Developing Production Heuristics to optimise performance in the studio

Student Name: Rebecca Tracey-Timoney

Student ID: 12146137

Supervisor: Malachy Ronan

Course: B.Sc. Music, Media and Performance Technology

Academic Year: 2015/’16

IntroductionChapter 1:

Overview Music is connected to emotions (Deutsch 2013)

Representative Performance Performance Anxiety can hinder this transfer. In a Studio Environment:

Technical aspect of the performance. Performance Anxiety is not addressed.

Budding artists choose the home studio over the recording studio

To help in the eradication of this, this project is primarily to observe and answer the question:

DOES SENSORY STIMULATION AFFECT PERFORMANCE IN THE STUDIO?

Overview To answer the question:

A comprehensive literature review was carried out Establish existing sensory stimulation techniques How performance is affected by Anxiety (correlation)

A survey was conducted To measure the effectiveness of feedback in the studio

amongst musicians Two Studio Sessions were carried out

One session ran as normal One session used the sensory stimulation techniques

Motivations The motivations behind this project are:

To learn how to help in the emotional aspects of the performance

With the technology age, it has become increasingly easy to record at home. I wanted to learn ways to change this

As an anxiety sufferer, the investigation was intriguing and inspiring

AnxietyChapter 2:

What is Anxiety? “The tense, unsettling anticipation of a threatening but

vague event, a feeling of uneasy suspense” (Rachman 2004, p.3)

Only began to be acknowledged in the 1950’s Wasn’t viewed as a psychological ailment

Two Types: Anxiety-neurosis

Those of a nervous demeanor It is a biological function to defend against inner

conflicts Objective Anxiety

An internal response to anticipated injury Depends on danger and heightened vigilance

Perfectionism and anxiety Performers are exposed to stress in such a competitive

environment – by default of their profession Triggers Music Performance Anxiety (MPA)

Two Types: Normal Perfectionism

Sense of pleasure from effort Neurotic Perfectionism

Unable to feel satisfaction as they cant reach the high standard

MPA can be conquered as the performer develops but, in many cases, it remains

Performers are self-critical Fear Performing in the unlikelihood of mistakes

Treatment① Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Understanding the cognitions (thoughts) and recognize how thought affects emotion

Recondition the situation (restructure and undermine them)

Influenced by: Behaviour therapy

Developed by Joseph Wolpe, 1950’s Reproducible association of events

Cognitive Therapy Understanding the cognitive phenomena

Both had advantages and disadvantages and over time, they amalgamated into CBT

Treatment② Development of Sensory Stimulation techniques

Senses and Sensory stimulation

Chapter 3:

Sense of SmellThe Olfactory System

“The sense of smell is very sensitive, learns quickly, and does not forget” (Engen 1991, p.8)

Commonly associated with the episodic memory Remembers specific events and stores in it in the

autobiographical memory store.

Anxiety can cause an emotional charge and alters the olfactory system

Creating bad odours from bad situation Positive olfactory memories can evoke a relaxing

atmosphere

Sense of SmellUse of Aromatherapy

“Holistic art and science of choosing, blending and applying essential oils” (Pitman 2004, p.5)

Began in Ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures and was defined in World War I French army used it in order to help wounded soldiers

Process of INHALE – ACTIVATE – MODIFY – COMPRESS Inhale scents Activate Neurotransmitters (serotonin, endorphins and

norepinephrine) in the hypothalamic pituitary axis (Limbic system)

Modify the neuroreceptors in the immune system and the individuals mood

Compress anxiety symptoms

Sense of Smell

Sense of SmellClassical Conditioning

A “learning procedure” our brain conducts through constant exposure to a stimulant (Baddeley et al. 2015, p.15)

Wildly used in the Advertising Market The biggest example being McDonalds

The famous ‘M’ associated with it conditions us to think of food due to constant exposure

Respond to the neutral stimulus through the episodic memory system

In the studio, scented candles or diffusers can be used as the neutral stimulus

Sense of SightHigh Visibility

The feeling of sudden nervousness when putting oneself in the spotlight

Physiological, psychological and emotional reaction, the body’s natural response to anxiety

Stimulates our sense of sight, causing difficulty in seeing

Turning artist away from the crowd can help this Example being Jim Morrison of ‘The Doors’

Sense of SightNon-Verbal Communication

Expressive gestures that are achieved through body language

“A secret code that is written nowhere, known by none, and understood by all” (Knapp and Hall 1992, p.199).

