Integrating theory and models of musical group interaction

Published on September 21, 2023

Group music making, like a harmonious symphony of collaboration, offers an intriguing window into the complexities of human social interaction. In their groundbreaking study, Demos and Palmer (D+P) suggest that our current approach to studying musical group synchrony limits our understanding of the overall dynamics. They propose a bold shift from examining individual relationships within the group to uncovering the intricate interplay of the entire ensemble. This thought-provoking claim prompts us to reevaluate existing theories on musical group interaction and explore the potential restrictions of current models. With this new perspective, we can gain valuable insights into the social aspects that drive harmonious collective expression. The study illuminates the need for further empirical research and invites us to dive into the fascinating world of group music making.

Group music making, which is a widespread and powerful medium for collective human expression, provides a fertile domain for investigating the dynamics of social interaction [1]. Demos and Palmer (D+P) [2] propose that the modeling of musical group synchrony requires a transformational shift away from examining pairwise relations between group members to focus on overall group dynamics. Their provocative claim that a pairwise approach to synchrony has hampered theory development invites reflection and contextualization regarding existing theory on musical group interaction, limitations of models, and the relevance of empirical research strategy.

Read Full Article (External Site)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes:

<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>