luc nijs postdoctoral researcher

TO MOVE OR NOT TO MOVE IS IT REALLY A QUESTION?

A movement-based approach to instrumental music teaching and learning

IPEM Ghent University

Embodied MusicCognition

m

Movement in Music education

Music Paint Machine

Prelude

Tristan moves

Igudesman moves

bodily motilityexpertiseexpertise ??bodily motility

some theoryembodied (music) cognition

My body is an original motility without which there would be neither space nor time

Cutrofello* (referring to Merleau-Ponty)

*Cutrofello, A. (2004). Continental philosophy: A contemporary introduction. London: RoutledgeBehnke, S. (1983). At the service of the Sonata: Music lessons with Merleau-Ponty. In: Somatics, 4(2): 23-29.

Leman, 2007

the body = the NATURAL mediator between

the world (e.g. music) and its subjective experience

&

(musical) meaning is grounded in bodily involvement

musicsubjective experiencephysical energy

decode

PATTERNS

musical parametersharmony

timbr

e articulation

dyna

mics

rhyth

m

tempometre

phrasemotivemelody

pitch

music as physical energym

tonality

e.g. Bidelman and Grall, 2014; Bigand et Al, 2014; Gill & Purves, 2009; Large, 2011e.g. Leman et al, 2013; McDougall & Moore, 2005; Van Noorden & Moelants, 1999

subjective experience of music

content

form

feelingsDESCRIBE

SHOW or ARTICULATEdance

cond

ucttap

ENKELE VOORBEELDEN ...

attunement or resonance

direct involvement

dynamic, fast and pre-reflective processes

effectivities & affordances

action-perception couplings

schemas (forward & inverse models)

subjective experience of music

prediction

musicsubjective experiencephysical energy

decode

skills experience knowledge

body

effectivities affordances

emotions goals

movement

a research example

Self-report task

Evaluative conditioning- 2 musical pieces - 3 groups of children (7-8 years, N=46)- 3 conditions (happy-sad-control)- 4 sessions

COSY%

ENERGETIC%

HAPPY%

CALM%

GLOOMY%

LONELY%

LAZY%

SAD%

BUSY%

MERRY%

1 52 3 4

SAD choreography HAPPY choreography

Maes, P. J., & Leman, M. (2013). The influence of body movements on childrens perception of music with an ambiguous expressive character. PloS one, 8(1), e54682.

N0.25

E. 1

N

0.33

N

0.50

N

0.67

N

1.00

N

1.50

Uh

2.00

B

3.00

Uv

4.00

N

E. 2

N N N N N N N Uv

N

E. 3

N N N Uh Uh Uv B Uh

N

E. 4

N N N N N B Uv N

N

E. 5

N N N N N Uv N N

N

E. 6

N N N N N Uv B Uh

Metric Layers x Excerpts (rows)

research example

Naveda, L. & Leman, M. (2009). A Cross-modal Heuristic for Periodic Pattern Analysis of Samba Music and Dance. Journal of New Music Research, 38(3), 255283.

decode

encode

musicsubjective experiencephysical energy

subjective experience of music

musical instrument

instrumentmusician music

mn*i i*mc

+

Nijs, L., M. Lesaffre & M. Leman (2013). The Musical Instrument as a Natural Extension of the Musician. In: Castellengo, M. & Genevois, H. Music and its instruments. Sampzon, Editions Delatour France.

There no longer exist relations between us. Some time ago I lost my sense of the border between us.

I've got two portraits of myself one from long ago created by Salvador Dali,

and another one made much later by Glikman, an amazing painter who lives in Germany, in his eighties now.

So, in the Dali there I was with my cello; I held it and all was excellent. In Glikman's portrait, however, there I was - and my cello became just a red

spot at my belly, like a dissected peritoneum. And actually, I feel it now in this manner, much like a singer seems to feel

his vocal chords. I experience no difficulty in playing sounds. Indeed, I give no report to myself on how I speak. Just so, I play music, involuntarily.

The cello is my tool no more. Does it not feel itself offended at being so dissolved?

Sure, it does! But so be it.(Mstislaw Rostropovich)

Chernov, V. (1994). Mstislav Rostropovich: Citizen of the world, man of Russia. Ogon'ok, no. 8

direct perceptionskill-based actingoptimal experience

bodily motility

incorporate the musical instrument

The musical instrument as a natural extension of the musician

direct involvement

embodied interaction

direct perception & skill-based acting

bodyschema

live the music, not think it!

action-perception couplings

corporeal imitation corporeal articulation

intuitive understanding expressive interaction

My body is an original motility without which there would be neither space nor time

bodily motility

I canmusical instrument

Personal styleGestures

Instrumental Gestures

ExpressiveGestures

skill

BodilyCommunication

culture

biology

instrumental genesis

instrumentationsubject changes

instrumentalizationsubject changes

attribute function

material adaptationutilization scheme

usage schemes instrument mediated action schemesinstrumental signsnon-instrumental signs = expressive affordances

instrumental gestures

expressive gestures

personal style gestures

incorporate the musical instrument

Trouche, 2005; Rabardel, 2002

an application of the theorythe Music Paint Machine

sound

movement

movement

painting

Overview of the system

musical creativity * playfulness * flow experience

embodied understanding * body movement * multimodality

optimal relationship with instrument * unity of body and instrument as controller

stimulate & facilitate learning to play a musical instrument

Objective of the Music Paint Machine

active role (controller)

4 features of the Music Paint Machine

beyond monitoring in function of merely providing information

motile body

incorporation of the instrument

Nijs, L & Leman, M.(2014). Interactive technologies in the instrumental music classroom: a longitudinal study with the Music Paint Machine. In: Computers and Education, 73, pp. 40-59

good practices

effectiveness

visual feedbackmovement

2 groups with MPM

4 x 3 children Grade 1-2

9 months of weekly 1 hour lesson

non-equivalent groups design

same lesson content

Study 2: Teaching with the MPM

Play some music while you turn freely from the left to the right

or vice versa

Make a painting with lots of colours

Free Exploration Games

Direct InstructionGuided Exploration

a few examples

The use of movement in instrumental music teaching and learning

a framework

where

who

what

what

how

Act of Embodyingmake changes in the perception of aordances

BodySpace

PersonalSpace

ExternalSpace

internalisation

SPACE AGENCY

External space

Personal space

Body space

surface internal

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

AGENCY

Audio

Foot pressure

Foot pressure to loudness

A. scale

B. long notes

1 2 3 4

A

P

Free Movement

musical body babbling

kinematic model of the music

mus

STRUCTURE

Patterns

meter

intervals, pitch

harmony

phrasing

move the upper

Personal style !!Corporeal articulation

Free Movement Patterns

Quality

Functional Expressive

To conclude

From the teachers point of view

From the researchers point of view

spontaneity handling the instrument improvising play by ear & heart

slower technical progress

variety of inspiring research BUT necessary to translate findings into practice empirical research in

Thank you!

looking forward to your questions, remarks,

luc.nijs@ugent.be - ipem.lucnijs.be - www.musicpaintmachine.be

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