring the emotional and social functions of these styles, we can gain insight how listeners navigate difficult emotions and societal challenges. References Buts, J., & Engels, M. (2010). The Thematical and Stylistic Evolution of Heavy Metal Lyrics and Imagery. Cook, T., Roy, A. R. K., & Welker, K. M. (2017). Music as an emotion regulation strategy: An examination of genres of music and their roles in emotion regulation. Psychology of Music,47(1), 144–154. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356177346 27 Farje, A. (2022).The Silenced Sound of Drill. Green, D. (2018). Documenting Drill Music: Understanding Black Masculine Performances in Hip-Hop. Kuscholarworks.ku.edu. https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/ha ndle/1808/28068 Hines, M., & McFerran, K. S. (2014). Metal made me who I am: Seven adult men reflect on their engagement with metal music during adolescence. International Journal of Community Music,7(2), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1386/ijcm.7.2.205 _1 Ilan, J. (2020). Digital Street Culture Decoded: Why Criminalizing Drill Music Is Street Illiterate and Counterproductive. British Journal of Criminology,60(4). https: //doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azz086 McFerran, K. S. (2016). Contextualising the relationship between music, emotions and the well-being of young people: A critical interpretive synthesis. Musicae Scientiae,20(1), 103–121. https://doi.org/10.1177/1029864915626968 Olsen, K. N., Terry, J., & Thompson, W. F. (2022). Psychosocial risks and benefits of exposure to heavy metal music with aggressive themes: Current theory and evidence. Current Psychology,42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03108-9 Saarikallio, S. (2007). Music as mood regulation in adolescence. Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities,67. https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/13403 Sharman, L., & Dingle, G. A. (2015). Extreme Metal Music and Anger Processing. 56 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 3 Neural Mechanisms of Musical Timing, Rhythm, and Memory Chair: Laura Serra Marin Time: June 11th, 15:00 – 15:50 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/67394295763 63 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Exploring Time Perception in Music Listening: How Musical and Personal Factors Influence Duration and Speed of Time Passage Lígia Silva1,2, Michelle Phillips3, José Martins1,2 1University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal 2Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Coimbra, Portugal 3Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, United Kingdom Background Empirical evidence suggests that music influences our sense of time, involving three main factors: musical, listener-related and contextual (Phillips, 2022). However, understanding this influence is complicated by the variety of methodologies adopted across studies, such as tasks (music listening only vs background music), duration estimation methods (verbal estimates, reproduction of duration, comparison), musical stimuli durations (from seconds to 30 minutes) and musical complexity (from rhythmical sentences to sets of commercial music). Studies also differ in whether participants are informed that the experiment investigates time perception before starting it (prospective vs retrospective timing). Aims This project focused on the role of musical factors (tempo, rhythm, meter, tonality, timbre) on listeners’ subjective estimates of duration (how long the music lasted) and passage of time (PoT) (how fast did time pass while listening to it). Individual factors (age, gender, musical expertise) were also considered. To address the methodological diversity in existing literature, all experiments followed a standardized methodology, procedure and musical stimuli. Methods Five experiments were conducted online, each dedicated to one or two musical factors. In each experiment, only the targeted factor(s) were altered in the stimuli, while other musical elements remained constant. Stimuli consisted of 1938 second melodies (mostly single-lined), composed and recorded by musicians specifically for this project, and validated in a pre-test. For each stimulus, listeners estimated the perceived duration (using a Start/stop button to reproduce duration and then verbally, filling “__ minutes and ___ seconds”), and rated PoT and enjoyment using Likert scales. Musical expertise was assessed with the Gold-MSI. Post-hoc power analysis confirmed a minimum statistical power of 0.8 for all experiments (minimum N= 125), except for one retrospective experiment on tempo. All factors were investigated prospectively, with tempo and tonality also being studied retrospectively. Results Retrospective timing was only affected in PoT (not duration), with slower musical tempos leading to the perception of time passing slower. Prospective timing was influenced by all the factors studied. Faster tempos were associated with 64 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 longer duration estimates (Silva et al., 2024), while a faster accompaniment (more events, lower metrical level) led to shorter estimates compared to a slower accompaniment (less events, higher metrical level), contradicting existing evidence. Time was perceived as passing faster with a natural timbre (human voice), compared to an artificial timbre (synthesized voice). Tonality (tonal vs atonal) did not directly impact duration or PoT (Silva et al., 2024). Across all experiments, pleasant music was perceived as passing faster than unpleasant music. No effects were found for age. Higher musical training improved the accuracy of prospective duration reproductions. Sex impacted duration reproduction both prospectively and retrospectively, with males being more accurate than females. Conclusions Pitch-related parameters (tonality and timbre) seem to primarily affect PoT and enjoyment, while temporal parameters influence both perceived duration (tempo and meter) and PoT (tempo). Future research should explore the effects of different timbres on PoT, the role of meter perception and embodiment in duration estimation, the influence of tonality, timbre, and rhythm on retrospective timing, and sex differences in the perception of duration. References Phillips, M. (2022). Music Listening and the Perception of Time: The LEMI Model. In M. Phillips & M. Sergeant (Eds.), Music and Time (1st ed.). Boydell & Brewer. Silva, L. B., Phillips, M., & Martins, J. O. (2024). The influence of tonality, tempo, and musical sophistication on the listener’s time-duration estimates. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,77(9), 1846–1864. https://doi.org/10.1177/174702 18231203459 65 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Mind the Bar: Tracing the Role of Musical Structure in EEG activity and Memory Development Ana M. P. Aguiar1, Jason Taylor1, Michelle Phillips2, Luke Jones1 1The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom 2The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, United Kingdom Background Memory is a key mechanism in musical performance, with research into memory for music generally focusing on its auditory and motor aspects. However, semantic and visual aspects of musical memory are also crucial to consider. Research into memorization in the field of music psychology has suggested that musical structure and performance cues play an essential role in memory formation (Chaffin et al., 2010), aligning with event segmentation theory, which emphasizes the role of event boundaries in memory processes (Zacks, 2020). Despite overlapping insights, this connection between theories has been underexplored. One of the few studies that has investigated musical structure and memory formation in the context of music learning while using neuroimaging techniques has been Williamon & Egner (2004). They identified a unique event-related potential (ERP) component for structural bars (e.g., beginning of a phrase) compared to non-structural bars and not-learned bars, suggesting an effect of structural importance on musical memory. However, limitations such as unbalanced stimuli and small sample size warrant further investigation. Aims This study aims to replicate Williamon and Egner’s (2004) study with improvements in experimental design, in order to confirm its results. This will include adding a control condition (sightreading), balancing the stimuli presented (12 structural and non-structural bars instead of 8 structural and 24 non-structural) and increasing the sample size (from 6 to 30 participants). Methods A total of 30 participants will learn a piece of music for 2 weeks and then perform it alongside a sightreading piece, which they will have 2 minutes to look at beforehand. A visual recognition task will then be conducted while EEG data is collected. On each trial, the participant will be presented with a bar of music and asked to indicate whether they have learned that bar or not. If they identify the bar as being learned, they will be asked to say if it is from the 2-week piece or the sightreading piece. Preand post-experiment questionnaires will also be presented, focusing on their use of musical structure and performance cues in practice and performance, including asking participants to annotate copies of their musical scores. 66 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Expected Results We expect to observe a more negative ERP for structural bars compared with the other bars. This ERP component is expected to be more pronounced for the 2-week piece than for the sightreading piece, and no difference in ERP components is expected for the not-learned piece. Questionnaire responses are anticipated to report the use of musical structure and performance cues in practice and performance. Conclusions This research will confirm whether there is an observable ERP component related to structural bars, potentially providing evidence for a neuronal mechanism akin to event segmentation. Additionally, it will give initial evidence of the impact of learning (2 weeks, 5 minutes and no learning) on these musical structural neuronal mechanisms. This study will contribute to our understanding of the role of musical structure and performance cues in musical memory from the performer’s perspective and its neural underpinnings. References Chaffin, R., Lisboa, T., Logan, T., & Begosh, K. T. (2010). Preparing for memorized cello performance: The role of performance cues. Psychology of Music, 38(1), 3– 30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735608100377 Williamon, A., & Egner, T. (2004). Memory structures for encoding and retrieving a piece of music: An ERP investigation. Cognitive Brain Research, 22(1), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2004.05.012 Zacks, J. M. (2020). Event Perception and Memory. Annual Review of Psychology, 71(1), 165–191. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010419-051101 67 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Rhythm-based Temporal Expectations: Unique Contributions of Predictability and Periodicity Sandra Solli1, Anne Danielsen2, Sabine Leske2,3, Alejandro O. Blenkmann1, Keith Doelling4, Anne-Kristin Solbakk1,3,5, Tor Endestad1,3 1RITMO, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 2RITMO, Department of Musicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 3Department of Neuropsychology, Helgeland Hospital, Mosjøen, Norway 4Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France 5Department of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway Background Anticipating events and focusing attention accordingly are crucial for navigating our dynamic environment. Rhythmic patterns of sensory input offer valuable cues for temporal expectations and facilitate perceptual processing. Rhythm-based temporal expectations may rely on oscillatory entrainment, where neural activity and perceptual sensitivity synchronize with periodic stimuli. However, whether entrainment models can account for aperiodic predictable rhythms remains unclear. Aims Our study aimed to delineate the distinct roles of predictability and periodicity in rhythm-based expectations. Methods Participants performed a pitch-identification task preceded by periodic predictable, aperiodic predictable, or aperiodic unpredictable temporal sequences. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. By manipulating the temporal position of the target sound, we observed how auditory perceptual performance and event-related potentials (ERPs) were modulated by the target position’s relative phase relationship to the preceding sequences. Results Results revealed a significant performance advantage for predictable sequences, both periodic and aperiodic, compared with unpredictable ones. However, only the periodic sequence induced an entrained modulation pattern, with performance peaking in synchrony with the inherent sequence continuation. ERPs corroborated these findings. The target-evoked P3b, possibly a neural marker of attention allocation, mirrored the behavioral performance patterns. This supports our hypothesis that temporal attention guided by rhythm-based expectations modulates perceptual performance. Furthermore, the predictive sequences were associated with enhanced target-preceding negativity (akin to the contingent negative variation), indicating enhanced target preparation. The periodic-specific modulation likely reflects more precise temporal expectations, potentially involving neural 68 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 entrainment and/or more focused attention. Conclusions Our findings suggest that predictability and periodicity influence perception through distinct mechanisms. 