FAMILIARITY AND CONTEXT IN CLASSICAL MUSIC: HOW PRE-EXPOSURE AND PROGRAM NOTES IMPACT AUDIENCE ENJOYMENT
Paros, Brynna
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130443
Description
Title
FAMILIARITY AND CONTEXT IN CLASSICAL MUSIC: HOW PRE-EXPOSURE AND PROGRAM NOTES IMPACT AUDIENCE ENJOYMENT
Author(s)
Paros, Brynna
Issue Date
2025
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Keeble, Jonathan
Federmeier, Kara
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Keeble, Jonathan
Committee Member(s)
Taylor, Stephen
Yeung, Ann
Department of Study
School of Music
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
A.Mus.D. (doctoral)
Date of Ingest
2025-12-08T15:53:17-06:00
Keyword(s)
Psychology of music
Musical familiarity
Program notes
Classical music
Audience engagement
Audience studies
Music cognition
Mere exposure effect
Language
eng
Abstract
This DMA thesis presents a quantitative, survey-based study at the intersection of music performance and psychology, investigating how musical familiarity and contextual framing affect audience enjoyment and engagement in classical music settings. Drawing from the “mere exposure effect” (Zajonc 1968) and music cognition research, the project compares the effects of aural preexposure and program notes, two common yet distinct concert strategies, on listener response to live performance videos. Each participant (N = 123) experienced three randomized flute performance excerpts, each under one of three conditions: aural pre-exposure, program note, or
control.
Contrary to the initial hypothesis, short-term interventions (pre-exposure and program notes) did not yield statistically significant differences in enjoyment or engagement across
conditions. Instead, participants’ prior classical music listening experience (CML) and classical music knowledge (CMK) emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictors of both enjoyment and engagement, followed by flute-playing experience, suggesting that deeper
familiarity with the art form, rather than momentary context, plays a pivotal role in shaping positive audience experiences. These findings complicate traditional assumptions about concert enhancement strategies and suggest that building audience engagement may depend more on fostering long-term exposure and musical familiarity than on offering brief contextual materials.
By integrating empirical research methods into a performance-centered project, this study also highlights the potential for psychological frameworks to inform concert programming, community engagement, and pedagogical practices, offering new pathways for bridging artistic excellence with inclusive engagement.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
