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Chat GPT: It’s all About the Prompts

Written by Dr. Charles R. Ciorba

To get the most out of ChatGPT, it is best to master the use of prompts. Doing so can really can make a difference

Starting a Chat

If you enter a basic prompt that is similar to something you enter using an internet search engine, you will get a simple response.  If you make this mistake, you might become bored and frustrated. As a result, you could very well assume that you can do better using the internet.  Basically, the rules for using key words in internet searches do not necessarily apply to ChatGPT.

According to Baker (2023), it is best if you use this form of AI differently.  For example, you can actually assign ChatGPT an identity.  Perhaps, several identities.  You can also assign yourself an identity.  Tell it to address an audience such as a (a) group of teachers, (b) group of fifth grade students, or (c) an angry parent.  Set the stage correctly by giving it a command, asking a question, or telling it to behave in a specific manner.  Ultimately, you are looking to receive a detailed and well-defined response. 

Here is a direct quote from the Baker text (2023, p. 49).

  • Who do you want ChatGPT to be?
  • Where, when, and what is the situation or circumstance you want ChatGPT’s response framed within?
  • Is the question you’re entering in the prompt the real question you want it to answer, or were you trying to ask something else?
  • Is the command you’re prompting complete enough for ChatGPT to draw sufficient context to give you a fuller, more complete, and richly nuanced response?
  • Is your prompt specific and detailed, or vague and meandering?  Either way, Chat GPT will mirror it in its response.

I mentioned this in the last learning module, but when you are finished with a specific conversation, it is always best to close out the conversation before starting a new one.  If you hold a long conversation that involves several topics, ChatGPT may get confused.  If this happens, it might get offensive or start giving you wrong answers.  I am not sure how this service can get offensive, but it may call you offensive names. I myself am not at a point where I want to intentionally make this happen.

Reviewing Your Chat History

On the left side of the ChatGPT screen, you will find a list of your most recent conversations. You can always return to earlier chats, which can be quite handy, but you only get so much storage. So, you can always delete individual chats and paste them into a word document.  If you hit the “Clear Conversations” tab, you will delete your entire chat history.  By doing so, your screen will be clean, but it does not delete the information from the open AI servers. As I mentioned in the previous learning module, be careful not to enter confidential information (passwords, finance information, etc.)

Understanding Prompt Engineering 

The term prompt engineering refers to formulating all prompts in natural language. I am told there are prompt forums on this internet, so feel free to check them out.  Here is one example: https://github.com/f/awesome-chatgpt-prompts. 

Token Limits and Storage Issues

ChatGPT keeps a record of all of your prompts, yet it can only remember 3,000 words from a conversation (4,000 tokens). This may explain why ChatGPT can get confused if you bring up too many topics in one conversation.  Prompts are broken down into tokens, which are otherwise known as “pieces of words” (p. 55).  Here is another direct quote from the Baker text (2023, p. 56):

  • 1 token equals about 4 characters.
  • 100 tokens translates to about 75 words.
  • Two sentences equal about 30 tokens.
  • A typical paragraph is about 100 tokens.
  • A 1500 word article totals around 2048 tokens

A single chat is limited to 4097 tokens.  In addition, if your prompt is long, it will be cut off at 97 tokens. A Tokenizer Tool can be found at the following link: https://platform.openai.com/tokenizer. Please keep in mind that as ChatGP develops, these limits can change.

Thinking in Threads

All of us probably know that a string of messages is referred to as a thread.  As such, it is best to write prompts as part of a thread as opposed to a single question.  By thinking in threads, you can control the direction of the conversation. Be forewarned: instead of asking for clarification, ChatGP will start guessing. 

Chaining Prompts, and Other Tips and Strategies (pp. 58-59)

Writing good prompts takes time.

This is where the true art lies when communicating with ChatGPT.  It doesn’t get easier, but you will improve with time.

Define your goal.

Determine exactly what you want from your conversation.  Craft your prompt to achieve your goal.

Be a storyteller.

Remember, you can give ChatGPT an identity. You can tell it to provide answers as a school administrator, a parent, or a musician.  If you give it a sample of your own writing, it will do its best to mirror your writing style.

Any undertaking is acceptable.

Ask ChatGPT to check your student’s homework to find errors.  Ask it to finish a thought or an exercise.  This is where ChatGPT can make the life of a teacher easier.

Be specific.

Include as many details as possible when writing your prompts but be aware of your token limits.

