Search Results (1,082)

Taylor Swift’s songwriting is frequently analyzed through the lens of confessional songwriting, blurring the boundaries between factual and fictional storytelling. This article proposes understanding her work as transmedia meta-autobiographies, a genre characterized by self-reflexivity and the questioning of autobiographical rules. Drawing on Mueller-Greene’s definition of meta-autobiography and intersectional theories, the study analyzes Swift’s lyrics, music videos, and paratextual elements, specifically focusing on selected works after her split with Big Machine Records, as this marks a different era in her creative work and is also linked to the discourse around her re-recordings. The analysis demonstrates how Swift utilizes transmedia storytelling to perform the act of remembering and writing, effectively staging her “self” across various media formats. This self-representation could according to the rules of the genre function as a counter-narrative to traditional male-centric autobiographical forms by centering girlhood. However, the article also highlights contradictions regarding authenticity and the commodification of this identity. Full article

Opera Out of Opera 2 (OOO2) is a Creative Europe cooperation project that experiments with digital, participatory strategies to reconnect opera with younger audiences and to reshape professional capacity for conservatory students. Rather than treating opera as a fixed repertoire to be transmitted, the project frames it as a site of co-creation, where youth and emerging professionals share agency in how the art form is presented, mediated and discussed. This article has two related aims. First, it examines how OOO2’s digital-first Audience Engagement Strategy (AES) may contribute to audience development among 18–25-year-olds, focusing on reach, participation patterns and perceived accessibility. Second, it investigates how participation in the project appears to affect conservatory students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy and their understanding of their potential social role as musicians. Methodologically, the study combines a participatory action research (PAR) framework with an embedded single-case design. Quantitative data include pre- and post-intervention questionnaires with 132 higher music education students. An audience survey completed by 1256 spectators, complemented by social media and web analytics, is also embedded. Qualitative material derives from semi-structured interviews (n = 30), focus groups with project stakeholders and direct observation of workshops, rehearsals and performances. Results indicate a marked digital reach among younger audience and suggest that shorter formats, informal settings and second-screen mediation can lower perceived barriers to opera attendance for first-time or occasional spectators. Among students, mean scores for entrepreneurial self-efficacy increased from 3.2 (SD = 0.8) to 4.1 (SD = 0.7), corresponding to a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.20, p < 0.01), a pattern broadly consistent with research on self-efficacy and capacity creation in music and arts-based entrepreneurship education. The discussion connects these findings with a bibliometric mapping of audience development in opera, conducted on 147 Scopus-indexed documents, and argues that OOO2 occupies a still under-theorized intersection between youth-centred cultural participation and entrepreneurial capacity-building in higher music education. While the single-case design and the use of self-constructed survey items limit generalizability, the project may offer a useful reference point for institutions seeking to rethink opera’s approach as a digitally mediated, socially engaged and educationally meaningful practice. Full article

Direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation is a fundamental task in array signal processing and is widely used in radar, sonar, wireless communications, and acoustic localization. Although classical methods such as MUSIC and ESPRIT can achieve high resolution under favorable conditions, their performance often degrades in challenging scenarios involving low signal-to-noise ratios, limited snapshots, and closely spaced sources. To address these difficulties, this paper proposes a Bayesian off-grid DOA estimation framework for close-angle and multi-source scenarios. The proposed method combines multi-measurement-vector evidence learning, diversified candidate construction, and multi-start joint continuous-manifold refinement so that multiple plausible close-angle hypotheses can be preserved and further optimized on the exact angular manifold. In this way, the proposed framework alleviates the source merging caused by high steering-vector coherence and improves estimation robustness in challenging conditions. Experimental results under close-angle, well-separated, varying-snapshot, and three-source settings demonstrate that the proposed method achieves competitive and, in many difficult cases, superior estimation accuracy compared with several representative baseline methods, confirming its effectiveness for robust close-angle DOA estimation. Full article

Shadows falling on photovoltaic (PV) modules result in partial shading conditions (PSCs). These conditions affect the power generation of a PV system because of their varying nature. As a result of PSCs, multiple peaks are created; therefore, it is important to identify the global maximum power point (GMPP) for optimal output power. Several maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques have been proposed in the literature; however, they face challenges such as oscillation at steady state, long convergence time, high complexity, and low accuracy. In this study, an improved musical chairs algorithm with local adaptive exploration is proposed for MPPT of PV systems under partial shading conditions. The proposed method combines the population-based exploration capability of the musical chairs algorithm with a localized duty-cycle adjustment mechanism around the best operating point. Unlike an offline exhaustive scan, the proposed local exploration stage uses only a small set of neighboring duty-cycle candidates, making the method more suitable for online MPPT implementation. The results are analyzed using the MATLAB/Simulink tool for a 4 × 4 PV array under PSCs. The IMCA-LAE algorithm is compared against the perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm, the incremental conductance (INC) algorithm, the musical chairs algorithm (MCA), and the gray wolf and whale optimization algorithm (GWWA) to illustrate the effectiveness of the suggested hybrid MPPT approach. The efficacy is further examined regarding five performance criteria: generated output power, convergence time, mismatch power loss, efficiency, and fill factor. The proposed IMCA-LAE outperformed the other algorithms. Full article

