The performance quality is affected by social behaviors. The paper was carried to come up an answer of how daily social skills, social behaviors during ensemble practice, and the evaluation of music ensemble performance. 64 out of 68 female music majors responded to performance questionnaires created for the study entire. To assess the causal model of the relationship among social skills, social behaviors during ensemble practice, and the evaluation of group performance, it works employed structural equation modeling. The scores for social skills, styles of handling interpersonal conflicts, and leadership, the scores and social behaviors during ensemble practice revealed significant positive correlations. An analysis of the causal model suggested that a performer’s daily social skills, an integrating style of handling interpersonal conflict, and leadership in daily communication affected the evaluation of group performance mob psychology during ensemble practice. The paper will discuss the writer's methodology, findings, and conclusion, critique the study and highlight the importance of the survey about the course material.
Hypothesis
This article's theory is circling about three critical points which again circle about each other. The writer stresses that individual characteristic affects the who team and the combination of all the different features in an ensemble performance, portray the image of the team(Kewase 2). The efforts of all individuals affect the overall performance of the team. The writer also states that although nonverbal cues are essential and necessary in an ensemble, verbal communication cannot be eliminated. All the daily social skills are based on the verbal interaction which is hard to use during performance. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the individuals to combine the necessary skills to come up with the best performance of the team.
Methodology
In the methodology, sixty-eight female music majors participated in the study, a number which was narrowed down to 64 due to the similarities in marks for the four and leaving most of the questions blank. The female gender was chosen due to its high number of participants in music compared to their male counterparts. It is also important to note that the participants in the study had approximately 15 years of experience. The musical areas of interest were the piano which had 63 participants, voice with 19 participants, saxophone with 10 participants, electronic organ with 8 participants and clarinet and violin and 7 participants each forming the basis of our study. The performers interpersonal communication during practice and performance and the evaluations of ensemble or solo performance were critiqued. The self-rating aspect hiccup of the questionnaire was solved by the participants knowledge of how other people look to view them. It was also fostered by the fact that the same group of students had practical lessons and club activities together.
The researchers also used five types of scales that are self-rated for the social skills scales(Kawase, 5). One scale was for nonverbal behavior, another for handling interpersonal conflict and another for leadership. The five types of scales used were: Kikuchi's social skills scale, Wada's social skills questionnaire, Kato's scale of the styles of handling interpersonal conflict, the fourth was a scale with items measuring leadership and finally the Wada's nonverbal skills surveys. After all the data was collected, it was critically analyzed and grouped, and the following findings were made
Findings
After the methodology, the results were compiled and tabulated. For Kikuchi's social skills, there were some positive correlations between the items involving social behaviors during ensemble practice. Proper interpersonal conflict handling techniques were observed. The collected and analyzed data also showed the close relation between posting and avoided style and also between equality and compromising style. On individual daily skills, there was an initiation of a relationship and strategies regarding ensemble practice. It also revealed conflict avoidance and balance and adequate discussions. The relationship between nonverbal skills and music performance were factored. There was a close relationship between items related to performance and nonverbal skills. It was, however, limited to solo performances and not ensemble performances.
Discussion
The study was formed to investigate and come up with conclusions regarding performer's daily social skills and their evaluation of ensemble performance and their daily social skills and social behavior during band practice.
The study showed that daily social skills strategies for interpersonal conflicts and leadership in everyday life were intertwined with actions during ensemble practice and performance. It also revealed that the performers' daily socials skills affected their way of handling interpersonal conflict. It mainly affected ensemble performance and not necessarily solo performances. It was because communication was the focal point of ensemble practice and performance.
It is, therefore, justifiable to say that that integrating style of handling interpersonal conflict and leadership may affect the evaluation f ensemble performance. Integrating style creates a level field for all the partners involved in an ensemble practice or performance. Hence, the quality of ensemble performance is pegged on daily social skills and style of handling the day-to-day interpersonal conflict. Leadership is, however, not paramount. The leadership might not be forcing but reinforcing ideas via consensus hence quality ensemble performance. Leaders offering guidance and sound interpretation of ideas are often accepted and given the mandate to lead a group performance(Kawase, 7).
