Sensorimotor relationship and musical affordances
(2025) Nordic Network of Research in Music Education 2025- Abstract
- Recent years has seen a number of music researchers taking interest in the concept of affordances. Although interpretation of the concept varies, a common denominator is that affordances are opportunities for actions emerging between a subject and the environment. As such, it is an analytical perspective that highlights material and embodied dynamics of musical practice, dimensions central to musical learning. More precisely, the focus for this presentation is how affordances can be used as analytical tool for understanding how learners develop their sensorimotor relationship with the instrument of choice.
Given that affordances are properties of perceptual content, there is an argument for a first-person methodological approach;... (More) - Recent years has seen a number of music researchers taking interest in the concept of affordances. Although interpretation of the concept varies, a common denominator is that affordances are opportunities for actions emerging between a subject and the environment. As such, it is an analytical perspective that highlights material and embodied dynamics of musical practice, dimensions central to musical learning. More precisely, the focus for this presentation is how affordances can be used as analytical tool for understanding how learners develop their sensorimotor relationship with the instrument of choice.
Given that affordances are properties of perceptual content, there is an argument for a first-person methodological approach; perceptual experience is far richer than what can be caught or conveyed through traditional methods, such as observations or interviews.
A critical counterargument against a first-person approach on the topic, however, is that affordances by definition partly are intuitive – they are perceived and acted upon through entrainment and habitual patterns of attention. Consequently, a challenge for musician-researchers conducting affordance-based inquiries into their own practice, is that they may be unaware of the phenomenon in focus.
This presentation aims at targeting this challenge by developing methodological ideas, drawing upon analytical autoethnography and constrain-led approach. The basic idea is to create interruption, estrangement or amplification through manipulation of components of the musician-instrument interaction.
The outcome of such studies holds a potential for conceptual development with regards to the embodied dimension of musical practice and learning.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/20fb7166-dc21-4379-9e8f-a3ec8df9636f
- author
- Tullberg, Markus LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-03-09
- type
- Contribution to conference
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- musical instruments, Musical performance, Musical affordances, music, instruction and study, Musikinstrument, musikalisk gestaltning, musikundervisning
- conference name
- Nordic Network of Research in Music Education 2025
- conference location
- Hurdal, Norway
- conference dates
- 2025-03-08 - 2025-03-10
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 20fb7166-dc21-4379-9e8f-a3ec8df9636f
- date added to LUP
- 2025-05-27 15:17:46
- date last changed
- 2025-06-03 16:00:07
@misc{20fb7166-dc21-4379-9e8f-a3ec8df9636f,
abstract = {{Recent years has seen a number of music researchers taking interest in the concept of affordances. Although interpretation of the concept varies, a common denominator is that affordances are opportunities for actions emerging between a subject and the environment. As such, it is an analytical perspective that highlights material and embodied dynamics of musical practice, dimensions central to musical learning. More precisely, the focus for this presentation is how affordances can be used as analytical tool for understanding how learners develop their sensorimotor relationship with the instrument of choice.<br/><br/>Given that affordances are properties of perceptual content, there is an argument for a first-person methodological approach; perceptual experience is far richer than what can be caught or conveyed through traditional methods, such as observations or interviews. <br/>A critical counterargument against a first-person approach on the topic, however, is that affordances by definition partly are intuitive – they are perceived and acted upon through entrainment and habitual patterns of attention. Consequently, a challenge for musician-researchers conducting affordance-based inquiries into their own practice, is that they may be unaware of the phenomenon in focus. <br/><br/>This presentation aims at targeting this challenge by developing methodological ideas, drawing upon analytical autoethnography and constrain-led approach. The basic idea is to create interruption, estrangement or amplification through manipulation of components of the musician-instrument interaction.<br/><br/>The outcome of such studies holds a potential for conceptual development with regards to the embodied dimension of musical practice and learning.<br/>}},
author = {{Tullberg, Markus}},
keywords = {{musical instruments; Musical performance; Musical affordances; music, instruction and study; Musikinstrument; musikalisk gestaltning; musikundervisning}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
title = {{Sensorimotor relationship and musical affordances}},
year = {{2025}},
}