Sixth Form Lecture - Expectation in Music

Our latest installment of the Queen Anne’s Lower Sixth Academic Enrichment Series was a lecture led by Senior Deputy Head (Academic) and teacher of music Mr Richards. This lecture was on the subject of “Expectation in Music – Music and Mind”, exploring music alongside concepts of psychology.

Mr Richards introduced our Lower Sixth students to the ITPRA Theory of Expectation, developed by David Huron. This theory is a mnemonic for the five expectation-related responses experienced when listening to a piece of music: imaginative, tension, prediction, reaction and appraisal responses. Each of these responses holds a biological function, which effects the brain while listening. “It’s all about listening to a composition and forming your own judgement” explained Mr Richards.

He also introduced the students to the Hevner Adjective Circle, which is used to categorise a piece of music within eight categories of emotion, using groups of adjectives.

Our students were played a number of extracts of music, from Handel to Randy Crawford, and were asked to think about the following five questions:

What do you think might happen, and how do you feel about that prospect?

Are you ready for what’s about to happen? How do the preparations make you feel?

Did you ‘place a good bet’ – did you predict the outcome accurately? Are you pleased or disappointed by the accuracy of your wager?

Assuming the worst, how have you reacted? How does this reaction make you feel?

Upon reflection, how do you feel about how things have turned out?

Mr Richards also emphasised the importance of understanding the context of the composer of a piece of music, as well as the time, place and occasion of the music. He introduced our students to the piece ‘Sinfonia – Movement III’ by Italian composer Berio. Berio was a highly influential composer, noted for his experimental approach to music.

With a background knowledge of the composer and the piece, our students had clearer expectations of what they may hear in ‘Sinfonia – Movement III’ and were able to be more detailed in their answers to the five questions of expectation.

“Do exercise your mind whilst listening to music” said Mr Richards. “So much can be discovered; there is still such a desperate sense of awe in music.”

Thank you very much to Mr Richards for presenting this insightful lecture.