Perception of Structure in Collective Free Improvisation and its Context Dependency: An Exploratory Analysis

Abstract

This paper explores the hypothesis that similar structural notions can arise in different creative contexts, such as free improvisation and contemporary composition. Participants segmented a recorded improvisation into sequences based on personal criteria. Two groups were given different contexts: one group was informed the piece was a free improvisation, while the other was told it was a contemporary composition. Each participant analyzed one of 10 recordings. We aligned the segmentations by looking for overlaps within a specific time frame, Δt, considering segments simultaneous if they occurred within [t – Δt; t + Δt] of each other. Results indicated a high degree of similarity in perceived structure: 64% of segments overlapped within a 5-second frame, and 71% within 10 seconds. Additionally, the study found variations in the total number of segments and a correlation between sequence duration and the number of instruments used in the piece. These findings suggest that despite different contexts, there is a comparable perception of structural elements in musical pieces.