I Play For Togetherness: Impacts of Audio-Visual Asynchrony on Feelings of Social Closeness in Adult Community Wind Band Musicians

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the effects of audio-visual asynchrony on feelings of social closeness in adult community band musicians. This study is situated within the fields of music cognition and sociology and explores how changes to the cognitive load of a performing musician by means of conflicting sensory information affects interpersonal relationships, feelings of belonging and group solidarity, and feelings of social closeness. Adult instrumental musicians (N = 163) from four groups within the Cosmopolitan Music Society (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), participated in this study which utilized a pre-test/post-test experimental design. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses, including the composite measure called the Social Closeness Index (SCI), indicated audio-visual asynchrony negatively impacted feelings of social closeness. Group membership was a significant factor in changes in feelings of social closeness, with novice, intermediate, and advanced groups experiencing large drops in SCI scores, and the beginner group experiencing very little effect. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.