The Effect of Instruction on Musicians' and Non-Musicians' Aesthetic Response to Brazilian and African Music

This study examined aesthetic response to Brazilian and African music experienced with and without instruction received prior to the listening session. In addition, there was an attempt to determine if there was a difference in response between musicians (music therapy majors) and non-musicians (psychology majors). The participants (N = 44) were undergraduate students enrolled at two private comprehensive universities in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Data was collected via the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI). Prior to the listening experience, half the participants from both musicians (n = 22) and non-musicians (n = 22) groups read an instruction sheet describing the musical style, historical background, and cultural context of the musical selections. The remaining participants in both groups received no instruction prior to their listening session. Results indicated that instruction had a statistically significant effect on musicians' aesthetic response to the African and Brazilian songs, but the same instruction did not significantly affect non-musicians.