69 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 4 Music Applications for Health and Stress Management Chair: Rory Kirk Time: June 12th, 10:40 – 11:30 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/68332075785 70 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 The Impact of Individual Factors and Preferences on Music for Sleep Silvia Genovese1, Jonathan Stumber2, Samuel Morgan2, Dirk Pflüger2, Emilia Gómez3,4, Kira Vibe Jespersen1 1Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark 2Institute for Parallel and Distributed Systems (IPVS), University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany 3Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Sevilla, Spain 4Music Technology Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain Background Sleep is essential for human health and wellbeing, yet one third of adults experience insomnia symptoms at least once in their lifetime1. Among different strategies that individuals use to aid sleep, music represents one of the most ancient ones, with lullabies sharing characteristics between cultures2. Today, music is easily accessible, and represents a widely used strategy to fall asleep3,4,5,6. Despite studies highlighting the broad variety of music for sleep7, there is still little insight on its specific features and on the characteristics of individuals who listen to music at bedtime. Similarly, little attention has been paid to the link between these two aspects. Our study builds on previous machine learning-based research on the characteristics of music for sleep7,8 and on the motivations that lead individuals to listen to music at bedtime4. Aims Our study aims to model the influence of individual factors and preferences on the choice of music for sleep. This can lead to the development of more effective personalised interventions. Methods This study was approved by Aarhus University’s Research Ethics Committee and the survey was launched in December 2023. The study consists of an online survey exploring demographics, music preferences and habits, motivations and psychological factors of adults listening to music at bedtime worldwide. We also asked our participants to provide examples of music they use to aid sleep. Our aim is to link individual factors to the characteristics of music used for sleep. To protect the privacy of our participants, we didn’t collect any identifying variables such as name, email address or phone number. This work uses state-of-the-art MIR techniques to characterise musical content, highlighting features such as rhythm, tonality, instrumentation, etc. The extracted MIR features are then combined with other survey data within ML-based analysis. More specifically, we calculate similarity measures between individuals both in a ‘musical features space’ (currently based on genre), and in an ‘individual factors space’ to test whether pairwise distances between individuals in the two spaces correlate. Moreover, on the musical features side, we are using dimensionality reduction techniques to identify the fea71 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 tures that are more important in music for sleep. We will also perform clustering on the musical features to identify distinct types of sleep music. Clustering was also applied on the individual factors based on the similarity metrics to characterise different types of individuals who use sleep music. The generalisability of these models will be tested by splitting the data between training and test sets. Expected Results We expect to understand how the different characteristics of individuals listening to music at bedtime could influence the choice of the music used. We also expect to find a large variability in the features of sleep music, depending on individual factors. Finally, we aim to create an annotated dataset of music for sleep, that will be made openly available, and that could be used for the development of personalised recommendations. Conclusions This study can give us insight into the link between individual characteristics and the choice of sleep music. This could ultimately lead to the creation of more personalised music-driven interventions for sleep disorders. References 1. Morin, C. M., & Jarrin, D. C. (2022). Epidemiology of Insomnia: Prevalence, Course, Risk Factors, and Public Health Burden. Sleep medicine clinics, 17(2), 173– 191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2022.03.003 2. Mehr, S. A., Singh, M., Knox, D., Ketter, D. M., Pickens-Jones, D., Atwood, S., Lucas, C., Jacoby, N., Egner, A. A., Hopkins, E. J., Howard, R. M., Hartshorne, J. K., Jennings, M. V., Simson, J., Bainbridge, C. M., Pinker, S., O’Donnell, T. J., Krasnow, M. M., & Glowacki, L. (2019). Universality and diversity in human song. Science (New York, N.Y.), 366(6468), eaax0868. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax0868 3. Morin, C. M., LeBlanc, M., Daley, M., Gregoire, J. P., & Mérette, C. (2006). Epidemiology of insomnia: prevalence, self-help treatments, consultations, and determinants of help-seeking behaviors. Sleep medicine, 7(2), 123–130. https://doi.or g/10.1016/j.sleep.2005.08.008 4. Trahan, T., Durrant, S. J., Müllensiefen, D., & Williamson, V. J. (2018). The music that helps people sleep and the reasons they believe it works: A mixed methods analysis of online survey reports. PLoS ONE, 13(11), e0206531. https://doi.org/10 .1371/journal.pone.0206531 5. Bjorvatn, B., Waage, S., & Saxvig, I. W. (2023). Do people use methods or tricks to fall asleep? A comparison between people with and without chronic insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research, 32(2), e13763. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13763 6. Buus, R. M., Genovese, S., & Jespersen, K. V. (2024, October 22). The Art of Sleep: Examining sleep strategies in the general population with a focus on the use of music for sleep. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/2rc4a 72 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 5 Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Music Cognition and Perception Chair: Persefoni Tzanaki Time: June 12th, 11:40 – 12:30 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/68332075785 79 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Favourite Tunes, Cultural Clues: Self-Construal and Musical Rewards Jonathan Tang University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom Background I define musical reward as the pleasurable experience associated with music and is understood as a hierarchical concept in which different subtypes are subsumed under a higher-level unitary form of reward (Dubé & Le Bel, 2003). Research has shown that multiple factors influence musical reward and its subtypes, such as personality, age, gender, musical expertise, and music-cognitive traits (Cardona et al., 2022; Gupta, 2018; Kreutz & Cui, 2022; Mas-Herrero et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2023). Although participants from different countries were recruited in these studies, it would be premature to conclude that determinants of musical reward are pancultural for two reasons. First, no cross-cultural comparisons were made, so there is no evidence for or against the theory that musical rewards differ according to cultural context. Second, culture goes beyond country and nation-state (Taras et al., 2016). Aims This study investigates the role of self-construal in musical reward across cultures. Markus and Kitayama (1991) proposed that national differences in collectivismindividualism give rise to interdependent -independent self-construals. In collectivistic cultures, individuals construe the self as interconnected with others, known as interdependent self-construal. In individualistic cultures, individuals construe the self as distinct from others, known as independent self-construal. Methods Four hundred and thirty-five respondents (mean age = 35.76 years; SD =12.63) participated in an online study. Using Hofstede et al.’s (2010) individualism index, participants were divided into two groups based on their nationality: collectivist (<50 on the index, n=73) and individualist (>50; n=361). Participants completed the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ; α= .86; Mas-Herrero et al., 2013) with respect to their favourite piece of music. They then completed the Self-Construal Scale (α= .84 for interdependent self-construal; α= .82 for independent self-construal; Singelis, 1994) and other demographic questions. Results The one-way ANOVA revealed no significant differences between collectivist and individualist cultures on total BMRQ nor its subtypes. Separate multiple regression analyses for the two groups showed that, for the collectivist group, interdependent self-construal predicted social reward while independent self-construal predicted musical-seeking. For the individualist group, both self-construals predicted social reward and sensory-motor, interdependent self-construal predicted 80 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 emotion evocation, and independent self-construal predicted musical seeking and mood regulation subtypes. Conclusion This study found that reward experiences with favourite music are comparable between collectivistic and individualistic cultures. However, the findings also suggest that using nationality as a proxy for collectivism-individualism may be insufficient for detecting cultural variations. Regression analyses further revealed similarities and differences between cultures. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of incorporating specific cultural factors in cross-cultural investigations of musical reward. In other words, our sense of self, whether construed as interdependent or independent, influences the types of reward experienced with favourite music. This research presents a novel approach to cross-cultural studies of affective experiences with music, paving the way for future research exploring the intricate interplay between culture, self-construal, and musical reward. Examining the self can be a step-change to advance theory and cross-cultural understanding of affective experiences within music psychology. References Cardona, G., Ferreri, L., Lorenzo-Seva, U., Russo, F. A., & Rodriguez-Fornells, A. (2022). The forgotten role of absorption in music reward. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1514(1), 142–154. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14790 Dubé, L., & Le Bel, J. (2003). The content and structure of laypeople’s concept of pleasure. Cognition and Emotion, 17(2), 263–295. https://doi.org/10.1080/0269 9930302295 Gupta, U. (2018). Personality, gender and motives for listening to music. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 13(2), 255–273. https://doi.org/10.32381/JPR.2018.13.0 2.1 Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (Revised and expanded 3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill. Kreutz, G., & Cui, A.-X. (2022). Music empathizing and music systemizing are associated with music listening reward. Music Perception, 40(1), 3–11. https: //doi.org/10.1525/mp.2022.40.1.3 Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253. Mas-Herrero, E., Marco-Pallares, J., Lorenzo-Seva, U., Zatorre, R. J., & RodriguezFornells, A. (2013). Individual differences in music reward experiences. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 31(2), 118–138. https://doi.org/10.1525/mp .2013.31.2.118 Singelis, T. M. (1994). The measurement of independent and interdependent self81 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 construals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20(5), 580–591. https: //doi.org/10.1177/0146167294205014 Taras, V., Steel, P., & Kirkman, B. L. (2016). Does country equate with culture? Beyond geography in the search for cultural boundaries. Management International Review, 56(4), 455–487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-016-0283-x Wang, J., Xu, M., Jin, Z., Xia, L., Lian, Q., Huyang, S., & Wu, D. (2023). The Chinese version of the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ): Associations with personality traits and gender. Musicae Scientiae, 27(1), 218–232. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/10298649211034547 82 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Effect of Length of the Rhythmic Cycle on its Perception and Learning. A Cross-cultural Exploration through North-Indian Rhythmic Patterns. Nashra Ahmad, Martin Clayton, Tuomas Eerola Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom Background The impact of length has been explored for musical tones and words, where participants fail to recognise longer tonal sequences, which may be recognised when played faster (Akiva-Kabiri et al., 2009). The current study extends this effect to the perception of rhythmic cycles using long cycles existing in North Indian Classical Music (NICM). Previous studies focusing on cross-cultural rhythm perception have included shorter cycled isochronous (with regular beats in a cycle) and non-isochronous (with unequal subdivisions of beats) rhythms. The existence of long rhythmic cycles in NICM, which can be both Isochronous (ISO) and NonIsochronous (NI), has been highlighted by recent studies (Clayton, 2020; Ahmad et al., 2024). Aims The study’s primary aim is to examine the effect of the length of the rhythmic cycle, learning and rehearsal among three participant groups varying in musicianship and cultural familiarity. The study will also highlight whether the length effect is as notable as the Isochronous and Non-Isochronous nature of the meters by utilising two ISO (beats: 8, 16) and two NI (beats: 7, 10) rhythmic cycles from NICM itself. Methods Stimuli includes four rhythmic cycles from NICM (original). ISO: Kehervatal (8 beats divided into 4+4) and Teental (16 beats divided into 4+4+4+4); and NI: Rupaktal (7 beats divided into 3+2+2) and Jhaptal (10 beats divided into 2+3+2+3). Test rhythmic patterns include an altered original pattern with an extra beat. Participants include 81-Culturally Familiar Non-Musicians (non-musicians from Indian Demography), 65-Culturally Unfamiliar Musicians (non-listeners of NICM and trained in Western music) and 61-Culturally Unfamiliar Non-Musicians (nonlisteners of NICM). The task consisted of three parts: 1. Baseline, followed by 2. Training/short-term explicit learning, and 3. Testing. Baseline and training involved participants rating each test rhythm compared to the original rhythm on a 7-point scale of Similarity, from ’Extremely Similar’ to ’Not at all Similar.’ Training included explicit instructional videos of the rhythmic pattern. Each participant performed the task for only one rhythmic cycle. Results The results highlight that cultural exposure and musical training (not in the culture) can separately affect one’s ability to learn and differentiate rhythmic 83 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 patterns. Shorter rhythmic cycles were learned and recalled by Culturally Familiar Non-Musicians and Culturally Unfamiliar Musicians, and longer rhythmic cycles posed challenges. Culturally Unfamiliar Non-musician participants showed no learning or recall for the four rhythmic cycles. Furthermore, the effects of length did not stand in isolation and were impacted by the NI nature of the rhythmic patterns. This was observed as Culturally Unfamiliar Musicians could differentiate the 10-beat NI-Jhaptal before the short-term explicit learning. The study considers the chunking process to be an important factor in perceiving these rhythmic cycles. Conclusions The study demonstrates that both cultural familiarity and musical training influence the perception and learning of rhythmic cycles, with shorter and isochronous cycles being easier to learn and recall. The chunking process and the non-isochronous nature of some cycles further modulate these effects. These findings contribute to our understanding of cross-cultural rhythm perception and the cognitive mechanisms underlying the learning of complex rhythmic structures. References Ahmad, N., Clayton, M., & Eerola, T. (2024, preprint). The Role of Cultural Familiarity, Musicianship and Explicit learning in the perception of Long Rhythmic Cycles. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ay3tk Akiva-Kabiri, L., Vecchi, T., Granot, R., Basso, D., & Schön, D. (2009). Memory for tonal pitches: A music-length effect hypothesis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169(1), 266-269. Clayton, M. (2020). Theory and practice of long-form non-isochronous meters: The case of the North Indian rūpak tāl. Music Theory Online, 26(1). 84 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Comparing Absolute Pitch Recognition Between Western and Carnatic Musicians Keerthana Vishwanath, Kelly Jakubowski, Martin Clayton Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom Background Absolute Pitch (AP), the ability to immediately recognize a pitch without the use of a reference/standard pitch (Deutsch, 2013), can be divided into two categories: Overt and Latent. Overt AP is the traditional form of the ability and those who possess it can provide a label using a note name (Ross et al., 2004). Latent AP is the ability to produce or identify the pitch level of melodies which are familiar without referring to specific labels (Bartlette, Henry, & Moore, 2014). While AP has been researched heavily in relation to Western Music (Levitin, 1994), some aspects, such as its testing, have not been fully researched within the context of other musical cultures. Aims The aim of the present study is to design an AP recognition test and compare test performance between musicians who have learned Western Classical and Carnatic (South Indian Classical Music) music as well as those who have learned both styles. Additionally, this study will test the musicians’ latent AP recognition. Methods The participant pool will consist of musicians who are trained in the Western and Carnatic music traditions, as well as a subset that have learned both. Participants will answer a background survey with a series of questions regarding musicianship and demographic information. Participants will be divided into three groups based on their selection of which music tradition(s) they learned. Those who select only “Western Classical Music” are given eight blocks of five pitches each and asked to recall and identify each pitch. Those who select only “Carnatic Music” are asked to identify which shruthi (key) they sing/play in and are given the same set of blocks (modified according to the chosen shruthi) and asked to recall and identify each pitch. Those who select “Both” are given both sets of the test. All participants will then be asked to complete a Latent AP task in which they are asked to sing or hum a few phrases of two self-selected songs and describe how well they felt they recalled the pitch. Additionally, participants who choose either “Carnatic Music” or “Both” are asked to sing or hum the shruthi (single pitch) they chose. Expected Results Data collection for this study is ongoing with expected analysis of results to be completed by July 7th. Participant responses will be analyzed to gain an understanding of the cultural differences in AP recognition and will look specifically at how participant performance compares across the two cultural groups in 85 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 both overt and latent AP tasks. The analysis of the results will also look to see if there is a correlation between performance in the two tasks and will extend to see how well those with exposure to music from both cultures perform on the test. Finally, participant responses will be analyzed to see how latent AP recognition varies between the cultures and to see if there is evidence that some Carnatic musicians have AP. Conclusions Through this study, I hope to gain an insight into how AP recognition varies between different cultures. The results will be used to further inform the creation of tests for AP in a cross-cultural context. References Bartlette, C., Henry, M. L., & Moore, J. (2014). Interaction of Relative Pitch Memory and Latent Absolute Pitch for Songs in an Ordered List. Psychomusicology,24(4), 279–290. Arts Premium Collection. Deutsch, D. (2013). 5—Absolute Pitch. In D. Deutsch (Ed.), The Psychology of Music (Third Edition) (Third Edition, pp. 141–182). Academic Press. https://doi.or g/10.1016/B978-0-12-381460-9.00005-5 Levitin, D. J. (1994). Absolute memory for musical pitch: Evidence from the production of learned melodies. Perception & Psychophysics,56(4), 414–423. https: //doi.org/10.3758/BF03206733 Ross, D., Olson, I., Marks, L., & Gore, J. (2004). A nonmusical paradigm for identifying absolute pitch possessors. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 116, 1793–1799. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1758973 86 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Poster Session 2 Time: June 11th, 13:30 – 14:50 UTC+2 Location: Online Presentation: https://sysmus25.virtualpostersession.org/ 87 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Chunking, Duration, and Cycle Length: Cognitive Factors Affecting Rhythmic Perception in North Indian Classical Music Nashra Ahmad, Martin Clayton, Tuomas Eerola Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom Background Recent research has highlighted the existence and perception of long rhythmic cycles existing in North Indian Classical Music (NICM), which are Isochronous (ISO, regular beats) and Non-isochronous (NI, irregular beats) (Ahmad et al., 2024). Unlike most studies on meter perception, which primarily focused on short aksaktype meters, NICM’s long rhythmic cycles present unique challenges to cognitive processing. Working memory and retention limit of approximately 2 seconds has been observed for speech (Baddeley,1975), tones (Fraisse, 1963) and music (London, 2012). However, even typical long rhythmic cycles from NICM far exceed these limits (Clayton, 2020). This suggests that these rhythmic cycles from NICM likely require participants to employ chunking strategies to facilitate their recognition. Furthermore, existing research (Ding et al., 2018) suggests that working memory may prioritise the number of elements in a sequence over its duration, raising questions about the interaction between cycle length (number of beats), cycle duration (slow-fast), and rhythmic structure (ISO vs. NI). This study will address these gaps by exploring how cycle length and duration variations affect rhythmic perception, focusing on whether chunking strategies differ between ISO and NI patterns. Aims The aims of this study were to: Investigate how cycle duration (shorter vs. longer) and number of beats (fewer vs. more) influence the perception of rhythmic patterns from NICM, explore whether chunking strategies affect recognising long rhythmic cycles, and examine whether the ISO-NI nature of rhythmic cycles influences perceptual processes. Methods The study will recruit Western musicians unfamiliar with NICM to ensure that cultural familiarity does not influence the results. Four rhythmic cycles from NICM will be used (coded Original or N): Isochronous (ISO): Kehervatal (8 beats, divided 4+4) and Teental (16 beats, divided 4+4+4+4); Non-isochronous (NI): Rupaktal (7 beats, divided 3+2+2) and Jhaptal (10 beats, divided 2+3+2+3). Each rhythmic cycle will be presented at four durations (3.5, 4, 5, and 8 seconds). Test variations will include cycles with an additional beat (N+1) and one less beat (N-1). The task includes: (a) Forward Discrimination Task: Participants will listen to pairs of rhythmic cycles and indicate whether the second pattern is the ‘same’ or ‘different’ from the first; (b) Chunking Task: Participants will choose one of five visual representations of the rhythmic pattern (based on Bamberger, 2013), each 88 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 3. Weinel J. Shamanic diffusions: a technoshamanic philosophy of electroacoustic music. Sonic Ideas/Ideas Sonicas. 2014;6(12). 4. Simão E, de Magalhães ST. Psychedelic trance and multimedia neo-rituals: The modern shamanic tools. Exploring Psychedelic Trance and Electronic Dance Music in Modern Culture. Hershey: IGI Global. 2015 Aug 4:87-108. 5. Panteli M, Rocha B, Bogaards N, Honingh A. A model for rhythm and timbre similarity in electronic dance music. Musicae Scientiae. 2017 Sep;21(3):338-61. 6. Caparrini A, Arroyo J, Pérez-Molina L, Sánchez-Hernández J. Automatic subgenre classification in an electronic dance music taxonomy. Journal of New Music Research. 2020 May 26;49(3):269-84. 95 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Music Performance Anxiety in Former Military Musicians Anastasiya Kryvanos1, Rosemarie Coetzer1, Lauren Stewart2, María Herrojo Ruiz1 1Goldsmiths, University of London, London, United Kingdom 2University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom Background Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a highly prevalent issue among musicians (Kenny, 2011; Nagel, 2010). Despite extensive research, military musicians remain an understudied group, although it has been often noted that worldwide military organisations are major employers of professional musicians (Elam et al., 2022). The current study focused on MPA in military musicians who previously served in the British Army, offering an original contribution to the literature. Aims The study aimed to access levels of MPA by measuring competitive state anxiety and examining relationships with age, gender and military experience. Additionally, the study explored the main triggers of MPA, management techniques and participants’ attitude towards MPA. Methods Mixed method design combined quantitative and qualitative approaches through an online survey (N=79), complemented by two semi-structured interviews. The survey included questions on various aspects related to MPA and Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2 (CSAI–2R; Cox et al., 2003), which measures self-confidence, somatic anxiety and cognitive anxiety. Results Participants displayed cognitive and somatic anxiety levels similar to or higher than those in other musicians, while self-confidence scores were generally higher (Yoshie et al., 2009; Miller & Chesky, 2004; Yao & Li, 2022). Women scored higher on both anxiety measures and lower on self-confidence than men, consistent with prior research (Ackermann et al., 2014). Military experience appeared to be less associated with state anxiety than age. Most participants rated MPA as moderately negative. Cognitive and somatic anxiety scores demonstrated an inverted U-shape relationship with attitude towards MPA, whilst self-confidence was unrelated, although lowest self-confidence was shown for least negative ratings of MPA. Most frequently used management strategies were breathing techniques, similar to other musicians (Kenny et al., 2014; Miller & Chesky, 2004), and alcohol. Solo performances and pressure from self were the most common causes of MPA, similar to previous findings. Qualitative interviews identified several key themes, including military-specific demands faced by the musicians, various ways of dealing with MPA and pressure from scrutiny, judgement from others, high expectations and fear of making mistakes. 96 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Conclusions Levels of somatic and cognitive anxiety in former military musicians weresimilar to or higher than those of civilian musicians, highlighting that MPA is an important issue to address in military contexts. The prominence of cognitive anxiety suggests a particular need for cognitive-based interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and mental skills training, which have shown to be effective in previous research (Kenny, 2011; Nagel, 2010). Since alcohol was commonly mentioned by the participants and it has been shown that alcohol consumption is higher in the armed forces than in the general population (Fear et al., 2007), it is crucial to offer alternative, healthier coping strategies. Additional triggers of MPA identified by the participants, such as bullying, criticism and uniformand weather-related pressure, propose future research directions. References Ackermann, B. J., Kenny, D. T., O’Brien, I., & Driscoll, T. R. (2014). Sound Practiceimproving occupational health and safety for professional orchestral musicians in Australia. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 973. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.009 73 Cox, R. H., Martens, M. P., & Russell, W. D. (2003). Measuring Anxiety in Athletics: The Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology,25(4), 519-533. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.25.4.519 Davison, D. (2022). Sources of occupational stress among the military musicians of the Royal Air Force. BMJ Mil Health, 168(3), 181–185. https://doi.org/10.1136/ bmjmilitary-2020-001432 Elam, T., Mowen, S., & Jonas, C. (2022). Occupational Injuries in Musicians: A Literature Review. Military Medicine, 187(5–6), e619–e623. https://doi.org/10.1093/ milmed/usab499 Fear, N.T., Iversen, A., Meltzer, H., Workman, L., Hull, L., Greenberg, N., Barker, C., Browne, T., Earnshaw, M., Horn, O., Jones, M., Murphy, D., Rona, R.J., Hotopf, M. and Wessely, S. (2007), Patterns of drinking in the UK Armed Forces. Addiction, 102, 1749-1759. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.01978.x Kenny, D. (2011). The psychology of music performance anxiety. