Sticking choices in timpani sight-reading performance

When sight-reading a score, a timpanist needs to decide in real-time which stick to use to play a specific note while interpreting the musical material. Our main point of inquiry seeks to understand which sticking patterns performers employ and how they are affected by rhythmic stability. This paper analyzes the bi-manual sequencing (i.e., sticking) patterns of 31 timpanists in a sight-reading task. We analyze their results compared to model sticking patterns common in percussion pedagogical literature. Results show that while hand dominance plays an essential role in an individual's sticking pattern, the stability of a rhythmic pattern may also dramatically influence the observed particular sticking strategies. In areas of rhythmic stability, performers largely adhered to one of two conventional sticking patterns in the literature (dominant hand lead & alternating). Where rhythmic patterns became more unstable, the performers separated into diverse sticking groups. Moreover, several performers demonstrated sticking patterns which were hybrids or an inverse of the model sticking patterns, without any impact on the success of their sight-reading abilities. Overall, no two individual performers demonstrated the same sticking pattern. In terms of percussion pedagogy, our findings suggest that performers may benefit from an awareness of the adaptability of model sticking strategies. Lastly, we make the case for further study of rhythmic stability and bi-manual sequencing by locating the difference between notational and aural complexity.

Auditory Processing in Musicians, a Cross-Sectional Study, as a Basis for Auditory Training Optimization

Μusicians are reported to have enhanced auditory processing. This study aimed to assess auditory perception in Greek musicians with respect to their musical specialization and to compare their auditory processing with that of non-musicians. Auditory processing elements evaluated were speech recognition in babble, rhythmic advantage in speech recognition, short-term working memory, temporal resolution, and frequency discrimination threshold detection. All groups were of 12 participants. Three distinct experimental groups tested included western classical musicians, Byzantine chanters, and percussionists. The control group consisted of 12 non-musicians. The results revealed: (i) a rhythmic advantage for word recognition in noise for classical musicians (M = 12.42) compared to Byzantine musicians (M = 9.83), as well as for musicians compared to non-musicians (U = 120.50, p = 0.019), (ii) better frequency discrimination threshold of Byzantine musicians (M = 3.17, p = 0.002) compared to the other two musicians' group for the 2000 Hz region, (iii) statistically significant better working memory for musicians (U = 123.00, p = 0.025) compared to non-musicians. Musical training enhances elements of auditory processing and may be used as an additional rehabilitation approach during auditory training, focusing on specific types of music for specific auditory processing deficits.

Acute Effects of Percussive Massage Therapy on Thoracolumbar Fascia Thickness and Ultrasound Echo Intensity in Healthy Male Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Percussive massage therapy (PT) has been widely used by therapists and the fitness population to treat myofascial-related conditions. However, there is no evidence to confirm the effects of PT on the fascia. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PT on thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) morphology and other related outcomes.

METHODS

Sixty-six healthy males participated and were randomly allocated into a percussive massage group (PT group) and a control group. The PT group received 15 min of back percussion massage, while the control group rested prone lying in the same environment for 15 min. Thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) thickness and echo intensity, perceived stiffness, lumbar flexibility, and skin temperature were measured in both groups before and immediately after the intervention.

RESULT

TLF thickness and lumbar flexibility did not change when compared in the two groups. However, the echo intensity (left side, difference -3.36, 95% CI -5.1 to -1.6; right side, difference -4.39, 95% CI -6.1 to -2.7) and perceived stiffness (difference, -1.18, 95% CI -1.84 to -0.52) in the TLF region were significantly lower in the PT group than in the control group and were accompanied by increased skin temperature (difference 0.29, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.48).

CONCLUSION

We suggest that a 15 min PT with 30 Hz on the back region could reduce TLF echo intensity and perceived stiffness and increase skin temperature in healthy men individual.

Percussion and PSO-SVM-Based Damage Detection for Refractory Materials

Refractory materials are basic materials widely used in industrial furnaces and thermal equipment. Their microstructure is similar to that of many heterogeneous high-performance materials used in micro/nanodevices. The presence of damage can reduce the mechanical properties and service life of refractory materials and even cause serious safety accidents. In this paper, a novel percussion and particle swarm optimization-support vector machine (PSO-SVM)-based method is proposed to detect damage in refractory materials. An impact is applied to the material and the generated sound is recorded. The percussion-induced sound signals are fed into a mel filter bank to generate time-frequency representations in the form of mel spectrograms. Then, two image descriptors-the local binary pattern (LBP) and histogram of oriented gradient (HOG)-are used to extract the texture information of the mel spectrogram. Finally, combining both HOG and LBP features, the fused features are input to the PSO-SVM algorithm to realize damage detection in refractory materials. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could identify five different degrees of damage of refractory materials, with an accuracy rate greater than 97%. Therefore, the percussion and PSO-SVM-based method proposed in this paper has high potential for field applications in damage detection in refractory material, and also has the potential to be extended to research on damage detection methods for other materials used in micro/nanodevices.