Strategize

Tell ChatGPT about the audience you are dealing with.  If you say you will be working with a group of elementary students, ChatGPT should be able to formulate the language to address that population.

Bonus links to improve your prompts.

https://github.com/f/awesome-chat.gpt-prompts

www.skool.com/chatgpt/promptgenerator?p=1e5ede93

https://github.com/yokoffing/ChatGPT-Prompts

Reference

Baker, P. (2023). ChatGPT for dummies. Wiley.

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ChatGPT: Resistance is Futile!

Written by Dr. Charles R. Ciorba

ChatGPT: What is it?  How does it affect me as an educator?  As of recently, I was unable to answer either question.  I first heard about this new phenomenon last spring when I was driving home from a late-night practice session on campus. When driving at night, I usually listen to WPFW, which is a public radio station in Washington, DC. Their playlists are fantastic. Anyway, the DJ on the air was talking about ChatGPT. He said it was going to be a “real game changer.” So, I was made aware of it, and I held off learning more about it until now.  After all, I’m currently teaching a class that centers on the future of music education.  Can ChatGPT be a useful tool for us?  Let’s find out.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is referred to as a large language model (LLM). It is a representive generative AI. This means it can actually create new content, as opposed to analyzing data that already exists (e.g., Siri).  You can actually start conversation and ChatGPT will generate a discussion. If this is enough to stimulate your curiosity, simply go to https://chat.openai.com/ and create an account.  It’s a very easy process but be forewarned: the information you input (and the ensuing conversation) is not private, so be careful not to disclose any confidential information.

How it differs from what we’ve used in the past.

Once again, ChatGPT is a generative AI model. This is different from some of the AI tools you may have used in the past.  For example, if you want to know where the good vegetarian restaurants are in Northern VA, Google Maps uses a ranking system based on the information you enter. The information is usually accurate, and you can choose a location easily.

ChatGPT is different. You can actually engage in a dialogue, as it is a system that can generate its own content. This sounds absolutely fascinating, although the accuracy of the generated content is not always consistent. It generates content based on patterns it has learned.  Sometimes it delivers the truth, and sometimes it doesn’t. It can lie, it can hallucinate, and like humans, the responses can sometimes be inappropriate. It is not the fault of the machine, as it does not think like humans. Rather, it responds based on pattern recognition in 95 languages.    

Fears of ChatGPT

What a fascinating technology, but it has generated certain fears among the public.  A number of lawsuits have been created against ChatGPT, mostly surrounding copyright.  Currently in the United States, AI generated content is not protected by copyright law.  In addition, there is a gray area when examining who is liable for incorrect information generated by ChatGPT. I for one would not use it to enquire about stock information or medical diagnoses.

Of course, one needs to be careful of privacy issues, biases, deep fakes, etc. We also need to watch out for reality apathy, which occurs when the public doesn’t know what is true, but we don’t want to engage in the effort to determine the correct answer. 

Is ChatGPT coming after your job?

Now is not the time to panic about machine overlords.  That type of AI is known as artificial general intelligence (AGI).  We may have to deal with it someday, but for now, it’s not something to worry about.  Can ChatGPT replace teachers?  I don’t think so, and I believe it can make education more efficient. It can also help to eliminate some of the frustrations we deal with as teachers.  As for replacing us, humans have an advantage in that we have the ability to use our creativity and intuitive intelligence. In addition, our brains are very efficient, while AI consumes massive amounts of energy. It is important to keep in mind that ChatGPT has a great deal of information, but that is not the same as knowledge. As for now, humans have the upper hand. 

Using ChatGPT

As teachers, we may wonder if students are using ChatGPT to complete their homework.  It seems Chat GPT is not very good at solving riddles or algebraic story problems. It can also give erroneous answers without warning.

I have been told that it can generate papers with perfect English and punctuation, but from my perspective, this would send up a warning flag.  I’ve graded many papers and supervised many dissertations.  If someone turned in a paper written in a perfect manner, I would be suspicious.  Then again, as music teachers, I wonder how we can use this fascinating tool in a useful manner.

As for using ChatGPT, I created an account, and as soon as I logged in for the first time, I created a prompt asking what notes make up a Coltrane pentatonic scale starting on E.  Here is the response:

The Coltrane Pentatonic Scale, also known as the Coltrane Matrix or simply the Coltrane Scale, is a symmetrical pentatonic scale created by the jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. It’s derived from the circle of fifths and consists of major thirds and minor thirds.

