Cultural Tolerance and Music Preference: The Effect of Interdisciplinary Lessons on Students’ Aesthetic Response
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Abstract
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of interdisciplinary lessons on students’ aesthetic preference for African and Asian music. Nine graduate students, all Caucasians, enrolled in master’s degree in music education participated in the program. Subjects expressed, on a Likert-type scale, their aesthetic preference for seven excerpts of African music and seven excerpts of Asian music before and after interdisciplinary lessons. The lessons presented information about geography, history, social studies, and music of the African and Asian continents. Results show that subjects evaluated both music styles as being equally attractive in the pre-test. However, only the African musical excerpts were considered as being more pleasant after the interdisciplinary lessons. Such findings may be explained by subjects’ familiarity with the rhythm present in African music and lack of familiarity with the quarter tones featured in Asian vocal music.
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