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Arts & Communication Emotional experience of listening to music

Table 1. Participants’ gender demographics The Mann–Whitney U-test, and the Kruskal–Wallis test
were used to test the hypotheses, owing to the disturbed
Variable Students (n=134) normality of the data distribution. The data were processed
f % using the computer program SPSS.
Sex
Men 61 45.5 3. Results
Women 73 54.5 Tables 4-11 show the students’ familiarity with the
Total 134 100 compositions and their expressed emotions. One-third
Abbreviation: f: Number of students. students (33.6%) were familiar piece no. 1. As anticipated,
with its slow tempo, quiet dynamics, crescendos, and
Table 2. Participants’ grade and school levels major key, this composition evoked calm in most students
(87.3%) at a medium intensity. One student (0.8%) felt
Variable Grade Students anger/anxiety (Table 4).
(n=134)
f % Piece 2 evoked a high intensity of happy emotions in
Grade, First grade of primary school 19 14.2 almost all students (98.5%), which was expected due to its
school level Second grade of primary school 22 16.4 fast tempo, loud dynamics, and major key. It did not evoke
feelings of sadness or calm in any student. Almost half the
Third grade of primary school 23 17.2 students (48.5%) knew the composition (Table 5).
Fourth grade of primary school 11 8.2 Piece 3 was familiar to 29.1% of the students. This piece
Fifth grade of primary school 7 5.2 evoked a medium intensity of anger/anxiety in 74.6%
Sixth grade of primary school 19 14.2 of the students, which was expected because of given its
First grade of secondary school 11 8.2 fast tempo, dissonant harmonies, and notable changes
Second grade of secondary school 13 9.7 in dynamics. Approximately one-sixth of the students
Third grade of secondary school 9 6.7 (16.4%) felt happiness, which may have been because of
Total 134 100 the fast tempo. Surprisingly, 8.2% felt calm (Table 6).
Only 23.9% of the students knew piece 4. Around
Table 3. Musical pieces and expected emotions two-thirds of students (63.4%) experienced the expected
sadness due to the sample’s slow tempo, quiet dynamics,
No. Composer, piece Expected and minor key; however, the intensity of this emotion was
emotion weak. The tempo and dynamics also evoked weak feelings
1. W. A. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A‑major K Calmness of calmness in 35.1% of the students (Table 7).
nd
622 (2 movement – Adagio)
2. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Big Time Operator Happiness Musical piece five was familiar to only 30.6% of
3. I. Stravinski: Infernal Dance of King Kaschei, Anger/anxiety students. The emotional results were unsurprising, evoking
2 act from The Firebird anger/anxiety at the medium intensity in 76.9% of the
nd
4. T Albinoni: Adagio for Strings and Organ in Sadness students, potentially because it has a fast tempo, dissonant
g‑minor harmonies, and considerable changes in dynamics.
5. M. P. Musorgski: Pictures at an Exhibition Anger/anxiety Approximately one-fifth of students (18.7%) experienced
(orch. Ravel): IX. The Hut on Fowl’s Legs happiness, potentially due to the fast tempo (Table 8).
“Baba-Yaga” Nearly half the students (41%) stated they were familiar
6. R Schumann: Träumerei from Kinderszenen Calmness with piece 6. As expected, 70.1% of the students reported
7. S Barber: Adagio for Strings, op. 11 Sadness that the composition evoked calmness, which was at a
8. A Dvořák: String Quartet in F‑major (2 Happiness medium intensity and likely due to its slow tempo, quiet
nd
movement – Finale – Vivace ma non-troppo) dynamics, crescendos, and major key. Notably, 23.9% of
the students reported that the slow tempo evoked sadness
Excerpts predicted to elicit the emotion of calmness were
in a major key, had a slow tempo and quiet dynamics, and (Table 9).
featured gradual transitions to loud dynamics. Excepts Musical piece 7, with its slow tempo, quiet dynamics, and
expected to elicit happiness were in a major key and had minor key, evoked sadness in most students (60.4%), but at
a fast tempo and loud dynamics. Excerpts expected to a weak intensity. The slow tempo also evoked calmness in
elicit anger and anxiety were fast-paced, with dissonant 36.6% of the students. Only 23 students (17.2%) said they
harmonies and many sudden changes in their dynamics. had previously heard the composition (Table 10).

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 4 doi: 10.36922/ac.6009