Starting on E, the Coltrane Pentatonic Scale would consist of the following notes:

E – G♭ – A♭ – B – D

This scale can be seen as a series of major and minor thirds, giving it a distinct sound that is often used in jazz improvisation.

The correct answer is E-F#-G-B-C# (1-2-b3-5-6).  So, ChatGPT provided the wrong answer, and I found the text description to be quite general.

I then asked ChatGPT to tell me what notes make up a Coltrane pentatonic scale starting on D.  Here is the response:

Starting on D, the Coltrane Pentatonic Scale consists of the following notes:

D – F♭ (E) – G♭ (F) – A♭ (G) – B (C♭)

This scale follows the same pattern of major thirds and minor thirds as the Coltrane Pentatonic Scale starting on E, but shifted to begin on D.

Wow.  This is not a correct example of the Coltrane pentatonic, and the enharmonic spellings for the third and fourth notes of the scale are incorrect. I think we can all agree that Gb and F are two different notes separated by a half step.  Furthermore, the intervals differ when comparing both examples provided by ChatGPT.

I then asked ChatGPT, “What are the Detroit Lions chances of winning the 2025 Superbowl?”  ChatGPT refused to provide me with a specific response.

I then asked Chat GPT to provide an explanation of Suzanne Langer’s philosophy of music as metaphor.  I did receive a bland and somewhat general explanation.

My first encounter with Chat GPT was less than successful.  Of course, I was using it much like I would use Google or Siri.  I am told success depends on how well you write your prompt.  As such, I blame myself for the inaccurate results, and I am committed to learning how to use Chat GPT in an effective manner.  With intelligence and creativity, ChatGPT can be a valuable resource.

After all, resistance is futile.  Much like radio, television, computers, the internet, cell phones, and social media, I believe ChatGPT is here to stay. There are many bugs to work out, but the potential for it to be a real game changer is undeniable. I look forward to learning more about this wonderful technology.  More to come!

Reference

Baker, P. (2023). ChatGPT for dummies. Wiley

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School Shootings

Written by Dr. Charles R. Ciorba

School shootings are one of the darker points in our educational history, and as such, it is a very serious topic for music educators.  Discussions in this area can be extremely complex, and I am tired of thoughts and prayers being offered as a means to cope with such needless and senseless tragedies.  Furthermore, I feel proposed solutions from one end of the spectrum (arm all teachers) to the other (eliminate all guns from our society) are extremely impractical.

I have my own history with this terrible phenomenon.  The closest I came to a school shooting was December 10th, 1998 when I was an undergraduate at Wayne State University.  On that day, a doctoral student shot and killed a faculty member.  I do remember that I was not on campus when it transpired.  I wasn’t shocked by the news, but interestingly, I felt anger towards the news media.  Over the next day or two, they came on campus and acted like a group of entitled ghouls with their cameras and microphones.  I will never forget that feeling. 

Jumping forward a few months, I found myself student teaching during Spring/Winter semester of 1999.  On April 20th of that year, the Columbine massacre occurred.  It was a huge national story, and by the time I arrived at the school, the students were already talking about it in the hallways.  One of our senior band students dressed in a similar fashion to the Columbine shooters (black trench coat, black jeans, etc.).  It was obvious he was disturbed by the news of the shooting, and he may have been the target of some ridicule that morning.  In one of his classes, a teacher overheard him say that he would be okay because he had something in his car for protection.  By the time my mentor teacher and I returned to school after lunch, we saw the assistant principal and school security guard searching this student’s car.  They found a piece of metal, which the student used to hold up the malfunctioning hatchback door.  The student was immediately expelled, and their graduation status was in jeopardy.  I realized at that moment we must be careful of what we say under such traumatic circumstances.

By the fall of 2008, I was teaching a freshman seminar class at Millikin University.  The class was titled, Music in Cartoons.  It was a great topic, which allowed us to engage in numerous discussions on racism, sexism, violence, etc.  The students were great, and they had no problem expressing themselves, but the class discussions really took off when we started talking about violence in cartoons.  I asked them about their fascination with violence, and they said they were part of the Columbine generation.  Furthermore, they were afraid of the possibility of becoming a shooting victim.  This really hit me by surprise, as I never really lived with this type of fear.  Because of their honesty, I felt much closer to them as a group.  I remember them fondly to this day.

