The effects of altering environmental and instrumental context on the performance of memorized music

Abstract

Three experiments investigated whether musical memory was context dependent. Instrumental musicians memorized music in one context and recalled in either the same or a different context. Contexts included atypical performing environments (Experiment 1: lobby/conference room) or commonly encountered environments (Experiment 2: practice room, professor's studio, stage). Experiment 3 extended the definition of `context' to include instrument. Pianists memorized and recalled on either a grand piano or an upright. In Experiment 2, memory was not significantly different when the learning environment was altered; however, significant context effects were found in Experiments 1 and 3. A memory preference for the one context was discovered in Experiment 1, while in Experiment 3, musicians who memorized and performed on the same piano recalled significantly more than musicians who changed pianos. Some evidence exists for context effects in music; altering the environment at performance may lead to retrieval failure.