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kenny, D., Driscoll, T., & Ackermann, B. (2014). Psychological well-being in professional orchestral musicians in Australia: A descriptive population study. Psychology of Music, 42(2), 210-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735612463950 Miller S. R., Chesky K. (2004). The multidimensional anxiety theory: An assessment of and relationships between intensity and direction of cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence over multiple performance requirements among col97 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 lege music majors. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 19(1), 12–20. https: //doi.org/10.21091/mppa.2004.1003 Nagel J. J. (2010). Treatment of music performance anxiety via psychological approaches: a review of selected CBT and psychodynamic literature. Medical problems of performing artists, 25(4), 141–148. Yao, Z., & Li, Y. (2022). Preliminary assessment of Individual Zone of Optimal Functioning model applied to music performance anxiety in college piano majors. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 764147. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.764147 Yoshie, M., Kudo, K., Murakoshi, T., & Ohtsuki, T. (2009). Music performance anxiety in skilled pianists: effects of social-evaluative performance situation on subjective, autonomic, and electromyographic reactions. Experimental brain research, 199(2), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-009-1979-y 98 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Polyrhythm Meets Virtual Reality: A Novel Framework for Cognitive and Neural Research Adam Lewartowski, Karolina Finc Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland Background Polyrhythms, characterized by the simultaneous execution of contrasting rhythmic patterns, are fundamental to many musical traditions, such as African drumming and Indian classical music (Arom, 1991; Clayton, 2000). They engage intricate sensory and motor synchronization processes, providing a rich framework for studying brain and body dynamics. However, the steep learning curve associated with mastering polyrhythms limits their accessibility for broader research and practical applications. Aims This project aims to develop a gamified virtual reality (VR) platform to facilitate the learning of polyrhythms. The research seeks to examine how the brain adapts to complex rhythmic structures and to explore the potential applications of polyrhythmic training in cognitive enhancement and sensorimotor integration. Methods The VR-based training system has been developed using Unreal Engine, integrating visual and auditory feedback mechanisms based on the approach of Kovacs et al. (2010), which demonstrated the effectiveness of visual feedback in rhythm learning. The system is designed to record neurophysiological data, including electroencephalography (EEG), to analyze neural adaptations during training. The first functional prototype has been completed, and a behavioral study is being prepared to evaluate the system’s usability and effectiveness in facilitating polyrhythmic learning. Expected Results Preliminary results from the behavioral study are expected to validate the platform’s ability to enhance the acquisition of polyrhythms. The study will also provide insights into the dynamics of brain activity during training, potentially revealing broader applications for cognitive rehabilitation and performance optimization. Conclusions This project integrates VR technology, cultural rhythm practices, and neuroscience to address challenges in polyrhythm learning. The innovative approach highlights the potential of rhythm-based training in cognitive and motor function enhancement. Feedback from this presentation will guide further development and refine the research framework. References 99 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Arom, S. (1991). African Polyphony and Polyrhythm: Musical Structure and Methodology. Cambridge University Press. Clayton, M. (2000). Time in Indian Music: Rhythm, Metre, and Form in North Indian Rag Performance. Oxford University Press. Kovacs, A. J., Han, C. E., & Shea, C. H. (2010). Visual feedback facilitates learning of bimanual 1:2 coordination. Journal of Motor Behavior, 42(3), 165–178. 100 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Improvisational Wisdom: Nurturing Human Flourishing Through Music-Making. Annalisa Mazzolari Independent Researcher, Milan, Italy Background My project aims to combine research in music cognition, phenomenology and ethics to advance a nuanced understanding of how music both shapes and reflects the human experience. Specifically, my goal is to explore new perspectives on musical improvisation and its potential role in education and human flourishing, through a project titled Improvisational Wisdom: Nurturing Human Flourishing Through Music-Making. Musical improvisation is the spontaneous creation of something musically new and valuable, crafted in the moment using the resources and ideas immediately at hand. Existing literature highlights how its practice involves the development of cognitive and interpersonal skills such as imagination, adaptability, strategic thinking and collaboration, enhancing cognitive flexibility and interpersonal connection (Torrance & Schumann, 2018). Moreover, extensive studies on music practices more generally suggest that learning to play an instrument fosters human flourishing, meant as the realisation of a person’s full potential, which involves living a meaningful, purposeful life in accordance with personal virtues (Silverman & Elliott, 2014). However, no research to date has explicitly examined how training in musical improvisation nurtures specific virtues. Aims The central aim of this project is to combine empirical and theoretical research to examine how musical improvisation not only cultivates essential cognitive capacities, but also fosters the development of skills that are closely aligned with Aristotelian ethical virtues; specifically, the ability to adapt and respond thoughtfully in improvisational contexts mirrors the virtue of phronesis or practical wisdom. Main Contribution The project is grounded in two foundational frameworks, that most effectively explain the connection between musical improvisation and virtues: (i) enactive music cognition and (ii) virtue ethics. The former is a recently developed approach which explores the musical mind as a mode of engagement with the environment (van der Schyff et al., 2022); the enactive perspective examines the dynamic interplay between the improvisers’ actions, the sonic feedback they receive and the emergent musical structures that arise, highlighting how the improvisers’ moment-to-moment interactions with their instrument and the unfolding soundscape drive their creative choices and shape the resulting musical expression, regardless of musical genre or field. The latter is an Aristotelian-derived philosophical approach that seeks to understand how a person’s motivations and emotions drive 101 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 the exercise of their own virtues, defining their character in relation to the environment in which they are situated and offering valuable insights for the development of pedagogical strategies aimed at fostering these virtues in educational settings (de Caro et al., 2018). Drawing on these two approaches, my research proposes that the connection between cognitive skills derived from improvising and virtue development could provide a framework for fostering creativity, critical thinking, and interpersonal engagement, ultimately contributing to both individual and collective flourishing. Empirically, my research makes use of a qualitative approach based on semi-structured and phenomenological interviews (Høffding & Kristian, 2015) to ground such conceptual insights into the lived experiences of music improvisers with different degrees of expertise (students, professors and professional performers). Through the interviews, Aristotelian virtues - such as courage, justice, prudence and, most importantly, practical wisdom (phronesis) - will be examined by exploring instances of musical risk-taking, descriptions of collaborative interactions, real-time decision-making, and accounts of how improvisers exercise sound judgment and navigate unforeseen musical situations as they unfold. Implications This research aims to propose an artistic-ethical framework for integrating improvisational activities into educational practices. By highlighting the connections between music-making, virtue development and human flourishing, the study offers innovative strategies for fostering creativity, critical thinking and interpersonal engagement in both musical and non-musical contexts. Ultimately, it seeks to demonstrate how musical improvisation can contribute to shaping individuals’ character, mindsets, and approaches to life. References De Caro, M., Macarthur, D., & Sandis, C. (2018). Virtue, Emotion, and Imagination. Oxford University Press. Høffding, S., & Kristian, M. (2015). Phenomenological Approaches to Music and the Arts. Routledge. Silverman, M., & Elliott, D. (2014). Music Matters: A Philosophy of Music Education. Oxford University Press. Torrance, E., & Schumann, L. (2018). Improvisation in Cognitive and Social Contexts. Cambridge University Press. Van der Schyff, D., Schiavio, A., Walton, A., Velardo, V., & Chemero, A. (2022). Musical Creativity and the Enactive Mind. Music Perception, 39(3), 213-226. 102 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Exploring Music Making in Everyday Lives througha Grounded Theory Study Nandhini Natarajan1, Friederike Koehler1, Joshua S. Bamford1,2, Suvi Saarikallio1 1University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland 2University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom Background Music exists in all known societies (Mehr et al., 2019) and the capacity to make music appears to be universal (Cross & Morley, 2010). It serves many functions—in society (e.g., social bonding and promoting prosocial behaviour (for review: Savage et al., 2021)) and for individuals (e.g., mood regulation and selfexpression (for review: Schäfer et al., 2013)). However, most studies examining the role of music in people’s lives focus on music listening, which is a relatively recent phenomenon when compared with music making. Further, the motivation to make music has mainly been explored in music education, which overlooks music making as a prominent leisure activity in adults’ everyday life. Aim Based on the lack of research on motivations on music making as a leisure time activity in everyday life, the main research question of the present study was: Why do people make music in their everyday lives? Methods An in-depth qualitative online survey asking participants open-ended questions about their motivations and functions of music making in their everyday lives was conducted. Participants were recruited through social media and mailing lists of amateur orchestras, choirs etc. A sample of 13 participants [Mean age = 56.23 (SD:12.25)] completed the study. Data analysis consisted of 3 stages of coding: initial coding (codes were inductively generated from the data); intermediate coding (codes were merged, simplified and grouped into categories), and advanced coding (using storyline technique and theoretical coding, the core category was conceptualized and its relation to the other categories was examined to develop the final theory). Results The grounded theory data analysis generated 13 categories which were grouped into 3 clusters of motivations: self oriented (joy, emotional fulfilment, coping, promoting health, self esteem), other-oriented (community, supporting others, validation) and results-oriented (progress and achievement, external structures, self-actualization, using and developing skills, music itself) with the category self actualization forming the centre of the grounded theory. The resulting theory proposes that people make music in their daily lives because it gives them an opportunity to interact with themselves, with others, and the outer world, and therefore to experience and express themselves. 103 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Conclusions This study provides valuable insights on why people make music in their everyday lives and has several implications, especially for social prescribing and the development of music-based interventions. However, the study is limited by its small and homogeneous sample and future studies should aim to address these limitations. In summary, music making is motivated by self, other and results oriented motivations to satisfy people’s basic psychological needs. It is an invaluable part of their everyday lives and facilitates their journey towards selfactualisation. References Cross, I., & Morley, I. (2010). The evolution of music: Theories, definitions and the nature of the evidence. In Communicative Musicality (pp. 61–82). Mehr, S. A., Singh, M., Knox, D., Ketter, D. M., Pickens-Jones, D., Atwood, S., Lucas, C., Jacoby, N., Egner, A. A., Hopkins, E. J., Howard, R. M., Hartshorne, J. K., Jennings, M. V., Simson, J., Bainbridge, C. M., Pinker, S., O’Donnell, T. J., Krasnow, M. M., & Glowacki, L. (2019). Universality and diversity in human song. Science, 366(6468), eaax0868. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax0868 Schäfer, T., Sedlmeier, P., Städtler, C., & Huron, D. (2013). The psychological functions of music listening. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 511. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fpsyg.2013.00511 Savage, P. E., Loui, P., Tarr, B., Schachner, A., Glowacki, L., Mithen, S., & Fitch, W. T. (2021). Music as a coevolved system for social bonding. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 44, e59. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X20000333 104 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 References Dias da Silva, M. R., Gonçalves, Ó. F., Branco, D., & Postma, M. (2022). Revisiting consciousness: Distinguishing between states of conscious focused attention and mind wandering with EEG. Consciousness and Cognition. Henao, D., Navarrete, M., Valderrama, M., & Le Van Quyen, M. (2020). Entrainment and synchronization of brain oscillations to auditory stimulations. Neuroscience Research, 156, 271–278. Hunt, T., Ericson, M., & Schooler, J. (2022). Where’s My Consciousness-Ometer? How to Test for the Presence and Complexity of Consciousness. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(4). Lakatos, P., Gross, J., & Thut, G. (2019). A New Unifying Account of the Roles of Neuronal Entrainment. Current Biology, 29(18), R890–R905. Lancioni, G. E., Singh, N. N., O’Reilly, M. F., Sigafoos, J., & Desideri, L. (2021). Music Stimulation for People with Disorders of Consciousness: A Scoping Review. Brain Sciences, 11(7), 858. Obleser, J., & Kayser, C. (2019). Neural Entrainment and Attentional Selection in the Listening Brain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(11), 913–926. 111 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 The Beat Goes On: Jazz, Dance and Community in the work of Wilfrid Mellers Michael Solomon Williams University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom Background As founding Professor of Music at the University of York in the 1960s, Wilfrid Mellers transformed higher music education in the UK. Among a range of innovations, he was the first to introduce jazz as an academic subject,1the first to hire an ethnomusicologist, and the first to establish a community music programme within a university. Themes of jazz, dance, and community recur throughout Mellers’ work as an educator, author, and composer. These are evident in his 1969 Proms commission Yeibichai, inspired by the dance traditions of the Navajo people, and in his writings such as Music and Society,2and Bach and the Dance of God,3where he argues that loss of communal dance traditions contributed to parallel declines in social cohesion. Though some in emerging fields such as popular musicology treated him as an outsider, Mellers’ innovations expanded the scope of accepted academic music study, and his work paved the way for a more integrated balance between practical and theoretical methods in music education. Aims This research aims to demonstrate how Mellers’ innovations anticipated key developments in music education, and how renewed attention to his work may help address current challenges facing the sector. In the UK, where music education has experienced a 34% drop in A-level music entrants (2014–2024) and the closure of university departments,4Mellers’ legacy raises pressing questions for educators and policymakers: How effective is our current approach to balancing theory and practice in music education? How global should our outlook be? To what extent do we recognise the role of community, in both the learning process and its outcomes? Main Contribution This study is the first to examine Mellers’ extensive archive at the Borthwick Institute, University of York, making an original contribution to music education research. Drawing on unpublished essays, course materials, press cuttings, correspondence, and audio recordings, the research uncovers Mellers’ pioneering approach to jazz, dance and the broadening of music education. Using content and thematic analysis, grounded theory, and biographical methods, the study includes key themes of jazz, dance, and community, and illuminates the rationale behind Mellers’ expansive and forward-thinking educational vision in the second half of the twentieth century. Implications This research offers valuable historical and theoretical context for music educators and policymakers. By demonstrating the long-term impact of Mellers’ 112 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 inclusive and integrative approach, it suggests new possibilities for curriculum development, particularly approaches which promote breadth and balance without sacrificing depth or rigour. As the archive reveals, Mellers’ philosophy, intentionally avoidant of prejudice and open to strikingly diverse musical forms and traditions, can serve as a foundation for curricula which incorporate rhythm, movement, and collaboration in meaningful and transformational ways. References 1. ‘York digs jazz - academically!’, Downbeat, date unknown, found in Mellers Collection, Uni. of York 2. Mellers, Wilfrid, Music and Society (London: Dennis Dobson, 1946) 3. Mellers, Wilfrid, Bach and the Dance of God (New York: Oxford University Press, 1981) 4. UK Music, ”UK Music Congratulates A-Level Music Students and Issues Call for More Music Teachers,” UK Music, 15 August 2024, https://www.ukmusic.org/news /uk-music-congratulates-a-level-music-students-and-issues-call-for-more-mus ic-teachers/ 113 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 MUSIFEAST-17: MUsic Stimuli for Imagination, Familiarity, Emotion, and Aesthetic STudies across 17 genres Hazel A. van der Walle1, Wei Wu1, Elizabeth H. Margulis2, Kelly Jakubowski1 1Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom 2Princeton University, Princeton, USA Background Musical stimuli are commonly used in psychological research for investigating a range of emotional, cognitive, and physiological processes. Despite this widespread use, many studies continue to rely on ad hoc music stimulus selection, compromising experimental control, reliability, and comparability of results across studies. Existing musical stimulus sets tend to be limited in variability in terms of style (e.g., comprising 1-3 genres) and familiarity (e.g., focusing on highly familiar or unfamiliar music) (Aljanaki et al., 2021; Belfi & Kacirek, 2021; Rainsford et al., 2018; Strauss et al., 2024) Aims In this paper, we introduce MUSIFEAST-17; a music stimulus set featuring 356 instrumental 30-second clips from commercially released music across 17 genres, aiming to contribute ecological validity to studies tailored for UK and US listeners. Designed to reflect the diversity of everyday Western musical experiences, MUSIFEAST-17 includes art music, popular music, and music composed for media. MUSIFEAST-17 includes normative data from UK and US participants, sampled evenly across adulthood (ages 18–75), on familiarity, enjoyment, emotional expression, perceived contrast, genre recognition, thought types, and contextual associations evoked by each excerpt. Methods A systematic approach was used to compile 356 instrumental music clips across 17 genres ––- Ambient, Classical, Country, Dance, Electronic, Film Music, Folk, Funk, Hip-hop, Jazz, Metal, Pop, R&B, Rock, Video Game Music, Sixties Pop, and Eighties Pop ––- selected based on 2024 UK and US listening statistics. Clips were 30-second instrumental sections from commercially released tracks containing no lyrics (allowing non-lexical vocables such as “oh” or “la”). Participants (N=701) were balanced across eight demographic groups partitioned by the two nationalities (UK/US) and four age groups (18-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-75). Each participant heard and rated 17 clips (one from each genre) on clip familiarity, style familiarity, contrast, enjoyment, valence, and arousal, including responses on perceived genre, perceived decade and location of creation, thought types (Jakubowski et al., 2024), and contextual associations evoked by the music. Results Analyses indicated that, while some responses vary by genre, nationality, and age group, MUSIFEAST-17 overall exhibits stylistic diversity, spans fa114 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 miliar to unfamiliar music, covers a broad emotional expression spectrum across valence and arousal, and is broadly perceived as Western music (originating from US/Canada/Europe). Common reported thought type occurrences included media memories, fictional imaginings, and autobiographical memories, with frequent contextual associations such as “movie”, “club”, and “concert”, reported across genres. Conclusions The MUSIFEAST-17 stimulus set, with included normative data, offers a valuable tool for systematic stimulus selection for diverse applications within psychology, such as emotion studies, aesthetic studies, and music-evoked imaginings. With availability through an online repository, MUSIFEAST-17 promotes Open Science practices, facilitates cross-study comparisons, collaboration, and interdisciplinary research endeavours. References Aljanaki, A., Kalonaris, S., Micchi, G., & Nichols, E. (2021). MCMA: A Symbolic Multitrack Contrapuntal Music Archive. Empirical Musicology Review, 16(1), 99–105. Belfi, A. M., & Kacirek, K. (2021). The famous melodies stimulus set. Behavior research methods, 53, 34-48. Jakubowski, K., Margulis, E. H., Taruffi, L. (2024). Music-Evoked Thoughts: Genre and Emotional Expression of Music Impact Concurrent Imaginings. Music Perception, 42(1), 3–18. Rainsford, M., Palmer, M.A., & Paine, G. (2018). The MUSOS (MUsic SOftware System) Toolkit: A computer-based, open source application for testing memory for melodies. Behavior Research Methods, 50, 684–702. Strauss, H., Vigl, J., Jacobsen, P. O., Bayer, M., Talamini, F., Vigl, W., Zangerle, E., & Zentner, M. (2024). The Emotion-to-Music Mapping Atlas (EMMA): A systematically organized online database of emotionally evocative music excerpts. Behavior Research Methods, 56, 3560–3577. 115 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 The Top-down Control of Entrained Delta Oscillations during Rhythmic Auditory Perception: The Effect of Target Onset Predictability Merel van Heeswijk1,2, Maja Foldal2,1 1Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 2RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Background Neural entrainment, the alignment of neural oscillations to rhythmic sensory input, has been observed for a variety of stimuli (Lakatos et al., 2008, 2019). Neural entrainment is an adaptive mechanism aiding auditory processing through the extraction of and subsequent alignment to pacing signals in auditory information (Henry & Obleser, 2012; Lakatos et al., 2019). Behaviourally, neural entrainment can be reflected in enhanced sensory perception performance at time points that can be predicted from rhythmic stimuli (i.e., musical beat). Aim The current study aims to examine if neural delta phase predicts detection of near-threshold sensory targets embedded in rhythmic stimuli. Since our understanding of top-down influences on neural entrainment remains incomplete (Lakatos et al., 2019), a second aim is to investigate potential top-down influences through manipulation of target predictability. Methods The current study adapts Cabral-Calderin and Henry’s (2022) research design, in which participants listen to a 2Hz-frequency-modulated sound and detect near-threshold targets (i.e., short gaps) by button press. Meanwhile, an electroencephalogram will be recorded to measure neural entrainment. Crucially, a block design has been implemented to manipulate target predictability in the rhythmic stimuli. This block implementation allows for comparison of predictably distributed targets, the optimal block, with randomly distributed targets, the control block. Expected Results It is hypothesised that the neural delta phase predicts target detection performance. More specifically, that the target detection rate will be higher for targets that coincide with a specific (optimal) neural delta phase compared to targets coinciding with the opposing phase (anti-phase). Furthermore, this effect may be more pronounced for the optimally predictable blocks, due to the potential top-down suppression of neural entrainment in the control block, as this condition puts higher demands on sustained monitoring (non-rhythmic) to optimize detection performance. 116 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Conclusion These results would contribute to previous research on the relationship between entrained delta phase and sensory perception performance. Additionally, these findings would offer novel insights on the influence of target predictability, providing a window into the top-down influences on neural entrainment. These findings will extend the research literature on neural entrainment which, in turn, hold implications for research areas concerning individual differences in rhythm, music, and speech processing. References Cabral-Calderin, Y., & Henry, M. J. (2022). Reliability of Neural Entrainment in the Human Auditory System. The Journal of Neuroscience, 42(5), 894–908. https: //doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0514-21.2021 Henry, M. J., & Obleser, J. (2012). Frequency modulation entrains slow neural oscillations and optimizes human listening behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(49), 20095–20100. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1 213390109 Lakatos, P., Gross, J., & Thut, G. (2019). A New Unifying Account of the Roles of Neuronal Entrainment. Current Biology, 29(18), R890–R905. https://doi.org/10.1 016/j.cub.2019.07.075 Lakatos, P., Karmos, G., Mehta, A. D., Ulbert, I., & Schroeder, C. E. (2008). Entrainment of Neuronal Oscillations as a Mechanism of Attentional Selection. Science, 320(5872), 110–113. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1154735 117 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Which role does harmonic clarity play in sound preference across species? Melina Witt, Oliver Tab Bellmann, Bernhard Wagner, Marisa Hoeschele Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria Background Music is a unique communication system rooted in human biology. Its evolution can be studied by comparing abilities that are shared between species and were possibly shaped by similar selective pressures. Human vocalizations and music feature clear harmonics (integer multiples of the sound’s fundamental frequency, unobscured by noise) that help voices merge while singing together, fostering adaptive social bonding and making clear harmonics attractive to humans. Following this reasoning, known as the vocal similarity hypothesis (e.g., Bowling, 2023; Bowling et al., 2018), we hypothesized that, conversely, species with noisy vocalizations would prefer noisy sounds. Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a parrot species, mainly produce noise-obscured harmonics but possess traits analogous to those important for music (e.g., vocal learning and vocal coordination). Aim and Methods To test the hypothesis that preference is based on attributes in a species’ own vocalizations, three experiments were conducted using a place preference paradigm (see Hoeschele & Bowling, 2016; Wagner et al., 2020), where the time spent with different sounds served as an indicator of preference. If an individual moved onto one of the three options in a place preference arena (Budgerigars: perches; Humans: mats), playback of noisy or clear sounds was triggered, while one option remained silent. Results Unexpectedly, budgerigars overall exhibited no preference for either clear or noisy sounds, while humans showed a preference for clear sounds. Discussion This indicates that sound preferences might be influenced by additional factors shared across species, such as arousal cues. This opens up the exciting possibility of examining how different species utilize the harmonic frequency spectrum, with consideration of traits like vocal learning and the aforementioned additional factors. This can enhance our understanding of the biological foundations of sound preferences and further clarify potential evolutionary functions of music. References Bowling, D. L. (2023). Vocal similarity theory and the biology of musical tonality. Physics of Life Reviews, 46, 46–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2023.05.006 Bowling, D. L., Purves, D., & Gill, K. Z. (2018). Vocal similarity predicts the relative 118 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 attraction of musical chords. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(1), 216–221. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713206115 Hoeschele, M., & Bowling, D. L. (2016). Sex Differences in Rhythmic Preferences in the Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus): A Comparative Study with Humans. Frontiers in Psychology, 07. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01543 Wagner, B., Bowling, D. L., & Hoeschele, M. (2020). Is consonance attractive to budgerigars? No evidence from a place preference study. Animal Cognition, 23(5), 973–987. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01404-0 119 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Accessible instrument performance for everyone: gesture controlled Guzheng, an example of traditional instrument innovation based on audio-visual interaction Lulin Yang University of Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France Background Traditional instruments use fingers or airflow created by mouth muscles to change the sound. The performance technique requires a long period of training, discouraging people with disabilities or people with no training from engaging with sound-making expression (1). Accordingly, some instruments that require high performance techniques are fading in musicians’ memory. Since 1960s, many musicians use effect pedals while aiming to create novel sounds with musical instruments and perform with no necessary conventional musical skills (2). However, effect pedal is a pre-set black box with limited effects, and does not allow full freedom of creativity. Also, the more effects there are on a pedal, the more expensive and more difficult to learn they are. This runs counter to the idea of making them less difficult to play, and also more interesting and appealing to more musicians. Aims With the development of interaction design, it is possible to innovate the sound of traditional musical instruments through technology, and use a more instinctual approach, the gestural control to creative performance (3), so that more people can rediscover the instrument and the joy of music. Using Jitter image functions and MSP sound functions, I tried to use non-contact gestures to shape the sound of Guzheng, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. Methods Guzheng is amplified by a microphone in the resonance case. The microphone is connected with computer through sound card or USB. Sounds from guzheng are treated inside MAX 8 (Cycling 74 version 8.5.6). A camera is capturing a live video feed of the musician and the instrument. The data is loaded by jit.grab function, and the min/mean/max value (3m values) of each plane is extracted by jit.3m function. I connect those values with pitch and overdrivẽ function in order to change the Guzheng sound. Finally, the influenced sound is projected into space via speaker(s). Results Musicians can use the Guzheng in order to create sounds both in conventional and innovative ways. When musician performs and moves naturally with the music, the 3m values vary synchronously. Pitch and overdrive change the Guzheng sound according to 3m values, resulting the music is affected by musician’s movement. The wider range the movement is, the greater change in music, making music 120 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Exploring the role of music in enhancing the well-being of Chinese international students in the UK. Lijun Zhang University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom Background International students face significant challenges abroad, including sociocultural issues like isolation and cultural adaptation, psychological struggles such as anxiety and homesickness, academic difficulties due to unfamiliar teaching styles, and economic pressures from high costs (Alharbi & Smith, 2018; Oduwaye et al., 2023). This is particularly relevant for Chinese international students, who represent 32% of non-EU international students in the UK, with a 50% enrollment increase over the past five years (HESA, 2023). While music is recognized for its therapeutic potential in supporting mental and physical health (Dingle et al., 2021), limited research explores its role in mitigating these challenges for international students. This study addresses this gap by examining how Chinese international students perceive and use music to navigate their well-being during their studies abroad. Aims This study aims to: explore the ways Chinese international students in the UK engage with music in daily life and investigate their subjective perceptions of music’s role in enhancing physical, emotional, social, and academic well-being. Methods Design: A qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to prioritize participants’ lived experiences. Participants: Fifteen Chinese international students (aged 20–28) enrolled at UK universities were recruited through university forums, WeChat groups, and snowball sampling. Data Collection: Semi-structured interviews (20–30 minutes) were conducted in Mandarin to ensure linguistic and cultural comfort. Questions focused on music habits, perceived benefits, and contextual challenges. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated into English for analysis. Analysis: Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase approach, including iterative coding, theme development, and reflexive journaling to minimize researcher bias. Results Five themes emerged from participants’ accounts: 1) Physical Well-being: Participants described using upbeat playlists (e.g., pop, electronic) to motivate exercise and instrumental music (e.g., classical, ambient) to improve sleep quality. 2) Social Connection: Shared musical activities—karaoke nights, collaborative playlists, and concert attendance—fostered peer bonding and reduced feelings of isolation. 3) Emotional Regulation: Nostalgic music (e.g., Mandarin ballads, folk songs) alleviated homesickness, while calming genres (e.g., lo-fi, nature sounds) helped man127 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 age academic stress. 4) Academic Focus: Background music (e.g., classical, instrumental, white noise) was reported to enhance concentration during study sessions, though preferences varied by task complexity. 5) Meaning of Life: Music created personal “zones” for relaxation and focus, while learning music boosted self-fulfillment and achievement. Conclusions Chinese international students perceive music as a versatile, culturally resonant tool for enhancing well-being. Their engagement with music reflects both universal therapeutic mechanisms (e.g., stress reduction) and culturally specific practices (e.g., nostalgic Mandarin lyrics). Universities could support students by creating music-friendly spaces, organizing culturally inclusive music events, and offering music therapy programs. Future research should explore cross-cultural differences in music engagement and longitudinal impacts of music-based interventions. References Alharbi, E. S., & Smith, A. P. (2018). Review of the Literature on Stress and Wellbeing of International Students in English-Speaking Countries. International Education Studies, 11(6), 22. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v11n6p22 Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp06 3oa Dingle, G. A., Sharman, L. S., & Bauer, Z. (2021). How do music activities affect health and well-being? A scoping review of studies examining psychosocial mechanisms. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713818 HESA. (2023). Higher education student statistics: UK, 2022/23. Retrieved from https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/19-01-2023/sb265-higher-education-student-sta tistics/numbers Oduwaye, O., Kiraz, A., & Sorakin, Y. (2023). A trend analysis of the challenges of international students over 21 years. SAGE Open, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/ 21582440231210387 128 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 6 Music Interventions for Aging and Neurological Conditions Chair: Oliver Tab Bellmann Time: June 12th, 15:00 – 15:50 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/68332075785 129 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Self-regulatory functions of musical imagery in Parkinson’s Marietta Ungerer1,2, Lucy Annett1, Caroline Whyatt1, Dawn Rose2 1University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom 2Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lucerne, Switzerland Background Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition that, due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain, results in both motor (e.g., tremor, freezing) and non-motor symptoms (e.g., anxiety, apathy). While traditional treatments (e.g., medication and physiotherapy) primarily improve motor rehabilitation (e.g., Goodwin et al., 2008), additional therapies have been developed to address mood and adherence to physical programs, such as music and dance therapies (e.g., Hackney & Earhart, 2010; Pantelyat et al., 2016). A relatively new trend in music-based Parkinson’s research is the use of musical imagery (e.g., Poliakoff et al., 2023), which is the mental representation of music without any acoustic stimulation (Jakubowski, 2020). While research has primarily focused on the potential of musical imagery for motor rehabilitation in Parkinson’s (e.g., Schaefer, 2023), Poliakoff et al. (2023) also report its emotional-motivational aspects among people with Parkinson’s (PwP), suggesting it could serve as a potential rehabilitation strategy. However, further research into the specific self-regulatory functions of musical imagery in PwP is needed to advance therapeutic approaches. Aims This exploratory study aimed to identify self-regulatory functions of musical imagery in PwP within an intervention-like setting. Additionally, it sought to create a catalogue of music that could serve as musical imagery for each function. Methods A qualitative design following the approach of a dairy study was chosen. Over a 24-week period (12 weeks per group), 26 PwP (16 female) participated in weekly phone interviews while taking part in a musicand movement-based group intervention that introduced and taught the concept of musical imagery. The interviews were designed to capture the occurrence of musical imagery, the music serving as such, reasons for the occurrences (voluntary or involuntary), and emotional states during the occurrences. The phone interviews, which lasted between six and 20 minutes, were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis (Kuckartz, 2019) was used to identify overarching themes and their interactions. Results Five overarching themes were identified: motivation, movement control, relaxation, reminiscence and positive mood regulation. Subthemes included pastime/background under motivation; personal relation, Parkinson’s relation, and familiarity under reminiscence; and walking, freezing, shaking, motor imagery, exercising, and voice exercise under movement control. For relaxation, subthemes 130 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 included pain reduction and distraction, while positive mood regulation also encompassed the feeling of company. Furthermore, a strong interaction between the themes were indicated by the repeated occurrence of the same musical images for different emotional-motivational functions. Conclusions This study represents an important step towards understanding the potential of musical imagery as a therapeutic approach for improving both motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s. Further steps include administering the Involuntary Musical Imagery Scale (Floridou et al., 2015) on a Parkinson’s cohort to validate the qualitative findings using a standardized questionnaire. Furthermore, a computational analysis of the music is planned to explore any overarching musical characteristics associated with each emotional-motivational function. References Floridou, G. A., Williamson, V. J., Stewart, L., & Müllensiefen, D. (2015). The Involuntary Musical Imagery Scale (IMIS). Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, 25(1), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.1037/pmu0000067 Goodwin, V. A., Richards, S. H., Taylor, R. S., Taylor, A. H., & Campbell, J. L. (2008). The effectiveness of exercise interventions for people with Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Movement Disorders, 23(5), 631-640. Hackney, M. E., & Earhart, G. M. (2010). Effects of dance on movement control in Parkinson’s disease: a comparison of Argentine tango and American ballroom. Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 42(10), 973-981. Jakubowski, K. (2020). Musical imagery. In The Cambridge handbook of the imagination (p. 187). Cambridge University Press. Kuckartz, U. (2019). Qualitative Text Analysis: A Systematic Approach. In G. Kaiser & N. Presmeg (Eds.), Compendium for Early Career Researchers in Mathematics Education (pp. 181–197). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15636-7 _8 Pantelyat, A., Syres, C., Reichwein, S., & Willis, A. (2016). DRUM–PD: The use of a drum circle to improve the symptoms and signs of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Movement disorders clinical practice, 3(3), 243-249. Poliakoff, E., Bek, J., Phillips, M., Young, W. R., & Rose, D. C. (2023). Vividness and Use of Imagery Related to Music and Movement in People with Parkinson’s: A Mixed-methods Survey Study. Music & Science, 6, 20592043231197919. https: //doi.org/10.1177/20592043231197919 Schaefer, R. S. (2023). Imagery and movement in music-based rehabilitation and music pedagogy. In M. B. Küssner, L. Taruffi & G. A. Floridou (Eds.), Music and mental imagery (p. 211–220). Routledge. 