Okay, enough of my stories.  The history of school shootings dates as far back as 1840, when a law professor from the University of Virginia was shot by a student.  He died three days later.  I’m not a big fan of using Wikipedia for teaching purposes, but the following link offers a history of all the school shootings that have occurred in the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States

I cannot vouch for the validity of this data, but they did list the shooting at Wayne State University.  While school shootings have been around for a long time, it is no secret they have increased dramatically over the past 20 years.  Most recently, I was shocked by the school shooting in Uvalde, TX.  According to the local media, the shooter fired at least six times after the police arrived.  Please click on the link below to watch a news story on the incident.

Public reaction towards school shootings is mixed and divided, although some real momentum came out of the shooting in Parkland, FL.  It seemed the public was getting a bit fed up, and the protests in Washington, DC were very large and very organized.  I can only wonder what could have come of it, but things shifted quickly once the pandemic set in. 

Prior to the pandemic, I played this public service announcement to my undergraduate students in the Fall of 2019. 

It offers a chilling narrative, and while this PSA offers no solutions, it certainly prompts further discussion on the topic.  I’ve also considered the mental well-being of school shooters.  After all, who in their right mind would walk into a school with the intent of murder?  People have asked, “Is it a gun issue or a mental health issue?”  While I wrestle with that question, Vernon et al. (2019) revealed school shooters usual share the following traits:

Social Isolation

Discontent

Ostracism

Social Implosion

As the issue of school shootings evolves, it also grows in complexity.  So, where does that leave us?  Do we try to identify and diagnose mental health issues prior to tragedy?  Do we arm the teachers?  Do we bring more police into the schools?  Do we enact gun control regulations?  In a society that is currently divided as ours, moving forward with practical answers to any of these questions will undoubtedly be met with a variety of responses from all sides of the political spectrum.  In the meantime, schools have reopened, and teachers are dealing with a variety of new stresses.  School shootings have also returned, and I see no solution in sight. 

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World Beat

Written by Dr. Charles R. Ciorba

World beat involves the fusing of traditional musical styles with contemporary Western musical influences.  Often, the goal is to introduce a particular musical genre to a wider global audience. Normally, it is very well done, but then again, it can sometimes come across as a watered-down attempt to achieve commercial success.  Commercialism was key when world beat was popularized in the 1980s. Popular music artists such as Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, and David Byrne embraced the style.  International artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Ali Kahn also helped to popularize world beat.  In addition, you may be familiar with River Dance and The Buena Vista Social Club.  The musical examples below were easily accessible to a mainstream audience.  When combined with the very popular MTV (music television) of the day, these artists (who were already quite popular) achieved huge commercial success with the world beat style. 

The roots of world beat were starting to strengthen as far back as the 1970s. For example, Fela Kuti was a musician and political activist who help to pioneer a style known as Afrobeat. A very charismatic individual, he spoke against the Nigerian military, and his music was often the source of controversy with the Nigerian government. Fortunately, he was quite popular with the people.   Musically speaking, Fela combined funk and jazz with traditional music from Africa.  He recorded with Ginger Baker, who was the drummer for Cream. Sadly, he died of complications related to AIDs in 1997.

While world beat was originally very popular in Africa and Latin America, it has grown into a worldwide phenomenon.  Today, many populations around the world have fused traditional sounds with pop, rock, rap, and hip-hop influences.  One only needs to visit the Radio Garden to get an idea of the popularity created by this music, and it continues to evolve. For example, I believe we have one or two K-pop fans in this class.  I will be the first to admit that my knowledge of K-pop is extremely limited. I have spent some time watching the music videos from South Korea and have come to realize that K-pop has fully adopted Western musical styles.  Their production values are excellent, and their musical abilities rival anything that is currently produced in the United States.  I think I’m becoming a fan!  It reminds me of my time living as a Ph.D. student in Miami.  Latin culture dominated the streets and the media.  It was then I realized the countries south of Miami mirrored the musical styles offered in the United States. There is a great deal of information to consider, and we will delve into a number of topics for the weekly assignment. For now, let’s enjoy the music.

World beat: All it takes is a musician, or group of musicians, to get a bit creative with the music.