There was a contradiction in the analysis where it was also concluded that there was no relationship between nonverbal skills in daily communication and the evaluation of performance. In the real sense, nonverbal cues are the basis of ensemble performance.
It was also concluded that solo performance was associated with self-expression ability in performance making people with high nonverbal cues attractive to the audience.
In a nutshell, the daily social skills affect the overall practice and evaluation of performance whether solo or ensemble.
Praise
The aspect of conflict resolution in the study regarding group performance is one of the main elements are worth appreciating. As highlighted in the study, for any ensemble performance, there is a high probability that there will be frequent disagreement between the different members due to various ideas. As such, proper conflict-resolving mechanisms are advised to get a quality performance. It saves time on decision making and the creation of time for more practice is paramount in any kind of performance especially musical performances. Conflict resolution also prevents the breaking up of groups that can do better as a group rather than an individual. It also helps encompass all aspects from all people(Kawase, 7) to come up with a wholesome performance where there is a cocktail of ideas. The increase of ideas increases diversity and initiates originality. As such, conflict resolution as studied in this study is worth appreciating due to the fundamental and pivotal role in plays, especially in ensemble performances.
Another aspect of the study that deserves praise is leadership. A group of people cannot just direct themselves as a group. There will be much confusion and contradiction. It will cause disharmony and a lot of time will be spent on conflict resolution rather than constructive activities such as practice. A good leader with excellent leadership skills will be able to source for good ideas among the member (Kawase, 7) and be able to apply them in the daily routine of the group. With good leadership, there will be an equitable allocation of chores and maintaining a balance between all members. A leader will also help in solving all the interpersonal conflicts leading to quality performances. As such, leadership becomes an aspect in the Kawase study that deserves to be praised.
Least convincing
Among the aspects that are least convincing is the use of nonverbal cues. Even though the Kawase has highlighted nonverbal cues as the key aspects of ensemble performance, it is utterly ineffective especially when there is interpersonal conflict and where there is a difference in ideas. Nonverbal cues depend on the uniformity of ideas and level-headedness of all group members. Nonverbal cues can also be considered useless for the solo performers. Most of the times, nonverbal cues are supposed to be directed to team members to pass a particular idea or message(Kawase, 7). For solo performers, they are just themselves and the audience. The audience, in most cases, is not interested in the nonverbal cues. They are more into the performance that the cues. It, therefore, renders the use of nonverbal cues as one of the least impressive aspect of the study. The writer should coin the idea to be wholesome and independent.
Another most problematic idea is the forcing style(Kawase, 8). It is where a member of a group imposes something that suits them to others. Just because it works for one party, it does not only mean it will work for the other. This idea will lead to dictatorial kind of leadership which will result in low-quality performance and a breakup of the group. If not handled carefully, the forcing style will also affect the solo performance as one will be too rigid to change to what the audience wants. The lack of audience directly implies that there will be no performance. As such, forcing style is problematic and should be handled as soon as possible.
This study adds to the benefits of conflict resolution on daily social skills. It just stresses on its importance and how to implement it. It calls for the ultimate elimination of the daily conflicts for the betterment of the performance. It goes ahead to state that if a problem is ignorable, it is the best way to work, an aspect which is very fundamental in group practice and performance. It also adds on leadership on social behaviors. It teaches on how leadership can be used to improve on performances. It even goes ahead to stipulate the roles of the leader in the improvement of band practice and performance. The study, however, challenges association of solo performance with nonverbal expressions instead of self-expression ability (Kawase, 13). It, therefore, creates a condition whereby a solo performer needs to scale what they want to do and what is beneficial and that the audience will appreciate.
In a nutshell, the study has helped add to the vast knowledge of relations between performance. It introduced new ideas and new problem-solving mechanisms that can be used to solve emerging issues. The study has helped come with guidelines for a band leader making it easier for a person handed the rims of leadership to guide the group to achieve quality practices and performances.
Cited work
Kawase, Satoshi. Relationships between performers’ daily social skills, social behaviors in ensemble practice, and evaluations of ensemble performance. Musicae Scientiae. 2015