131 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Becoming me with music - a qualitative investigation of older adults’ autobiographical narratives on music, identity and wellbeing Heini Siltainsuu, Henna-Riikka Peltola, Suvi Saarikallio University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland Background Music has the ability to provide older adults with tools to understand and develop their identity, and therefore contribute to their wellbeing and positive ageing (Hays & Minichiello, 2005). It is recognized that music can be used as e.g. a technology of self (DeNora, 2000), and as a cultural immunogen (Ruud, 2013) throughout the lifespan, but there have been few studies to investigate the role that music has particularly in older adults’ lives and how their preferences might change over ageing (Greenberg & Rentfrow, 2017), or how receptive musical activities of non-musicians might shape one’s musical identity (Rickard & Chin, 2017). Also, so called healthy older adults are in minority regarding research on the connection of music and wellbeing (Siltainsuu & Peltola, 2024). Aim This study aims to explore how older individuals’ (mostly non-musicians in relatively good health) lifelong relationship with music has contributed to their identity formation and subjective wellbeing, according to their own experiences. We also aim at mapping the possible age-specific features of the musical identity of an older individual. Method An interpretive phenomenological analysis was conducted of written musical life narratives (n=18, western participants aged 61-91, 14 females) and semistructured interviews carried out with the the writers (n=14, aged 62-88). Participants were gathered in Finland through an open writing invitation with no further musical or health-related requirements. This sample of participants was not musically educated, a minority had played an instrument or sung in a choir. All of them had listened to music throughout their lifespan. Majority of the participants were so called healthy older adults, all of them lived in their own homes. Results Analysis of this data shows that music has contributed to these individuals’ identity and wellbeing through 1) offering dynamic anchors towards their musical affective self and into their own life narrative in the past, present and future, 2) adding positive ingredients into their personality and life as it is, and 3) contributing to their wellbeing and identity through music-related emotional work and growth resources, resulting in maintenance or reformation oriented musical identities in older age. 132 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Conclusion Lifelong engagement with music, also in its receptive ways, may have a significant contribution to individuals’ identity formation and wellbeing from childhood to older age through the themes of anchors, growth and resources, regardless of their musical backgrounds. These results will contribute to understanding the formation of life-long wellbeing benefits of music among ageing individuals in their everyday lives, and shed light to the age-specific features of the musical identity of older individuals. References DeNora T. Music as a technology of self. In: Music in Everyday Life. Cambridge University Press; 2000:46-74. Greenberg, D. M., and Rentfrow, P. J. ’The Social Psychological Underpinnings of Musical Identities: A Study on how Personality Stereotypes are formed from Musical Cues’, and Rickard, N., and Chin, T., ‘Defining the musical identity of “non-musicians”’ in Raymond MacDonald, David J. Hargreaves, and Dorothy Miell (eds), Handbook of Musical Identities (Oxford, 2017; online edn, Oxford Academic, 20 Apr. 2017). Ruud E. 2013. Can music serve as a ”cultural immunogen”? An explorative study. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2013 Aug 7;8:20597. doi: 10.3402/qhw.v8i0.2 0597. PMID: 23930988; PMCID: PMC3740498. Hays, T., & Minichiello, V. (2005). The meaning of music in the lives of older people: A qualitative study. Psychology of Music,33(4), 437–451. Siltainsuu, H., & Peltola, H.-R. (2024). Music as Support for Older Adults’ Wellbeing: A Scoping Review. Music & Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.1177/205920432412 68721 133 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Understanding Neurological Music Therapy, an intervention for Parkinson’s through diffusion tensor imaging Poulami Kar Centre of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (CBCS), University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India Background Parkinson’s Disease, one of the most commonly known movement disorders, does not have a clinical cure. However, beat-based and rhythmic music stimulation (Cochen De Cock et al., 2021) have significant effect on developing neuroplasticity in the cerebellar-thalamocortical network (Law & Zentner, 2012) of these patients, which not only helps them in managing, planning, and sequencing their movement better but also in slowing down the overall cognitive decline that comes at a later stage of the disease. However, the cognitive construction of music perception through different auditory features and their shared neurological resources with movement that help Parkinson’s patients develop neuroplasticity in response to music therapy is not scientifically well understood. Aims We want to investigate the neural correlates that are shared between processing certain auditory features and governing movements, which helps Parkinson’s patients to develop compensatory neuroplasticity. We want to use this information to provide patients with neuroinformed and targeted music therapy. Methods We used both cognitive and neurological components with PROMS (Profile for Music Perception Skills) (Lesiuk, Bugos & Murakami, 2018) and DTI (diffusion tensor imaging in functional MRI) to investigate these questions. Using PROMS-S, we collected data from 80 participants, of whom 36 were musicians and 44 were non-musicians, based on their objective performance scores in comparing a reference and a target stimulus for various acoustic features. DTI helped understand the integrity of the different white matter tracts associated with processing these acoustic features. We aim to identify training-independent auditory features and their corresponding neural correlates to design targeted and evidence-based Neurologic Music Therapy. Results The behavioral findings from PROMS-S suggested that for all auditory features, a training effect was observed. Principal Component Analysis revealed the cognitive construction of music perception through auditory features, where non-musicians had the highest loading for tempo, making it a clinically relevant feature for targeted auditory intervention. Melody and rhythm turned out to be unique features for musicians through factor analysis, while tempo and rhythm were unique for non-musicians, making these two features independent of spe134 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 cific training and explaining the relevance of beat-based and rhythmic intervention, playing a significant role in defining plasticity in literature. Findings from diffusion tensor imaging suggest that musicians have higher white matter integrity in the internal capsule, which plays an important role in movements. This is a clear neurological indication of music therapy being a good tool for movement management in Parkinson’s patients. We see higher white matter integrity in the genu of the corpus callosum (Rajan et al., 2021) for musicians for auditory features like rhythm, while non-musicians show higher white matter integrity for temporal and rhythmic features in the splenium, thereby suggesting a double dissociation in beat perception between genu and splenium among musicians and non-musicians. Conclusions These behavioral and neurological findings help understand the cognitive construction of music perception and the neurological mechanisms of processing these features, which help in movement coordination. It also provides insight regarding how beat-based music therapy can significantly contribute to better management of movements and delay the overall cognitive decline that comes at a later stage of the disease. References Cochen De Cock, V., Dotov, D., Damm, L., Lacombe, S., Ihalainen, P., Picot, M. C., Galtier, F., Lebrun, C., Giordano, A., Driss, V., Geny, C., Garzo, A., Hernandez, E., Van Dyck, E., Leman, M., Villing, R., Bardy, B. G., & Dalla Bella, S. (2021). BeatWalk: Personalized Music-Based Gait Rehabilitation in Parkinson’s Disease. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 655121. Law, L. N., & Zentner, M. (2012). Assessing musical abilities objectively: construction and validation of the profile of music perception skills. PloS one, 7(12), e52508. Lesiuk, T., Bugos, J. A., & Murakami, B. (2018). A Rationale for Music Training to Enhance Executive Functions in Parkinson’s Disease: An Overview of the Problem. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 6(2), 35. Rajan, A., Shah, A., Ingalhalikar, M., & Singh, N. C. (2021). Structural connectivity predicts sequential processing differences in music perception ability. The European journal of neuroscience, 54(6), 6093–6103. 135 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 7 Children and Adolescent Musical Experiences Chair: Chiara Apa Time: June 13th, 10:40 – 11:30 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/67606774782 136 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 8 Music's Influence on Cognitive and Emotional Processing Chair: Sandra Solli Time: June 13th, 11:40 – 12:30 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/67606774782 143 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Thoughtscapes in music: An examination of thought types occurring during music listening across 17 genres Hazel A. van der Walle1, Wei Wu1, Elizabeth H. Margulis2, Kelly Jakubowski1 1Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom 2Princeton University, Princeton, USA Background Music listeners often experience a variety of extramusical thoughts. Some may be evoked directly by the music, such as autobiographical memories, fictional stories or scenes, visual imagery, or observations about features of the music itself (Dahl et al., 2023; Jakubowski et al., 2024). In other cases, listeners may move into a state of mind-wandering, thinking about everyday matters or future plans (Taruffi et al., 2017). Previous studies have typically examined these thought types in isolation, such as just autobiographical memories or fictional stories (Jakubowski & Ghosh, 2021; Margulis, 2017), precluding investigation of why certain music evokes certain thought types over others. Aims This study investigates how musical genre, familiarity, enjoyment, contrast, and emotional expression (valence and arousal) of music influence the type and frequency of thoughts occurring during music listening across 17 genres. The stimuli represent the array of styles UK and US listeners typically encounter, from art and popular music to media-accompanying music, spanning familiar to unfamiliar music. We aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how musicand listener-specific variables affect thought types during music listening. Methods We systematically curated a stimulus set of 357 music clips spanning 17 frequently listened-to Western music genres: Ambient, Classical, Country, Dance, Electronic, Film music, Folk, Funk, Hip-hop, Jazz, Metal, Pop, Rhythm & Blues (R&B), Rock, Video game, Sixties pop, and Eighties pop music. We collected 30-second sections of commercially released tracks containing no lyrics (allowing non-lexical vocables, such as “oh”, “la”), with each genre containing clips expected to range from high to low familiarity. Participants (N=701) from the UK and US, sampled equally across adulthood (ages 18-75), each listened to and rated 17 excerpts (one from each genre). We analysed the frequency of thoughts occurring during these excerpts, and how these varied in relation to ratings of familiarity, contrast, enjoyment, valence, and arousal of the music. The thought types we analysed, informed by Jakubowski et al., (2024), were: music-related thoughts, autobiographical memories, media memories, fictional imaginings, abstract imaginings, thoughts about “everyday stuff”, and no thoughts. 144 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Results All our predictors showed some significant effects on thought types. Genre impacted all thought types; for example, Film music evoked more media memories and fictional imaginings than most other genres. More familiar and more enjoyed music evoked more autobiographical memories, and more positively valenced and more enjoyed music evoked more fictional imaginings. Music perceived as lower in contrast evoked more thoughts about everyday stuff. Conclusions Our findings elucidate how compositional and contextual elements and listener engagement may shape thoughts occurring during music listening. The emergence of genre as a key influencer emphasises the importance of incorporating wider ranges of music styles in future research to better capture the diversity of thoughts during music listening. This study extends previous research by exploring a broader range of genres and musical features, offering insights into the mental landscape of thoughts arising, factors that modulate these experiences, informing research and practical applications in areas such as music medicine, marketing, creativity, and aesthetics. References Dahl, S., Stella, A., & Bjørner, T. (2023). Tell me what you see: An exploratory investigation of visual mental imagery evoked by music. Musicae Scientiae, 27(3), 717740. Jakubowski, K., Ghosh, A. (2021). Music-evoked autobiographical memories in everyday life. Psychology of Music, 49(3), 649-666. Jakubowski, K., Margulis, E. H., Taruffi, L. (2024). Music-Evoked Thoughts: Genre and Emotional Expression of Music Impact Concurrent Imaginings. Music Perception, 42(1), 3–18. Margulis, E. H. (2017). An exploratory study of narrative experiences of music. Music Perception, 35(2), 235-248. Taruffi, L., Pehrs, C., Skouras, S., & Koelsch, S. (2017). Effects of sad and happy music on mind-wandering and the default mode network. Scientific reports, 7(1), 14396. 