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Music in Advertising (MUSI 660)

Music and advertising can go together like peanut butter and jelly. According to Thompson (2014), advertisers use music in a somewhat subliminal manner to help communicate intricate ideas in a straightforward fashion. As a result, music in marketing can be very powerful. For example, the music used in television advertising can remain in your long term memory for a lifetime.  I am reminded of the humorous line, in which a person in late adulthood can easily remember a television jingle from their youth while simultaneously not being able to remember why they walked into the kitchen.  

I’m sure most people from my generation can remember the following commercial and be able to sing it from memory: 

Or how about this one?

Granted, these examples were taken from a specific time and place in my own childhood, but I’m sure we all have our favorites. Both songs have the following things in common: they (a) create a positive mood, (b) attract and hold your attention, and (c) place focus on a commercial product (Radocy and Boyle, 2003).  It is common to run these types of commercials during positive programming (e.g., happy shows). 

There is no denying that music in advertising is big business, and the intended audience is targeted through music. Research has shown people like to buy products that are associated with music they enjoy. Furthermore, customers react best to the music of their youth (Radocy and Boyle, 2003).  Nike hit the jackpot when they used the song Revolution by The Beatles in one of their ads.  Interestingly, Nike agreed to stop using the ad when the Beatles filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit.  This may have served as a victory for the legendary super group, but it was soon discovered that many pop and rock artists were more than happy to have their music used in commercials.

For example:

And while most Chryslers are now manufactured in Mexico, this commercial was very popular when it was premiered during the 2011 Super Bowl.

There is also the role music plays in the marketplace.  Specifically, the background music that is played in a commercial establishment.  This music is designed to be heard, but not experienced in a serious manner.  These songs are normally written in a major key and paired with a medium tempo (sedative music).  If the tempo is too fast (stimulative music), the business owners run the risk of rushing the shoppers out of the store.  The key is to use music that makes the shopping experience as long and as comfortable as possible.  When this is achieved, shoppers will spend more money. Positive Mood = Purchase.  The Muzak corporation, now known as MOOD:MEDIA has long been responsible for much of what you hear while you shop.  Today, it’s all about music streaming in the marketplace. 

Here are a couple earworms I remember from my own shopping experiences:

I heard this song in a Publix supermarket in Palm Beach County, Florida the day after hurricane Wilma devastated the region.  For some reason, I remember this moment like it occurred yesterday.

Advertising with music on the internet remains a territory worthy of further development.  Thompson (2014) indicated that advertising on the internet is more of a visual experience, but if you spend time on YouTube without a subscription, you are going to experience plenty of commercial advertisements. Personally, I associate these advertisements (many which contain music) with a negative experience.  In my humble opinion, advertisers on the internet have a long way to go if they wish to capture the magic of music in television advertising.  It will be interesting to see how it develops.  What are your thoughts?  Please feel free to comment!

References

Radocy, R & Boyle, J. (2003).  Psychological foundations of musical behavior (4th ed). Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas.

Thompson, W. F. (Ed.). (2014). Music in the social and behavioral sciences: An encyclopedia (Vols. 1-2). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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Nostalgia: Sociology of Music (MUSI 660)

Nostalgia: a sentimental recollection.  It is a feeling that can be subtle, powerful, and certainly enjoyable.  Wisner (2014) identifies two types of nostalgia.  First, there is personal nostalgia, which is a yearning to relive your past emotionally and/or physically.  Second, there is false nostalgia, which involves a desire for a past that you have not lived.  For example, have you ever wanted to experience a particular historical period? In both cases, music is a powerful tool that can be used to help us produce feelings of nostalgia.

In terms of personal nostalgia, have you every been reintroduced to a song that you haven’t heard in years, and it immediately takes you back to a specific moment from your past?  For many of us, this can be a powerful moment that elicits detailed memories.  Music can also trigger feelings of false nostalgia, where you can perceive what you believe to be an ideal place in history.  Such feelings can certainly be drawn from music in film (which was discussed in an earlier blog), and previous research indicates that music incorporated into a film can enhance emotional responses from the viewer (Tannenbaum, 1956). The same soundtrack can evoke feelings of personal nostalgia and false nostalgia.  Which films bring up nostalgic moments for you?

I firmly believe a strong relationship exists between emotion and music.  Especially music that was important to us in our youth.  According to Stern (2014), our brains experience rapid neurological development between the ages of 12 and 22.  I know this fact does not come as a surprise to many of you, but the music we listen to during this time in our lives is strongly embedded into our memory.  It is no surprise that many of us will continue to enjoy the music of our youth well into adulthood.  The music industry is aware of this, and it is no wonder that you can usually find a classic rock radio station in any major metro area of the United States.  Rock ‘n’ roll has been used as a marketing tool towards baby boomers for decades.