The Impact of Limb Velocity Variability on Mallet Accuracy in Marimba Performance

The present study examined spatial accuracy of mallet endpoints in a marimba performance context. Trained percussionists performed two- (i.e., Experiment 1) and four-mallet (i.e., Experiment 2) excerpts in three tempo conditions including slow, intermediate, and fast. Motion capture was utilized to gather data of upper-limb and mallet movements, as well as to compute velocities of the upper-limb joints. Mallet spatial accuracy was assessed by comparing mallet endpoints to a visual target positioned on the marimba. It was hypothesized that mallet spatial accuracy would be reduced as tempo condition increased, with effects on joint kinematics potentially revealing sensorimotor mechanisms underlying optimal sound production in marimba. Across both experiments, mallet accuracy was reduced as tempo condition increased. Interestingly, velocity variability in the elbows, wrists, and hands increased as mallet accuracy decreased. Such a pattern of effects suggested that sound production in marimba is suboptimal at fast relative to slow tempi. In addition, the velocity variability effects highlight the impact of motor planning mechanisms on sound production. Overall, the results shed new light on sensorimotor control in percussion which can be leveraged to enhance the training of percussionists.

Temporospatial Alterations in Upper-Limb and Mallet Control Underlie Motor Learning in Marimba Performance

Sound-producing movements in percussion performance require a high degree of fine motor control. However, there remains a relatively limited empirical understanding of how performance level abilities develop in percussion performance in general, and marimba performance specifically. To address this issue, nine percussionists performed individualised excerpts on marimba within three testing sessions spaced 29 days apart to assess early, intermediate, and late stages of motor learning. Motor learning was quantified via analyses of both the temporal control of mallet movements, and the spatial variability of upper-limb movements. The results showed that temporal control of mallet movements was greater in the intermediate compared to the early learning session, with no significant additional improvements revealed in the late learning session. In addition, spatial variability in the left and right elbows decreased within the intermediate compared to the early learning session. The results suggest that temporal control of mallet movements may be driven by reductions in spatial variability of elbow movements specifically. As a result, this study provides novel evidence for kinematic mechanisms underlying motor learning in percussion which can be applied towards enhancing musical training.

The Acute Effects of a Percussive Massage Treatment with a Hypervolt Device on Plantar Flexor Muscles' Range of Motion and Performance

Handheld percussive massage treatment has gained popularity in recent years, for both therapeutic use and in sports practice. It is used with the goals of increasing flexibility and performance, but also to accelerate recovery. However, until now, there has been no scientific evidence, which proves such effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 5-min percussion treatment of the calf muscles on range of motion (ROM) and maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) torque of the plantar flexor muscles. Sixteen healthy male volunteers (mean ± SD; 27.2 ± 4.2 years, 1.79 ± 0.05 m, 79.4 ± 9.1 kg) were tested on two separate days with either a 5-min massage treatment of the calf muscles with a Hypervolt device or the control condition (sitting only). Before and after the treatments, dorsiflexion ROM and MVC torque of the plantar flexor muscles were measured with a dynamometer. Maximum dorsiflexion ROM increased with a large magnitude following the massage treatment by 5.4° (+18.4%; p = 0.002, d= 1.36), while there was no change in the control group. Moreover, MVC torque did not change following both the massage treatment and the control treatment. Similar to a conventional massage by a therapist, ROM can be increased by a handheld percussive massage treatment without having an effect on muscle strength.

Early Detection of Acute Chest Syndrome Through Electronic Recording and Analysis of Auscultatory Percussion

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is the leading cause of death among people with sickle cell disease. ACS is clinically defined and diagnosed by the presence of a new pulmonary infiltrate on chest imaging with accompanying fever and respiratory symptoms like hypoxia, tachypnea, and shortness of breath. However, the characteristic chest x-ray (CXR) findings necessary for a clinical diagnosis of ACS can be difficult to detect, as is determining which patient needs a CXR. This makes early detection difficult; but it is critical in order to limit ACS severity and subsequent fatalities. This research project looks to apply percussion and auscultation techniques that can provide an immediate diagnosis of acute pulmonary conditions by using an automated standard percussive input and electronic auscultation for computational analysis of the measured signal. Measurements on sickle cell patients having ACS, vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), and regular clinic visits (healthy) were recorded and analyzed. Average intensity of sound transmission through the chest and lungs was determined in the ACS and healthy subject groups, revealing an average of 10–14 dB decrease in sound intensity in the ACS group compared to the healthy group. A random under-sampling boosted tree classification model identified with 94% accuracy the positive ACS and healthy observations. The analysis also revealed unique measurable changes in a small number of cases clinically classified as complicated VOC, which later developed into ACS. This suggests the developed approach may also have early predictive capability, identifying patients at risk for developing ACS prior to current clinical practice.

