Current Research

Emotion Primer Effects on Musical Perception, Intention, and Expressivity

Does how deeply one feels the emotion in music influence how they express that emotion while playing, and can it be seen in the brain?

In this study, we play four "emotion primers", music selected to elicit the four states of happy, tender, sadness, and fear, and ask musicians how they perceive the music to be (using arousal and valence scales), and how they feel in reaction to the music.

We then provide an emotionally neutral piano score, and ask pianists to express the same emotion they perceive in the primers.

EEG is used to compare the brain activity between listening and playing trials of the same primer to examine how much of what is felt is actually used during expression. Music Information Retrieval (MIR) provides objective measures to compare how expressivity changes.

Is there a relationship between felt emotion and expressivity? Will we find two distinct groups of musicians at either end of the spectrum? Data collection is currently underway.

The Effects of Musical Beat on Gait and Neural Factors using fNIRS

How does intentionally synchronizing gait to the beat of music affect the brain?

In a continuing project conducted in the Grahn lab, we are applying mobile functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to a well-tested gait paradigm.

Previous research shows that when listening to music of a similar BPM (beats per minute) to one's natural cadence, gait naturally begins to synchronize. This is used as a theraputic treatment for Parkinson's Disease called Rhythmic Auditory Cueing (RAC).

However, conscious synchronization often results in undesireable effects—shortened stride length, hesitant steps, and smaller step width. In this study, we examine the changes in brain activity in the auditory-motor pathways associated with beat perception, as well as potential effects on cognitive workload in the prefrontal cortex.

What is the most effective method of instruction during RAC that balances outcomes and workload? Data collection is currently underway.

Future Research

Emotional and Expressive Synchrony in Musical Dyads

When performers share the same expressive intention, are their brains and behavior more synchronized?

Continuing from the emotion primer study, two pianists will be given a duet piece to learn. We then have them listen to either congruent (same emotion) or incongruent (opposite emotion) primers, and ask them to create a successful interpretation.

We predict that in congruent blocks, the shared primer will induce a higher level of expressivity, faster consolidation of an interpretation, and stronger neural synchrony measured using EEG hyperscanning techniques.

During live performance, musicians must dynamically communicate in non-verbal ways, including eye contact, body gestures, and the music itself. Do these subtle changes in understanding reflect in the brains of performers?

Performer and Audience Synchrony and Enjoyment

What makes a performance "enjoyable"? Unforgettable? Moving?

Is listening to a musical performance more entertaining when it is more expressive? Can a naive audience tell when performers are on the same page, in sync, or on the same wavelength, and does that actually result in a better experience?

Comparisons will be made between high expressivity and low expressivity recordings from previous studies, and also between congruent and incongruent duets.

What factors, if any, including the expressivity, emotional intent, successful interpretation, and EEG-based neural synchrony directly affect a listener's subjective enjoyment? Moreover, does enjoyment, immersion, and feeling of connection correlate with higher neural synchrony to the performers?

Can we bring live performance to a new level by using real-time hyperscanning and neurofeedback to increase synchrony?