1857 research outputs found
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Prokofiev operas (Music Matters, BBC Radio 3)
No full textChristina Guillaumier discusses her book The Operas of Sergei Prokofiev (for further details on the book see https://researchonline.rcm.ac.uk/id/eprint/910/)
Cross‑sectional and longitudinal associations between receptive arts engagement and loneliness among older adults
Get PDFPurpose: Loneliness in older adulthood is a societal and public health challenge warranting identification of sustainable and community-based protective factors. This study investigated whether frequency of receptive arts engagement is associated with lower odds of loneliness in older adults.
Methods: We used data of respondents from waves 2 (2004–2005) and 7 (2014–2015) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and examined cross-sectional (n = 6222) and longitudinal (n = 3127) associations between frequency of receptive arts engagement (including visits to the cinema, museums/galleries/exhibitions, theatre/concerts/opera) and odds of loneliness (cut-off ≥ 6 on three-item short form of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale). We fitted logistic regression models adjusted for a range of sociodemographic, economic, health and social, community and civic engagement factors.
Results: Cross-sectionally, we found dose–response negative associations between engagement with all receptive arts activities and odds of loneliness. Prospectively, in the fully-adjusted models we found most robust evidence for the negative association between engagement with museums/galleries/exhibitions and odds of loneliness (OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.48–0.95) for those who engaged every few months or more often compared with those who never engaged. We found weaker evidence for lower odds of loneliness for more frequent engagement with theatre/concerts/opera.
Conclusions: Frequent engagement with certain receptive arts activities and venues, particularly museums, galleries and exhibitions, may be a protective factor against loneliness in older adults. Future research is needed to identify the mechanisms through which this process may occur, leading to better understanding of how arts activities and venues can reduce loneliness among older adults
Grove Music Online article: Evans, David
No full textEntry in Grove Music Online on English harpsichord maker David Evans (1936-2018)
Prince Albert and Anglo-German connections in 19th-century music
Get PDFIn this article, I would like to give a brief outline of significant Anglo-German connections in 19th-century music and consider the role of Prince Albert (1819-1861) and his compositions in this context. Throughout the Victorian era, Britain welcomed many German-born musicians who made significant contributions to the development of music. On the other hand, a considerable number of British musicians studied and worked in Germany, furthering connections in both directions. Many of these musicians were closely linked with each other, and most were connected to Prince Albert in some way
The migrant's tale
No full textFor solo cello, duration approx. 7 minutes. This work is dedicated to Rohan de Saram, who premiered it on 28 April 2016 at the Italian Cultural Institute, London.
The full score is available open access from the UCLA Music Library Contemporary Music Score Collection at the 'Official URL' given below.
A recording is available on the composer's personal website at: https://dimitriscarlato.com/extras_i/contemporary-classic-music/
Recording review: Kitgut: 'Tis too late to be wise': irresistible string quartets, from Purcell to Haydn
No full textDo the shuffle: exploring reasons for music listening through shuffled play
Get PDFAdults listen to music for an average of 18 hours a week (with some people reaching more than double that). With rapidly changing technology, music collections have become overwhelmingly digital ushering in changes in listening habits, especially when it comes to listen- ing on personal devices. By using interactive visualizations, descriptive analysis and thematic analysis, this project aims to explore why people download and listen to music and which aspects of the music listening experience are prioritized when people talk about tracks on their device. Using a newly developed data collection method, Shuffled Play, 397 participants answered open-ended and closed research questions through a short online questionnaire after shuffling their music library and playing two pieces as prompts for reflections. The findings of this study highlight that when talking about tracks on their personal devices, people prioritise characterizing them using sound and musical features and associating them with the informational context around them (artist, album, and genre) over their emotional responses to them. The results also highlight that people listen to and download music because they like it–a straightforward but important observation that is sometimes glossed over in previous research. These findings have implications for future work in under- standing music, its uses and its functions in peoples’ everyday lives
Fit to perform: a profile of higher education music students’ physical fitness