[An active approach to music therapy through percussion instruments]

Percussion instruments, creativity and the helping relationship are at the heart of the evolution of a rhythmic expression workshop towards a structure designed for the practice of active music therapy. Thanks to instruments within everyone's reach, the therapy based on sound production, improvisation and creativity enables patients to express themselves, communicate and create links, while constructing an identity.

Eye-Hand Synchronization in Xylophone Performance: Two Case-Studies with African and Western Percussionists

This article is the result of a first foray into xylophone performance with percussionists from Canada and Cameroon. It proposes to use the combination of Eye-Stroke Span (ESS), Fixation- Duration and Note-Pattern indexes to analyze free-score and performance oriented musical tasks, instead of eye-hand span or awareness span for sight-reading and score-based eye-tracking research in music. Based on measurements realized with a head-mounted eyetracker system, the research examines gaze-movements related to eye-hand synchronization in xylophone performance with musicians coming from three different ethnic groups from Cameroon (Bedzan Pygmies, Tikar and Eton) and classically trained Western percussionists (Canada). Increases in tempo are found to involve a diminution of the number of fixations, but not proportionally, as well as changes in lateral gaze shifts. Fixation-Duration and Note- Pattern are closely related but not identical, while ESS is relatively more independent. These gaze patterns are consistent within individuals, but not across individuals. Cameroonian musicians tend to look away from their instrument, interacting with their peers or with the audience. When they look at their keyboard, preliminary measures of ESS were found similar to the ESS of Western performers.

How bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) prepare to use a stone to crack nuts

Bearded capuchin monkeys crack nuts with naturally varying stone hammers, suggesting they may tune their grips and muscular forces to each stone. If so, they might use discrete actions on a stone before lifting and striking, and they would likely use these actions more frequently when the stone is larger and/or less familiar and/or when first initiating striking. We examined the behavior of (a) four monkeys (all proficient at cracking nuts) with two larger (1 kg) and two smaller (0.5 kg) stones, (b) 12 monkeys with one 1 kg stone, and (c) one monkey during its first 100 strikes with an initially unfamiliar 1 kg stone. Bearded capuchin monkeys used three discrete actions on the stone before striking, all more often with the larger stones than the smaller stones. We infer that the first discrete action (Spin) aided the monkey in determining where to grip the stone, the second (Flip) allowed it to position the stone on the anvil ergonomically before lifting it, and the third (Preparatory Lift) readied the monkey for the strenuous lifting action. The monkey that provided 100 strikes with one initially unfamiliar stone performed fewer Spins in later strikes but performed Flip and Preparatory Lift at consistent rates. The monkeys gripped the stone with both hands along the sides to lift it, but usually moved one or both hands to the top of the stone at the zenith of the lift for the downward strike. The findings highlight two new aspects of the capuchins' nut-cracking: (a) Anticipatory actions with the stone before striking, especially when the stone is larger or unfamiliar, and when initiating striking and (b) shifting grips on the stone during a strike. We invite researchers to investigate if other taxa use anticipatory actions and shift their grips during percussive activity.

Differential diagnosis and surgical management of cecal dilatation vis-a-vis cecal impaction in bovine

Aim

The present study was undertaken to study the clinical and hemato-biochemical alterations, ultrasonography, and surgical treatment of bovine suffering from cecal dilatation and cecal impaction.

Materials and Methods

The present study was conducted on 11 bovines (9 buffaloes and 2 cattle) suffering from cecal dilatation (n=6) and cecal impaction (n=5). The diagnosis of surgical affections of cecum was made on the basis of clinical examination, hematobiochemistry, ultrasonography, and exploratory laparotomy.

Results

A marked decrease in serum total protein, albumin, chloride, potassium, and calcium levels while an increase in lactate concentrations was recorded. Peritoneal fluid examination revealed an increase in total protein concentration. Per rectal examination along with ultrasonography was used as a confirmatory diagnostic tool for cecal dilatation and cecal impaction. Ultrasonographic features of cecal dilatation and cecal impaction were recorded. Left flank laparorumenotomy was performed in six animals with dilated cecum along with colonic fecalith. Post-rumenotomy, these animals were treated with massage of cecum along with kneading of colonic fecalith. Right flank typhlotomy was done in the remaining five animals having impacted cecum for decompression of the dilated cecum. 9 of 11 animals survived which underwent surgery and remained healthy up to 3-month follow-up.