While contemplating this topic, I find it interesting how music, nostalgia, consumerism, and neurological development can be combined into one sociological discussion.  For your weekly assignment, please do the following:

This week, your topic choices are:

  • Nostalgia
  • Performance Anxiety
  • Identity

This week, I chose to write about nostalgia, but you can address any of the above topics. The readings are short and interesting. I encourage you to read all three of them.

  1. Choose one of the topics and post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 10th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire article.  Instead, try to expand on a particular topic (or topics) within the chapter that is/are of interest to you.
  2. By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 12th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

References

Stern, M. J. (2014, August 12). Neural nostalgia: Why do we love the music we heard as teenagers? Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/08/musical_nostalgia_the_psychology_and_neuroscience_for_song_preference_and.html

Tannenbaum, P. H. (1956). Music background in the judgment of stage and television drama. Audiovisual Communication Review. 4(92). doi:10.1007/BF02717069

Wisner, R. A. (2014). Nostalgia. In Thompson, W. F. (Ed.), Music in the social and behavioral sciences: An encyclopedia (Vols. 1-2) (pp. 816-817). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

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Film Music: Sociology of Music (MUED 6032)

Who can deny the power music lends to a motion picture? I do realize there are some great movies that do not have musical scores (please refer to the following website for more information https://screencrush.com/films-with-no-soundtrack-list/, but they are the exception, and not the rule. Imagine watching one of your favorite movies with the music soundtrack removed. Do you think your movie-watching experience would be different?

Some of my favorite movie soundtracks include The Godfather, The Graduate, Help, A Hard Day’s Night, Gladiator, Pretty in Pink, and Pulp Fiction. I am also a huge fan of movies where music is central to the theme, including (a) rock operas (Quadrophenia, Tommy, and The Wall); (b) concert films and rock documentaries (Gimme Shelter, The Kids Are Alright, and Woodstock); and (c) motion pictures that revolve around the lives of famous musicians (Bird and Miles Ahead). I recently watched Born to be Blue, which starred Ethan Hawke as famed jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. The movie centered on Chet Baker’s controversial, and often painful, musical comeback in the late 1960s. While this is just my opinion, I thought Ethan Hawke gave a wonderfully convincing performance. In addition, I thought the soundtrack was excellent. I also enjoy unique soundtracks. For example, the main theme for The Taking of Pelham 123 combined a funk rhythm line with a 12-tone row melody. Check out the link below. The music works!

Academically speaking, what does the previous research have to say about film music? Tannenbaum (1956) conducted a study in which participants responded to semantic differential scales while watching several versions of a drama (i.e., staged drama, televised drama, and filmed version of the staged drama). Results indicated that background music in the production increased participants’ responses according to the bipolar adjectives of fast/slow and strong/weak. While an early study, Tannebaum was able to describe the influence music can have in entertainment.

More recently, it has been found that music depicting an exciting situation on film can heighten feelings of anger, while music depicting a sentimental situation can heighten feelings of love. Such examples show that music can help an audience to better understand, and heighten empathy, towards the characters in a film.

Today, researchers in the field of neuroscience are conducting studies to determine how a person’s brain processes audio and visual information while watching a film. The results of such research have numerous implications for the film and video game industries (not to mention the use of music in corporate advertising).

There is no denying that music provides a valuable contribution to the world of film, and while previous research in this area is rather sparse, current and future research may prove to be quite intriguing. For those of you who are interested in exploring this topic further, I encourage you to read The Psychology of Music in Multimedia by Tan, Chen, Lipscomb, and Kendall (2013).

If you have the inclination, please feel free to share your favorite movie soundtracks! I’m sure we can create quite a list. For your weekly assignment, please do the following:

  1. All of the readings are available on the course D2L site. This week, your topic choices are:
  • Film Music
  • File Sharing
  • Manipulation

This week, I chose to write about film music, but you can address any of the above topics. The readings are short and interesting. I encourage you to read as many as possible.

  1. Choose one of the topics and post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 14th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire article.  Instead, try to expand on a particular topic (or topics) within the chapter that is/are of interest to you.
  1. By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 16th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

Tan, S. L., Cohen, A. J., Lipscomb, S. D., & Kendall R. A., (2013). The psychology of music in multimedia. Oxford Scholarship Online.