145 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Kinetic affect and the construction of musical emotions. Mítia Ganade D’Acol Indiana University, Bloomington, USA Background Research in musical emotions has long sought to describe the mechanisms by which musical parameters induce emotion in humans. Many theories of emotional contagion, such as basic emotions (Juslin, 2013a, 2013b, 2019), appraisal theory (Scherer, 2004; Sherer and Coutinho, 2013; Spitzer, 2020), social and psychological construction theories (Warrenburg, 2020; Cespedes-Guevara & Eerola, 2018; Céspedes-Guevara, 2023) rely on quantitative cues such as skin conductivity, physiological changes in the body’s internal milieu, muscular tension, and nervous system activity to describe emotional experience. Yet these measurements often fail to fully account for ways in which musical elements and performance idiosyncrasies lead to experiences of musical emotion, such as in the case of exploring embodied nonverbal communication activities like dance. The theory of kinetic affect addresses this issue by centering on dancers’ bodies as they communicate embodied emotions, while still engaging with questions that drive musical emotion research such as (1) where and when the emotional cues occur (prev. post-conscious, predictive v. stimulus-response models), and (2) enculturation of emotional expression and experience (innate v. culturally learned). Aims I aim to address a gap in the musical emotion literature, which does not wholly account for the unique ways in which ballet and other dance music genres construct and communicate embodied emotion, since studies have been more focused on exploring dance, movement, and music parameters separately. First, I propose a theory of kinetic affect, listing possible parameters with which dancers and audiences engage when experiencing dance spectacles (posture, energy, speed, movement type). Second, I argue how kinetic affect pairs better with embodied and constructive paradigms in emotion theory, reflecting on the efficiency of predictive theories of emotion in music (Meyer, 1956; Huron, 2006). I argue against the inherent fixity of basic emotion and appraisal theories in both music theory and dance studies (Batiste, 2014; Raposo et. al., 2019; Warrenburg et. al., 2020; CespedesGuevara & Dibben, 2022). Finally, I demonstrate how kinetic affect can efficiently describe emotions in three stylistic diverse choreographies created for distinct audiences, respectively: Pecour’s setting for the fifth-act passacaglia in Lully’s Persée, Francine Lancelot and Béatrice Massin’s setting for the first-act divertissement in Lully’s Atys, and Bintou Dembélé’s setting for Danse du Grand Calumet de la Paix in Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes. 146 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Main Contribution By interweaving music and dance analyses, I suggest novel paths to understanding how kinetic affect supports musical emotion expression and experience dancers’ expressive gestures, paired with music’s power for sparking predictive engagement in audiences, provide fertile ground for discussions of how instances of emotion are constructed, expressed, and experienced in context. My analyses demonstrate how kinetic affect efficiently describes affective expression in communities where extremely controlled bodies steer how emotions are felt and experienced, such as in the court of Louis XIV, by analyzing how the slight changes in parameters create strong affective experiences. It also describes how modern stagings can either emulate this type of emotionally controlled experience, such as in Lancelot and Massin’s choreography, or obliterate tradition by choosing an emotionally charged dance style such as Krump—which many times explores the limits of the parameters in kinetic affect—to depict the salvages in Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes. Implications This paper argues that bodies not only feel but, perhaps more importantly, construct and express emotions in socially experienced events. I also support the idea that bodies are in the center of a body-brain-culture construct that is constantly remembering, perceiving, and predicting events that evoke instances of emotion. The argument I provide here primes exploration of how musical and, ultimately, human emotions are constructed and experienced within the context of the community. Future work could adapt kinetic affect as a tool for exploring how we perceive and communicate emotions—providing parameters to be explored in psychological studies, a toolset for musicological investigations of historic emotions, or collaborating to current discussions of aesthetic movement and affect in performance studies. References Batiste, Stephanie L. 2014. “Affect-Ive Moves: Space, Violence, and the Body in Rize’s Krump Dancing.” In The Oxford Handbook of Dance and the Popular Screen, edited by Melissa Blanco Borelli, 199–224. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Céspedes-Guevara, Julian. 2023. “A Constructionist Approach to Emotional Experiences with Music.” Advances in Cognitive Psychology 19 (4): 46–62. https: //doi.org/10.5709/acp-0402-4. Cespedes-Guevara, Julian, and Tuomas Eerola. 2018. “Music Communicates Affects, Not Basic Emotions – A Constructionist Account of Attribution of Emotional Meanings to Music.” Frontiers in Psychology 9 (February):215. https://doi.org/10.3 389/fpsyg.2018.00215. Cespedes-Guevara, Julian, and Nicola Dibben. 2022. “The Role of Embodied Simulation and Visual Imagery in Emotional Contagion with Music.” Music & Science 5 147 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 (January):20592043221093836. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043221093836. Huron, David Brian. 2006. Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. Juslin, Patrik N. 2013a. “From Everyday Emotions to Aesthetic Emotions: Towards a Unified Theory of Musical Emotions.” Physics of Life Reviews 10 (3): 235–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2013.05.008. ———. 2013b. “What Does Music Express? Basic Emotions and Beyond.” Frontiers in Psychology 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00596. ———. 2019. Musical Emotions Explained: Unlocking the Secrets of Musical Affect. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Meyer, Leonard B. 1956. Emotion and Meaning in Music. Paperback ed. Chicago. Ill.: Univ. of Chicago Press. Raposo, Francisco Afonso, David Martins de Matos, and Ricardo Ribeiro. 2019. “Learning Embodied Semantics via Music and Dance Semiotic Correlations.” arXiv:1903.10534 [Cs, Eess], March. http://arxiv.org/abs/1903.10534. Scherer, Klaus R. 2004. “Which Emotions Can Be Induced by Music? What Are the Underlying Mechanisms? And How Can We Measure Them?” Journal of New Music Research 33 (3): 239–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/0929821042000317822. Scherer, Klaus R, and Eduardo Coutinho. 2013. “How Music Creates Emotion.” In The Emotional Power of Music: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Musical Expression, Arousal and Scoial Control, edited by Tom Cochrane, Bernardino Fantini, and Klaus R Scherer, 121–46. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. Spitzer, Michael. 2020. A History of Emotion in Western Music: A Thousand Years from Chant to Pop. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Warrenburg, Lindsay A. 2020. “People Experience Different Emotions from Melancholic and Grieving Music.” Music & Science 3 (January):205920432097738. https: //doi.org/10.1177/2059204320977384. Warrenburg, Lindsay A., Lindsey Reymore, and Daniel Shanahan. 2020. “The Communication of Melancholy, Grief, and Fear in Dance with and without Music.” Human Technology 16 (3): 283–309. https://doi.org/10.17011/ht/urn.20201125 6766. 148 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Talk Session 9 Methodological Approaches and Theoretical Frameworks in Music Psychology Chair: Cesc Bayle Time: June 13th, 13:30 – 14:20 UTC+2 Location: Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups Hus Zoom: https://uio.zoom.us/s/67606774782 149 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 Embodiment Indicators in Music Skill Acquisition: A Systematic Review of Psychophysiological and Biomechanical Studies Laura Serra Marin, Luc Nijs University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg Background Music performance has been described as an embodied process (Reybrouck et al., 2024). It is a complex sensorimotor activity that involves acquiring cognitive, motor, and affective skills, which enable performers to coordinate and execute fast, precise movements with expressivity, flexibility, and fluidity (Zatorre et al., 2007). Previous theoretical work argues that this acquisition process is a gradual process of embodiment, during which the instrument becomes integrated into the musician’s body and becomes experienced as a natural extension of the self (Nijs et al., 2017). From this perspective, learning to play an instrument impacts the body at three levels: the morphological, functional, and phenomenological level (Nijs et al., 2017; Metzinger, 2024). Building on this framework, we argue that the embodiment process becomes observable in a set of what we call embodiment indicators. These are biomechanical and psychophysiological patterns that reflect how the instrument impacts the body through the learning process. Although not explicity termed as embodiment indicators, these have been studied using psychophysiological and biomechanical methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG), and motion capture (MoCap). Such studies provide insight into the effects of music training on brain plasticity (Altenmüller et al., 2019) and on non-musical perceptual, cognitive, and motor functions (Herholz et al., 2009). They have also been used to investigate psychophysiological activity while performing, giving insight into the neural correlates of actual and imagined music performance, improvisation, sight-reading, and error-processing processes (Altenmüller et al., 2006). Furthermore, these methods have been used to quantify the physical demands of music performance, to help prevent fatigue-related injuries and playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (Schemmann et al., 2021). Additionally, biomechanical methods have been employed to describe and characterize skilled movements (Dalmazzo et al., 2021). Aims Despite extensive research on the neural and physiological basis of music performance, little attention has been given to how psychophysiological and biomechanical indicators evolve with skill acquisition. To our knowledge, no studies have focused in identifying such indicators across the three levels. To begin addressing this gap, the present review examines studies that use psychophysiological and biomechanical methods to investigate music skill acquisition, with the aim of iden150 Proceedings of the 18th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus25), University of Oslo, Norway, June 11-13, 2025. Hugh Alexander von Arnim, Abbigail Fleckenstein, & Anna-Maria Christodoulou (Eds.) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17632991 tifying embodiment markers that manifest at different levels of expertise. Specifically, we focus on firstand second-order embodiment, referring to morphological and functional changes in the body that occur through learning. By focusing on measurable indicators, this review aims to identify concrete markers that capture the development of embodied expertise in music skill acquisition and performance. Methods The systematic review was conducted in November 2024, following the PRISMA guidelines (Page et al., 2021). The inclusion and exclusion criteria were established based on the PICOS framework (Amir-Behghadami et al., 2020). The literature was searched on three databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, using relevant search terms. The search strategy was limited by article type, as only peer-reviewed publications were considered. Gray literature was not considered, and we also excluded conferences papers, books and book chapters, reviews, meta-analyses and systematic reviews. The first literature search provided 4462 records. After removing duplicates, 3925 records remained for screening. Of these, 3829 records were excluded based on title and abstract reading. From the screened records, 96 reports were sought for full-text retrieval. Of these, 59 were excluded after full-text reading. In total, 37 studies were identified and included in the systematic review. Main Contribution The review reports on sample characteristics (e.g., age range, skill level, instrument), skill-level group comparisons, methods used, and the nature of the musical tasks performed. In line with the review’s aims, findings are categorized into psychophysiological or biomechanical indicators reflecting processes such as sensorimotor integration functions, neural and muscular efficiency, and motor control. These indicators are interpreted through the lenses of firstand secondorder embodiment, capturing morphological and functional changes that occurs during skill acquisition. Limitations of the included studies are also discussed. Implications By identifying embodiment indicators associated with skill acquisition, this review aims to offer a foundation for understanding the embodied processes underpinning musical learning and performance. It offers a conceptual and methodological bridge between embodied cognition theories and empirical studies of music expertise. 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(2009). Looking for a pattern: An MEG study on the abstract mismatch negativity in musicians and nonmusicians. BMC Neuroscience,10, 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2202-10-42 Metzinger, T. (2024). First-Order Embodiment, Second-Order Embodiment, ThirdOrder Embodiment. In L. Shapiro & S. Spaulding, The Routledge Handbook of Embodied Cognition (2nd ed., pp. 37–53). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781 003322511-6 Nijs, L. (2017). The Merging of Musician and Musical Instrument. In M. Lesaffre, P.-J. Maes, & M. Leman (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Embodied Music Interaction (1st ed., pp. 49–57). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315621364-6 Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). 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