They are perceived based on a number of factors The sender The receiver Their relationship

Sense of SightNon-Verbal Communication

Bad body language:•Arms crossed•Scowl•Disinterested

Good body language:

• Engaged• Focused• inviting

Sense of SightThe effects of Lighting

Dim vs. Fluorescent Dim lighting appears warm, ambient Fluorescent appears intense

Photoreceptors Sensory receptors in our brain that

convert white light into visuals Located in Neurons in the Retina Two Types:

Cone Cells – 7 million Rod Cells – 130 million

Rod Cells are most sensitive and activate dim-light settings

Sense of SightThe effects of Colour

Establish likes and dislikes by eliciting various emotional feelings

Colour Emotions Case Study - (Sroykham et al. 2014)

Six Participants (two Female and four Male) Six Test rooms with white, blue, green, yellow,

red and black coloured walls, respectively Questionnaire was used to measure six

identifiable affective states (tension, depression, anger, vigour, fatigue and confusion)

Sense of SightThe effects of Colour

Case Study - (Sroykham et al. 2014) Results:

Tension was lowest in White Room Anger was lowest in Green Room Depression was lowest in Green Room Fatigue was lowest in White Room Vigour was lowest in Black Room Confusion was lowest in Green Room Red Room presented highest results in all moods

Two kinds of Colour Dark – make a space feel small (‘Intimate’ in large

areas and Claustrophobic in small ones) Light – make a space open up

Studio Aesthetic Chapter 4:

The Setup Setup is unfamiliar

Play on artist emotions and affect their performance The smallest thing makes the biggest impact

Headphones, microphones, floors and walls When entering unfamiliar surroundings

Images our brain process are linked to the amygdala (a part of the limbic system that process fear and aggression emotions)

Familiarising themselves with the area can loosen these links

The Setup A typical studio contains

A Control room (equipped with mixers and recording tech)

A Recording Room (housing the general instrument area and a vocal booth)

Sonically, this setup is best, but it can become a cramped heat space

Bono and Alicia Keys are known to perform their vocal tracks in the control room to avoid this isolation

The Setup Studio Look vs. Homely Look

It is up to the artist what environment they work better in Main differences:

Studio Look Homely LookInstitutional feel Aesthetically pleasing

Layout is strategic No set or strict layout

Professional Environment Relaxed environment

Controlled décor – strictly pro Home décor – rugs, lights

The Setup Studio Look vs. Homely Look

Examples:

Studio:•Modern•Harsh Lighting•Lack of décor

Homely:•Ambient lights•Home décor •Inviting

The Performance Performance: “step in the musical process during which

musical ideas are realized and transmitted to a listener” Defines it in a technical sense

To the mass, it is a connection between artist and emotion and acts as a gateway, for the rest of us, to their creative minds

Confidence: “belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities”

Correlation: degree of belief the performer has in their abilities can directly enhance or hinder the performance

The Performance A studio is the perfect environment for confidence to

thrive or diminish As a producer, it is imperative to avoid these common

occurrences that tarnish the confidence built: Your mouth could say one thing, but your body is a tell

tale sign of what you really thought of that take A lack of enthusiasm shows a lack of belief in the track A lack of commitment shows there is no real confidence

in the artist No feedback indicates a lack of interest

Cue Mixes Musicians play from their own tone, so if they cannot hear

themselves play, they may “force their tone or perhaps hold back” (Newell 2013, p.235)

Cue Mixes are introduced Separate from main mix Artists own direct line Avoids isolation

Problems Cue mix too quiet – Migrate closer to mic and vocalists can

sing beyond their comfort zone Cue mix too loud – Cannot hear at a comfortable level and

vocalists can sing flat Fidgeting – wastes time and leaves unresolved problems Not their headphones – unfamiliar, size issues,

uncomfortable

The role of the producerChapter 5:

The Role of the Producer

Someone to provide a source of inspiration and motivation in the studio

Learn to adapt to the artist and a situation instantaneously in order to get the best performance

“You are the pilot of the ship known as the recording session” (Hepworth-Sawyer and Golding 2012, p.60).