Tannenbaum, P. H. (1956). Music background in the judgment of stage and television drama. Audiovisual Communication Review. 4(92). doi:10.1007/BF02717069

Thompson, W. F. (Ed.). (2014). Music in the social and behavioral sciences: An encyclopedia (Vols. 1-2). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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Earworms: Sociology of Music (MUED 6032)

What is an earworm? The word alone can launch numerous conversations.  My initial thoughts, while entirely inaccurate, take me to a particular scene from the movie Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. I won’t go into detail, but if you are familiar with the movie, you will know what I’m talking about. If not, and you are curious, please feel free to research the topic on YouTube. For the purpose of this discussion, an earworm is defined as a short musical segment that enters into your mind involuntarily. They are a phenomena that have been around for quite a while, as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary first employed the term in 1802 (Thompson, 2014).

Earworms often center around a short passage of familiar music and rarely involve an entire song or musical movement. In addition, Jakubowski, Finkel, Stewart, and Müllensiefenn (2016) stated earworms often employ an unusual or unexpected interval that lends a unique flavor to the melody. For example:

 

In another example, an earworm may employ a unique rhythmic pattern:

 

 

Or both:

 

As someone who has always been fascinated with earworms, I am happy to learn their occurrences are extremely common. When studying a large international sample (N = 5,989), 85% of participants reported to experience earworms on a weekly basis, while 51% reported to experience them daily (Thompson, 2014). In my case, I would probably fall into the daily group. With that said, it is interesting to note they are more likely to occur among those who consider themselves to be musical, although there does not seem to be a correlation between musical training and the characteristics of certain earworms. I may be wrong, but I believe this can be interpreted to mean that while a person may be an accomplished musician, the music comprising his or her earworms will be similar to rest of the general population.

It is also interesting to note that in most cases, it is best not to fight them, as it is much harder to block an earworm than to simply accept its existence (Beaman & Williams, 2010). What else do we know? Well, while earworms enter the mind involuntarily, they are most likely to occur during low stages of cognitive activity. This makes sense, as they would be quite a distraction while engaged in stressful situations or highly engaging mental tasks. So, if you find earworms to be a distraction, keep your mind working at a high level. 🙂 On the other hand, if you have time to let your mind wander, enjoy the satisfying experience an earworm can offer!

For your weekly assignment, please do the following:

  1. Since we have completed the Froehlich text, we are now going to set up a series of blogs that address a variety of topics. All of the readings are available on the course D2L site. This week, your topic choices are:
    1. Advertising
    2. Atonality
    3. Earworms
    4. Fight Songs

I chose to write about earworms, but you can address any of the above topics. The readings are short and interesting. I encourage you to read as many as possible.

  1. Choose one of the topics and post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 7th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire article.  Instead, try to expand on a particular portion the article  that is of interest to you.
  1. By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 9th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

Beaman, C. P., Williams, T. I. (2010). Earworms (stuck song Syndrome): Towards a natural history of intrusive thoughts. British Journal of Psychology, 101(4), 637-655. doi: 10.1348/000712609X479636

Jakubowski, K., Finkel, S., Stewart, L., & Müllensiefenn, D. (2016). Dissecting an earworm: Melodic features and song popularity predict involuntary musical imagery Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/11/earworms.aspx

Thompson, W. F. (Ed.). (2014). Music in the social and behavioral sciences: Anencyclopedia (Vols. 1-2). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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Sociology Project Information

I hope all of you had a great spring break and are now ready to begin the final portion of the semester. Since the course projects are officially due on March 31, I’ve decided to suspend the blogging assignments for another week. So, if you have not yet collected your project data, now is the time to do so. Once you have collected your data, all you will need to do is create a survey database and a survey code file. Allow me to explain each part of this assignment:

Survey Database

  • You can submit your database as an Excel file or an SPSS file. If you are familiar with SPSS and have access to this particular software, that’s fine. If not, an Excel file is totally acceptable. A sample Excel database (i.e., spreadsheet) has been has been sent to you. This example should help you set up your own database. Once you open the database, you will notice that:
    • The information for each student is set up horizontally and the information for each survey item is set up vertically.
    • 117 students completed the survey.
    • The survey consisted of 10 items/questions.
    • You will also notice that each response has been coded numerically. For further explanation, let’s discuss the survey code file (which has also been sent to you).

