Rent-a-crowd! Understanding how applause magnitude impacts music performance appraisal

Abstract

Applause is ubiquitous in the reception of music performance. Applause magnitude can reveal and sway audience reactions, and it is critical for musicians and educators to understand how audiences and evaluators respond to this extramusical effect in the appraisal of music performance. This study investigated how listeners respond to applause magnitude and prompted discussions about extramusical effects and social influence. Three applause levels (polite, strong and vocal) were added to two identical solo trumpet performances (one Fanfare and one Vocalise). Thirty listeners rated these six performances for overall quality and five performance dimensions (intonation, expression, balance, rhythmic accuracy and dynamic control). Vocal applause significantly impacted ratings of overall quality, expression and dynamic control compared to polite applause. Listeners were aware of varying applause levels and the majority were susceptible to unconscious or conscious bias in their evaluations. Most listeners were unaware of the identical audio and found the experiential learning process ‘enlightening’. Listeners became cognisant of their susceptibility to extramusical effects and reflected on evaluation strategies. Future studies should employ experiential learning to inform emerging music professionals about perceptual vulnerabilities and enhance critical thinking and expert evaluation skills.