First Impressions Charisma is an important trait to own “Make the people they interact with feel special about

themselves and feel an intimate connection” (Turino 2008, p.64) Case study – (Willis and Todorov 2006)

Investigate the essence of first impressions 245 students presented with photos of 70 amateur actors for

100ms, 500ms and 1000ms periods of time Make a trait judgment of the person (Attractiveness,

Likeability, Competence, Trustworthiness and Aggressiveness) and note their confidence of their decision

Results An exposure as sudden as 100ms is sufficient amount of

time Detecting someone’s trustworthiness is connected to the

amygdala

Feedback Essential element of the recording process “One of the most effective ways to dispute automatic

thoughts via an exposure situation is to gain feedback from sources” (Rodebaugh and Chambless 2004, p.816)

Wide variety of artists Some need a push Some need to be humoured or pampered Some need to be appeased until they figure things out

Approaches Asking a question rather than making a statement Honesty is not always best Sandwich approach

FeedbackThe Sandwich Approach:Negative critique is cushioned by two positive remarks

The surveyChapter 6:

In Creating the Survey Acquire and present analytical data regarding the

effectiveness of verbal feedback during a recording session Internet survey administered online

Fast, efficient and inexpensive Closed Population – University students – with random

sampling Google Forms was used to create the survey Pilot testing in the form of Peer review

In Creating the Survey Example Question from Online Survey:

In Creating the SurveyVariables in the Study

Independent Variable

Primary instrument used Question 1 asks this in order to categorise data

Dependent Variable

Recording studio experience

Question 3 asks the participant if they have experience and depending on their answer (yes or no) they are directed to the next relevant question

Control Variable

Musicianship status Question 2 establishes their status and qualifications

The Results The survey was active for a total of two weeks The response rate was 36%

In researching, it was found this was a sufficient rate (Nulty 2008)

Breakdown of results: Majority of participants were Guitar and Piano players

(equally) and were Self-taught (without grades) 68.6% of participants previously recorded in a studio Of those, 91.7% said their studio experience impacted

their performance 100% of participants believed that feedback is valuable

when trying to get the best performance 80% said they would react better to feedback given in a

sandwich approach

The Results From the survey it is clear

Feedback has an impact on the studio environment

It also has an impact on the performer Other factors that affect the performance are:

Performing in front of others Hearing oneself through either cue mix or playback The persistent atmosphere in the studio

The Studio SessionsChapter 7:

Studio Sessions Two Sessions

First – ran as normal Second – introduced Sensory Stimulation

techniques To prepare for variables:

Recorded same song Recorded both sessions on same day

Ensure same moods Using same microphones in the same

position with the same wires Overall setup was the same

* The video accompanying this presentation outlines the studio sessions in greater detail *

DiscussionChapter 8:

In Conclusion This project is primarily to observe and answer the

question:

In completing this project, I can say that YES sensory stimulation does affect performance in the studio, when they are administered correctly

There are many variables that present themselves, of which need to be considered. As each performer is different to the next, it is imperative

to learn what stimulations work best for the range of artists.

In doing this, only then will the stimulations effectively work and positively affect the performance.

DOES SENSORY STIMULATION AFFECT PERFORMANCE IN THE STUDIO?

References used in Slides Baddeley, A.D., Eysenck, M.W., Anderson, M.C. (2015)

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Deutsch, D. (Ed.) (2013) The Psychology of Music, Third edition. ed, Academic Press: Amsterdam.

Engen, T. (1991) Odor Sensation and Memory, Praeger. Grupe, D.W., Nitschke, J.B. (2013) ‘Uncertainty and

anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective’, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14(7), 488–501.

Hepworth-Sawyer, R., Golding, C. (2012) What Is Music Production: Professional Techniques to Make a Good Recording Great, CRC Press.

Jackson, B.M. (2014) The Music Producer’s Survival Guide: Chaos, Creativity, and Career in Independent and Electronic Music, Cengage Learning PTR: Boston, MA.

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Newell, P. (2013) Recording Studio Design, revised. ed, Taylor & Francis.

Nulty, D.D. (2008) ‘The adequacy of response rates to online and paper surveys: what can be done?’, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(3), 301–314.

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Rodebaugh, T.L., Chambless, D.L. (2004) ‘Cognitive therapy for performance anxiety.’, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60(8), 809–820.

Sroykham, W., Wongsathikun, J., Wongsawat, Y. (2014) ‘The effects of perceiving color in living environment on QEEG, Oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and emotion regulation in humans’, IEEE, 6226–6229, available: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/wrapper.htm?arnumber=6945051 [accessed 23 Nov 2015].

Willis, J., Todorov, A. (2006) ‘First Impressions: Making Up Your Mind After a 100-Ms Exposure to a Face’, Psychological Science, 17(7), 592–598.