Survey Code File

  • The first question asked participants to indicate their gender. The response codes for gender are (a) Female = 1 and (b) Male = 2. This is known as a categorical variable. For the gender column, each female participant was assigned the number 1, and each male participant was assigned the number 2.
  • For question number three, participants were asked, “How do you usually discover new music outsides of school?” The response codes for this question are:
    • Internet = 1
    • Music App = 2
    • Other = 3
    • Radio = 4
  • Once again, this is a categorical variable, which means each response represents a specific category, and the number assigned to each category is arbitrary.
  • Question number seven asks, “How happy are you with the music we perform in class?” The response codes for this question are:
    • Very Unhappy = 1
    • Somewhat Happy = 2
    • Neutral =3
    • Somewhat Happy = 4
    • Very Happy = 5
  • This question is different from the other two in that it represents a quantitative variable, and the response codes reflect an ordinal (some may say interval) scale. This means the numerical coding is ranked from lowest (Very Unhappy) to highest (Very Happy). It is important to note that each response indicates a specific level of agreement to the question.

Use the files provided as a guide to help you set up your database and coding file. Please let me know if you have any questions. If your survey includes open-ended responses, please let me know and I will help you further.

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Application of Sociological Constructs in Education to Music Schooling (Froehlich, Chapter 7)

The social realities we encounter as music educators are an inherent part of our professional lives. Froehlich (2007) magnifies these realities by outlining several of the topics we discussed this semester. They include the achievement gap, which can be a result of socioeconomics, race, gender, and culture. Fortunately, music can be integral to students’ lives outside of school. This brings us back to the differences between formal and informal music learning. Informal music learning allows students to voluntarily immerse themselves in the learning process. Such immersion entails much more than just the music, as students admire their favorite music and musicians by a variety of social factors. On the other hand, formal music learning can often seem old fashioned if not addressed appropriately. It is interesting to note that Froehlich believes formal and informal music learning can meet common ground with the introduction of instrumental music (the voice is an instrument, too) in the formal curriculum. Providing students the opportunity to learn a variety of instrumental music styles can help to build their self-esteem. This can go a long way to unite students from diverse backgrounds.

The diverse backgrounds of our students can also prompt a discussion of the hidden curriculum, which is defined as:

“The set of values, attitudes, or principals that are implicitly conveyed to students by teachers. It is believed to promote social control at school and in society at large by training people to conform and to obey authority, teaching them to regard social inequalities as natural, thereby ensuring cultural reproduction” (p. 119).

Music educators now realize that accepted traditions (e.g., how an audience responds between movements) should be explicitly taught. Addressing the relationships between musical conventions and valued behaviors versus musical preferences and cultural traditions will help us to even the playing field between students with extensive musical backgrounds and those with little or no musical experience. How we respond to the educational needs of our students help us to define ourselves as valuable members of the educational community.

These aforementioned issues are extremely important as they help us to realize that teaching and learning music are social acts. Furthermore, students who immerse themselves in a formal music education are able to develop their cultural capital. Cultural capital involves (a) musicianship, (b) music literacy, (c) performance skills, and (d) the ability to discern different musical styles. Hopefully, such capital will result in a lifelong appreciation and commitment to music, but is this always the case? How often does a committed high school musician stop performing once he or she graduates from high school? This leads us to an important question: What can music educators do to assure their students become lifelong music makers?

What we do is important. Whether you teach music as a compulsory subject in the elementary schools or as an elective in middle school and high school, it is important to remember that you are not only an educator. You are a musician. You are an advocate for the arts. You are a public relations manager. You are a liaison between the school and community. For your weekly assignment, please do the following:

  1. Read the seventh chapter of the Froehlich text, which is titled, Application of Sociological Constructs in Education to Music Schooling.
  2. Post a thread (500 words minimum) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 10th. Do not attempt to summarize the entire chapter.  Instead, try to expand on a particular topic within the chapter that is of interest to you.
  3. By 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 12th, please post a response (200 word minimum) to TWO threads created by your classmates.

As you work on this chapter, please feel free to draw from following statements and questions:

  • What knowledge and skills would you consider to be important in a culturally literate person? Discuss strategies to teach toward such a goal for different school settings.
  • Examine the place of competitions in the world of music learning. Where is competitive behavior appropriate and where does it inhibit learning?

Froehlich, H. C. (2007). Sociology for music teachers: Perspectives for practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.