Gender and Music Performance: Essential Reading for Listeners
Copyright © 2007 Dr Desmond Sergeant
35 extracts from published recordings have been arranged into a listening sequence.
Please listen to each extract in the sequence, and judge whether you think the performer is male or female. As there are only two genders, there is obviously a 50:50 chance of being correct, so to accommodate this, we also ask you to rate your confidence in your decision on a 7-point scale. As well as being truer to the kinds of decisions we make in real life – more "perhaps / maybe" than simply "yes /no", this method of response will allow us to create a scale of perceived 'masculinity/femininity' for each extract.
The total listening time for the sequence will depend on whether you allow each extract to play for its full duration (1½ mins.), but the maximum time required is 52 minutes. To end an extract, simply click on the 'close window' link on the player window; you can then provide your answers on the response page and proceed to the next extract. You may take a short break at any time at any time at the end of an extract. We realize that you may not wish to complete your listening in one session, and so the online programme will allow you to leave the sequence at any point and resume later. You can do this simply by bookmarking the page in the sequence on your internet browser: the program will then remember your computer, using a completely harmless cookie technology, and on your resuming the sequence, will take you back to the point at which you suspended it.
Bookmarking (or adding to favorites) is a very useful feature (that you almost certainly are already familiar with) and it works a little differently in each browser. In Internet Explorer, use the Favorites Menu to Add to Favorites. You can then use the Organize Favorites menu item to place your bookmark in a folder or particular place in the list. In Netscape, FireFox and Safari, choose Add Bookmark from the Bookmark menu. You can then choose Show All or Manage Bookmarks to create folders and/or rearrange your bookmarks.
In making your judgements, please rely only on the evidence of the sounds you hear: do not be beguiled by extraneous issues, - for example, by thinking "I've judged the last five to be male – the next must be female", or considering whether there might be an equal number of male/female performances in the sequence. As there are 35 performances in the sequence, you could not end up with equal numbers for each gender.
In some extracts more than one performer is present, but you will not be in any doubt as to which one you are to judge. Sure, one can argue that strictly speaking a clarinet sonata or an oboe quartet are properly chamber works in which all players have equal roles, but the 'solo' instrument is always obvious, and is stated on the response page.
We hope that you enjoy listening to the extracts we have chosen.
You should not regard this in any way as a test of your musical ability - it is a measure of perceived gender of musical performance.
It is not necessary to identify yourself in the box at the end of the response sheet, unless you would like to receive a copy of the research report when it is published (just don't expect it next week!).
Please proceed to the listening sequence
Click here to proceed to the listening sequence