Improving animal welfare through standardized management protocols remains a key challenge in intensive pig production. Auditory enrichment, such as music, represents a promising non-invasive strategy, yet its application is often empirical, lacking mechanistic understanding and objective assessment tools. This study investigated growing pigs’ active preferences for structured musical parameters to establish a precision auditory enrichment framework. Seventy-two crossbred pigs were subjected to a free-choice paradigm under simulated farm conditions, with a 2 × 2 factorial design manipulating musical stimulus type (a guqin string piece vs. a Mozart wind excerpt) and tempo (fast: 200 bpm vs. slow: 65 bpm) was continuously quantified using an enhanced YOLOv11-based automated recognition system (mean average precision mAP₅₀: 90.5% ± 1.5%). Results revealed highly parameter-dependent effects: the slow-tempo GS stimulus and the fast-tempo MF stimulus significantly prolonged occupancy time (p < 0.01) and elicited distinct profiles. The GS stimulus promoted a calm, investigative state, increasing lying, exploration, and drinking time (p < 0.05), while the MF stimulus stimulated an active playful state, characterized by increased walking and playing (p < 0.05). Other musical combinations showed negligible effects, whereas noise exposure consistently triggered stress-related responses. This study establishes an integrated “parametric design → automated assessment → specific output” methodology for precision auditory enrichment, providing an empirical basis for evidence-based acoustic protocols in commercial pig production. Full article

Moth auditory systems, evolutionarily adapted and structurally diverse with ultrasonic sensitivity, underpin the development of acoustic-based pest management strategies. Here, based on hypotheses derived from previous findings, we tested whether and how audible sounds (music, bird chirp, noise; 0.25–1 kHz, 80/120 dB) affect the development, survival, behavior and fecundity, as well as the molecular responses, using both short-term and long-term exposure (three successive generations) experimental designs. Behavioral assays showed dose-specific responses: high-intensity (120 dB) bird chirp and noise suppressed larval and adult activity, while low-intensity (80 dB) counterparts promoted larval crawling. Long-term exposure revealed that bird chirp and noise significantly impaired fitness, reducing larval/pupal body weight, pupation/eclosion rates, and egg hatching rate, with 120 dB noise exerting the strongest effects; 80 dB music showed neutral or positive impacts. Transcriptomic analysis identified 71–235 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across treatment groups, with bird chirp and noise inducing more downregulated DEGs related to metabolism, immunity, and development. Notably, all cuticle-related DEGs in the 80 dB noise group and 53.2% in the 120 dB noise group were upregulated, suggesting stress-induced cuticular remodeling. GO/KEGG enrichment indicated distinct patterns: 80 dB music, bird chirp and 120 dB noise groups only had downregulated DEGs enriched in certain terms/pathways, mainly associated with cellular components; the 80 dB noise group had upregulated DEGs enriched in sensory, cuticle, metabolism and longevity-related terms/pathways, and downregulated DEGs in metabolism and human disease-related terms/pathways. Analysis of the expression patterns of all the longevity pathway-related genes suggested that sound stress induces lifespan regulation in this insect. These findings clarify S. frugiperda’s multidimensional responses to audible sound, providing a foundation for sound-based pest management. Full article

This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of non-pharmacological interventions to reduce anxiety and agitation and improve observable wellbeing and patient engagement for people with dementia in acute hospital environments. The global increase in dementia has resulted in a substantial number of acute hospital beds occupied by people with dementia. Hospitalisation can exacerbate behavioural and psychosocial symptoms of dementia (BPSD) including anxiety and agitation, which negatively affects patient experience, safety and care. Clinical guidance recommends non-pharmacological interventions as a first-line tactic to manage BPSD. However, evidence for the effectiveness and feasibility of these interventions remains fragmented in such pressured environments. A systematic search of seven databases was conducted for studies published in the last ten years (2015–25), following the PRISMA guidelines. Fourteen studies met the eligibility criteria and included a total of 749 people with dementia. Studies used mixed interventions; music, music therapy and person-centred care highly featured and most studies reported reductions in observable BPSD during or immediately after interventions. Secondary benefits included wellbeing, reduced psychotropic medicine use, length of hospitalisation and high staff and patient acceptability. There was limited evidence for sustained effects beyond intervention. This review supports the feasibility and effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in acute hospitals to support dementia-inclusive, person-centred care. Full article