Conclusion

Ultrasonography was reliable in the diagnosis of cecal dilatation and cecal impaction in bovine. Left flank exploration after laparorumenotomy is an ideal surgical technique for the management of cecal dilatation, while right flank typhlotomy is ideal for the management of cecal impaction in bovine.

Variability in an early hominin percussive tradition: the Acheulean versus cultural variation in modern chimpanzee artefacts

Percussion makes a vital link between the activities of early human ancestors and other animals in tool-use and tool-making. Far more of the early human actions are preserved as archaeology, since the percussion was largely used for making hard tools of stone, rather than for direct access to food. Both primate tools and early hominin tools, however, offer a means to exploring variability in material culture, a strong focus of interest in recent primate studies. This paper charts such variability in the Acheulean, the longest-lasting tool tradition, extant form about 1.7 to about 0.1 Ma, and well known for its characteristic handaxes. The paper concentrates on the African record, although the Acheulean was also known in Europe and Asia. It uses principal components and discriminant analysis to examine the measurements from 66 assemblages (whole toolkits), and from 18 sets of handaxes. Its review of evidence confirms that there is deep-seated pattern in the variation, with variability within a site complex often matching or exceeding that between sites far distant in space and time. Current techniques of study allow comparisons of handaxes far more easily than for other components, stressing a need to develop common practice in measurement and analysis. The data suggest, however, that a higher proportion of traits recurs widely in Acheulean toolkits than in the chimpanzee record.

Music, Mechanism, and the "Sonic Turn" in Physical Diagnosis

The sonic diagnostic techniques of percussion and mediate auscultation advocated by Leopold von Auenbrugger and R. T. H. Laennec developed within larger musical contexts of practice, notation, and epistemology. Earlier, François-Nicolas Marquet proposed a musical notation of pulse that connected felt pulsation with heard music. Though contemporary vitalists rejected Marquet's work, mechanists such as Albrecht von Haller included it into the larger discourse about the physiological manifestations of bodily fluids and fibers. Educated in that mechanistic physiology, Auenbrugger used musical vocabulary to present his work on thoracic percussion; Laennec's musical experience shaped his exploration of the new timbres involved in mediate auscultation.

Percussion use and training: a survey of music therapy clinicians

BACKGROUND

Percussion instruments are commonly used in music therapy practice; however, the body of published literature regarding music therapy-related percussion training and practice is limited.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of our survey study was to describe: (a) clinician perspectives of their academic percussion training; (b) use of percussion testing during academic training; (c) clinician perspectives on relevance, adequacy, and importance of academic percussion training; (d) clinician perspectives of their nonacademic percussion training; and (e) current use of percussion in clinical practice. Through comparisons of these parameters, we sought to provide information that may inform future percussion use and training.

METHODS

Participants were selected using an email list from the Certification Board for Music Therapists. Board-certified music therapists (MT-BC) were provided with a researcher-created survey about academic percussion training, nonacademic percussion training, and use of percussion in clinical practice.

RESULTS

Survey response rate was 14.4% (611/4234). We used demographic data to address potential nonresponse error and ensure population representation for region of residence and region of academic training. Results revealed concerns about perceived adequacy of percussion training received during music therapy education (14.6% reported receiving no academic percussion training; 40.6% reported training was not adequate), and absence of percussion-specific proficiency exams. Of the training received, 62.8% indicated that training was relevant; however, a majority (76.5%) recommended current music therapy students receive more percussion training on instruments and skills most relevant to clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Comparisons between academic training, perceived needs in academic training, and clinical usage may inform future training and clinical competency. We provide suggestions for developing future training, as well as for furthering clinical implementation and research.

The musical environment and auditory plasticity: hearing the pitch of percussion

Although musical skills clearly improve with training, pitch processing has generally been believed to be biologically determined by the behavior of brain stem neural mechanisms. Two main classes of pitch models have emerged over the last 50 years. Harmonic template models have been used to explain cross-channel integration of frequency information, and waveform periodicity models have been used to explain pitch discrimination that is much finer than the resolution of the auditory nerve. It has been proposed that harmonic templates are learnt from repeated exposure to voice, and so it may also be possible to learn inharmonic templates from repeated exposure to inharmonic music instruments. This study investigated whether pitch-matching accuracy for inharmonic percussion instruments was better in people who have trained on these instruments and could reliably recognize their timbre. We found that adults who had trained with Indonesian gamelan instruments were better at recognizing and pitch-matching gamelan instruments than people with similar levels of music training, but no prior exposure to these instruments. These findings suggest that gamelan musicians were able to use inharmonic templates to support accurate pitch processing for these instruments. We suggest that recognition mechanisms based on spectrotemporal patterns of afferent auditory excitation in the early stages of pitch processing allow rapid priming of the lowest frequency partial of inharmonic timbres, explaining how music training can adapt pitch processing to different musical genres and instruments.