Get PDFThe physical demands of music making are well acknowledged, but understanding of musicians’ physical and fitness profiles is nonetheless limited, especially those of advanced music students who are training to enter music’s competitive professional landscape. To gain insight into how physical fitness is associated with music making, this study investigated music students’ fitness levels on several standardized indicators. Four hundred and eighty three students took part in a fitness screening protocol that included measurements of lung function, flexibility (hypermobility, shoulder range of motion, sit and reach), strength and endurance (hand grip, plank, press-up), and sub-maximal cardiovascular fitness (3-min step test), as well as self-reported physical activity (IPAQ-SF). Participants scored within age-appropriate ranges on lung function, shoulder range of motion, grip strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Their results for the plank, press-up, and sit and reach were poor by comparison. Reported difficulty (22%) and pain (17%) in internal rotation of the right shoulder were also found. Differences between instrument groups and levels of study were observed on some measures. In particular, brass players showed greater lung function and grip strength compared with other groups, and postgraduate students on the whole were able to maintain the plank for longer but also demonstrated higher hypermobility and lower lung function and cardiovascular fitness than undergraduate students. Seventy-nine percent of participants exceeded the minimum recommended weekly amount of physical activity, but this was mostly based on walking activities. Singers were the most physically active group, and keyboard players, composers, and conductors were the least active. IPAQ-SF scores correlated positively with lung function, sit and reach, press-up and cardiovascular fitness suggesting that, in the absence of time and resources to carry out comprehensive physical assessments, this one measure alone can provide useful insight into musicians’ fitness. The findings show moderate levels of general health-related fitness, and we discuss whether moderate fitness is enough for people undertaking physically and mentally demanding music making. We argue that musicians could benefit from strengthening their supportive musculature and enhancing their awareness of strength imbalances. *** For a video summary of this article please see http://researchonline.rcm.ac.uk/id/eprint/1803/ **
The personal and social impact of non-accredited music education in prison: a transformative mixed methods approach to research in custodial settings
Get PDFIn recent years there has been a shift in the focus of prison education, from treatment interventions and learning that centres around employability skills building, to opportunities that support personal and social development, with the aim to position education in custodial settings as a structure that supports processes of desistance. Against this background, I set out to explore the impact of my new, non-accredited music course on learners in prison, framing music-making activity in prisons within the context of social and criminal justice. I was interested in understanding why impact is or isn’t experienced in my classroom, whether it’s a direct result of the music, or if instead impact is a response to the pedagogical style to teaching music that I implement.
A transformative mixed methods research approach was adopted in order to practice cultural competence, uncover multiple perspectives, build trusting relationships with the participants and address the diverse needs of the prison population. Data was collected from one cohort of learners on a four-week music course (n=6) at HMP/YOI Portland, using methods based on learning activities that are a normal part of the music course, thereby ensuring ecological validity. Data analysis was conducted using grounded theory guidelines to sharpen the thematic analysis of qualitative data, ensuring a close relationship with the data and critical self-reflection of my privileged positionality as a white, free woman. Based on concepts of Convict Criminology, interviews with two classroom peer mentors were also collected. The peer mentors were positioned as ‘insider’ research commenters in this study, situated to give a broader analysis of the research topics, to establish routes to the representation of authentic narratives of learners in prison.
This research found that music-making activities in prison can have a positive impact on participants' mood, self-confidence and motivation, leading to positive; changes in personal and social development; and shifts in self-evaluation and lower-order self-concept. There was strong evidence that impact was experienced by the participants, not as a result of the music alone, but because the pedagogy created the conditions for a space that contrasted the wider prison environment. Recommendations for practice are made, including the need for a pedagogy for prison education which recognises the value of social learning experiences and ensures that within the contrasting wider prison environment, spaces can be created that support positive mood states, alternative social reinforcement and the development of autonomy supportive relationships