This study investigates the soundscape of Taoist temples and its influence on visitors’ worship experiences, integrating auditory perception, visual landscape evaluation, and emotional and experiential responses into a comprehensive analytical framework. Based on questionnaire surveys conducted in multiple Taoist temples, the study examines how different sound sources affect soundscape evaluation and how this evaluation shapes perceptual and experiential outcomes. The results indicate that Taoist ritual sounds (e.g., ritual music and chanting) play a significant positive role in shaping visitors’ soundscape evaluation, whereas artificial sounds related to general human activities show a negative effect. Soundscape evaluation is found to significantly influence visual landscape evaluation and emotional perception, and further contributes to visitors’ overall temple experience. Visual landscape evaluation is found to partially mediate the relationship between soundscape evaluation and emotional perception, while emotional perception further mediates the relationship between soundscape evaluation and temple experience. A comparison across sensory dimensions suggests that soundscape evaluation exerts a relatively stronger influence on temple experience than visual landscape evaluation, highlighting the important role of auditory experience in religious and cultural environments. The study also identifies a synergistic interaction between auditory and visual evaluation, indicating that multisensory integration can enhance the overall experiential quality of Taoist temples. Overall, this research provides empirical insights into the role of soundscapes in religious spaces and offers practical implications for the design, management, and optimization of multisensory environments in Taoist temples. Full article

Background/Objectives: Test anxiety can impair working memory, attention, and executive function, raising questions about what might increase cognitive readiness prior to testing. Methods: This study examined how brief meditation, social media use, and calming or upbeat music influence neural activity and performance on a second-language exam using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results: Forty-five advanced German students completed two matched exams—one preceded by a randomly assigned three-minute activity and one taken without a pre-test activity. fNIRS measured cortical activity in the prefrontal cortex, Broca’s area, and Wernicke’s area during both the pre-test activity and the exam. Behaviorally, meditation significantly improved exam scores compared to control (p < 0.02), social media use significantly reduced scores (p < 0.002), calming music showed no effect (p = 0.06), and upbeat music had no effect (p = 0.27). Neural analyses revealed that social media increased activation in socially oriented prefrontal regions, including the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), while reducing activation in right Broca’s area, corresponding with lower performance. Due to technical issues, fNIRS data during the meditation condition were excluded from neural analyses. Conclusions: These findings indicate that short pre-exam interventions can influence neural engagement and academic performance, highlighting the potential benefits of meditation and the possible negative impact of social media immediately before testing. Full article

Background: Balance is a key ability in rhythmic gymnastics, affecting not only technical performance but also the aesthetic and expressive quality of routines. Standard tests often do not reflect the real demands of the sport, where gymnasts must simultaneously maintain stability, manipulate apparatus, and follow the musical rhythm. Therefore, there is a need for a specific test that combines motor and cognitive challenges to provide a precise and reliable assessment of athletes’ functional abilities. Methods: The study involved 12 girls with an average age of 9 years. Participants underwent anthropometric measurements and were tested using standard motor tests as well as a specific balance test for rhythmic gymnasts (BTRG). Test reliability was assessed using a test–retest procedure, and construct validity was evaluated through factor analysis in comparison with existing balance tests. Results: The BTRG demonstrated high reliability (ICC = 0.96; CV = 6.4%; SEM = 0.18) and the ability to distinguish gymnasts from different programs. Factor analysis confirmed that the BTRG effectively measures specific balance in accordance with theoretical expectations. Conclusions: The new test provides a potentially valid and reliable tool for assessing specific balance in rhythmic gymnasts and maybe useful in the training process, athlete evaluation, and talent development; however, these finding should be interpreted with caution as they are preliminary and derived from pilot study. Full article

Outdoor music festivals (OMFs) increasingly operate as a form of temporary land use that activates urban stock land, yet how such land-use reconfigurations unfold across uneven urban–rural geographies remains insufficiently examined. Taking China’s OMFs from 2013 to 2024 as a case, this study applies the Geodetector model within a spatial justice framework to analyze fifteen indicators organized along the distributional, procedural, and recognition dimensions. The results show a pronounced “market-sinking” trend accompanied by westward expansion, and the seasonal clustering gradually moderated. The three dimensions jointly shape OMFs’ diffusion through distinguishable pathways, with the procedural dimension exhibiting the highest explanatory power through institutional steering and industrial coordination, followed by the recognition dimension through demographic foundations and digital visibility, and the distributional dimension through material and infrastructural accessibility; interaction detection further indicates that their joint presence produces amplified effects. These mechanisms align with international land-use and territorial-governance studies, while reflecting the state-led coordination distinctive to China. The findings point to an emerging form of collaborative co-creation in which governmental, market, and community actors jointly shape the spatial production of cultural events, extending the classical core–periphery account and informing debates on the territorial governance of event spaces in non-metropolitan regions. Full article

