Differences in Preference for Subtle Dynamic Nuance between Conductors, Middle School Music Students, and Elementary School Students

Abstract

This study began as a systematic replication of two previous studies in which a significant proportion of elementary and middle school music students preferred versions of American folk songs with explicit variation in dynamics over versions of the same folk songs where the dynamics were held constant. In the present study, the preference test used in the previous studies was modified to reflect a more realistic representation of dynamic nuance. Dynamic variation was reduced by one-third, and smoother curvatures were applied to the crescendos and decrescendos of the expressive versions of the 10 folk songs. This revised test was administered to 288 Grade 1–5 students, 78 middle school music students, and 22 conductors. The results of the study indicate that age and/or musical experience may affect perception and preference for subtle dynamic nuance in music.