Descriptors and Preferences for Eastern and Western Musics by Japanese and American Nonmusic Majors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) consistency of terminology used by Japanese and American college students to describe musics of the two cultures; (2) subjects' preferences concerning musics of the two cultures; and (3) relationships between musical experience and preferences. The authors tested 487 nonmusic majors in the United States and Japan using taped materials. The stimuli consisted of 30-second representative excerpts of various Western and Eastern music styles. Subjects were asked to describe the character of each excerpt by selecting one of nine adjectival descriptors and to indicate their preference for the excerpt on a 7-point Likert-type scale. Subjects were in greater agreement on the choice of descriptors for Western than for Eastern music, although one group did not exhibit greater consistency than the other in describing music of its own culture. The greatest between-group differences in preference means were for Eastern examples. Responses indicated an overall preference for Western music by both groups, but Japanese subjects were more receptive to Eastern styles than were American subjects. Western examples were generally “liked” by subjects with supplemental musical experience as well as those with limited musical experience. Formal Eastern styles were generally “disliked” by both experience groups. Subjects with greater musical experience, however, generally employed a wider range of music preference responses.