Background: Musical training has been widely associated with enhanced cognitive abilities, yet its influence on food-related cognitive processing remains largely unexplored. Food craving is known to interfere with working memory (WM), particularly in the presence of highly salient food cues. This study investigated how musical training interacts with food craving to shape WM performance in food-related contexts. Methods: Thirty-eight university students with or without musical training completed a food cue 2-back task involving high- and low-calorie food images while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Behavioral performance (reaction time and accuracy), event-related potentials (ERPs), and self-reported food craving were assessed. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted to examine the role of craving-related dimensions in task performance. Results: Participants with musical training showed longer reaction times than non-musically trained participants, while accuracy did not differ between groups. EEG results revealed larger N2 amplitudes in musically trained individuals in response to high-calorie food cues, indicating increased cognitive conflict. Mediation analyses showed that food craving-related intentions and plans indirectly linked musical training to slower task performance, and moderation analyses indicated that this effect was stronger with longer training duration. Conclusions: These findings suggest that musical training does not uniformly facilitate working memory in food-related contexts but may heighten sensitivity to motivationally salient food cues, thereby increasing cognitive interference. The study highlights the importance of individual experience and internal states in shaping cognitive responses to food cues and provides new insights into how expertise may influence food-related cognition and decision-making. Full article

A growing number of studies have highlighted the various sensory interactions involved in the musical experience, as relationships between music and dimensions of taste, olfaction, sound, and visual qualities, such as associations between pitch and the size of images or objects, spatial location and frequency, and instrumental timbres and visual shapes. These studies share the premise that the way we relate to the musical phenomenon, whether in the processes of production, perception, or understanding, emerges from an integrated and intrinsically multisensory perceptual event. Nevertheless, because music is present daily in everyday life and because this experience is inherently subjective, such interactions tend to occur so naturally and seem so obvious that they have been relegated to common sense. On the other hand, evidence indicates that sensory interactions constitute a fundamental ancestral mechanism for cognitive and neuronal development governed by non-arbitrary tendencies, multiple variables, and patterns of predictability. The novel contribution of this review is to advance a dynamic theoretical model of multisensory musical experience that takes crossmodal correspondences as its central organising axis, articulated through three structuring principles (universality, congruence effect, hierarchical tendency) and their interaction with musical organisation, cognitive structure, and the sensory systems mobilised by music. A future research agenda is also proposed to broaden and deepen investigations in the field of music psychology and human development. Full article

This paper presents a systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, synthesising evidence on how visual and spatial features of classical concert settings—such as performer visibility, seating position and sightlines, stage layout, lighting, and vibrotactile cues—shape listeners’ engagement and judgments. RILM, APA PsycNet, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for peer-reviewed experimental studies that manipulated or compared visual/spatial dimensions and reported subjective or physiological outcomes relevant to live, non-amplified contexts. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened, and data were extracted and analysed with respect to study design, stimulus environment, outcome measures, and main effects. Heterogeneity across studies precluded meta-analysis; therefore, a narrative synthesis was conducted. A total of 23 publications—22 experiments and one meta-analysis—met the inclusion criteria: the reviewed studies primarily examined issues related to visual presence and spatial configuration. Most studies relied on laboratory or home-based audiovisual reproductions, with only one study collecting data in a naturalistic performance setting. The evidence is limited by methodological heterogeneity, the predominance of simulated environments, and variability in outcome measures. Overall, visual and spatial factors substantially shape classical music listening and the audience experience, underscoring the need for more field-based and methodologically standardised research. Full article

This study presents a representation-centric evaluation of audio foundation models for fine-grained musical instrument analysis, focusing on cymbal classification. A confound-aware comparison of CLAP and MERT embeddings is conducted to examine how each latent space supports recoverability of acoustically and semantically relevant information. To support this analysis, the study introduces a representation-centric, confound-aware multi-stage evaluation framework that separates exploratory geometry, leakage-safe probing, and supporting unsupervised clustering evidence. The methodology is applied to a challenging cymbal dataset characterized by hierarchical labels, class imbalance, and subtle acoustic variation. Results reveal a target-dependent profile of representational strengths rather than a single overall winner. CLAP exhibits stronger variance concentration and more label-consistent local neighborhood organization, and it outperforms MERT on fine-grained, strike-related targets. MERT, however, retains a small but consistent advantage on higher-level cymbal-type classification. Unsupervised analyses show that these advantages reflect local neighborhood structure, not strong global cluster formation, and confound diagnostics indicate that size-related information remains largely type-mediated. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of structured, multi-stage evaluation for disentangling embedding geometry, recoverability, and confound effects while demonstrating the complementary strengths of AFMs in complex audio classification settings. Full article