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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Sep 10

@sydney.edu.au @smmb-lab.bsky.social @steffenherff.bsky.social @andytonality.bsky.social @muireannirish.bsky.social

The original paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Micro-variations in timing and loudness affect music-evoked mental imagery - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Micro-variations in timing and loudness affect music-evoked mental imagery

www.nature.com

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Sep 10

Following the publication of our paper "Micro-variations in timing and loudness affect music-evoked mental imagery", the University of Sydney has just shared a media release!

How tiny tweaks in music shape what we imagine
www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion...

How tiny tweaks in music shape what we imagine

New research from the Sydney Music, Mind and Body Lab at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the University of Sydney has found that even the smallest of human touches in music can shape and enhance...

www.sydney.edu.au

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 25

This study also contributes to the amazing work that our lab is doing! @smmb-lab.bsky.social

One including a recent publication on how music induces social interactions in imagination!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Solitary silence and social sounds: music can influence mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Solitary silence and social sounds: music can influence mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions

www.nature.com

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 25

Stimuli, experiment, and the code are available at osf.io/2qr4n/. 👩‍💻

Micro-variations in timing and loudness affect music-evoked mental imagery

Music can shape the vividness, sentiment, and content of directed mental imagery. Yet, the role of specific musical features in these effects remains elusive. One important aspect of human musical per...

osf.io

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 25

We also found that responses above were not uniform! They varied with individual differences in absorption (immersion), musical training, and imagery ability.

These findings have implications for the use of music to support imagery in creative, recreational, and therapeutic settings.

🎵♟️🧠⛸️

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 25

What we found (100 participants imagining a journey):

- Random micro-variations enhanced the vividness of imagined content compared to silence and mechanical playing.

- With random micro-variations, participants imagined travelling further and for longer.

💡🚶‍♂️⏳

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 25

We asked: how do random micro-variations in timing and loudness shape mental imagery, compared to mechanical drumming (that does not have those variations!) or silence?

💭❓

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 25

One important aspect of human musical performances is the presence of micro-variations—small deviations in timbre, pitch, and timing, driven by motor and attentional processes.

The ones that enhance perceived naturalness in music!

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 25

The first study from my PhD project is now available! 🎉

"Micro-variations in timing and loudness affect music-evoked mental imagery"

Supervised by wonderful @steffenherff.bsky.social @andytonality.bsky.social and @muireannirish.bsky.social.

Read here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Micro-variations in timing and loudness affect music-evoked mental imagery - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Micro-variations in timing and loudness affect music-evoked mental imagery

www.nature.com

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 12

I seem to have missed this super interesting talk! But thank you so much for sharing the plotted genre map - very cool!

Reposted by Ceren Ayyildiz

Amanda Krause @studylistening.bsky.social · Aug 12

Glenn speaks of genres as communities -- that genres are "really based in people". That you can speak to characteristics but "they're a result of the people involved".

The stats teacher in me loves that scatterplots underpin the plotted genre map: everynoise.com

#MusicScience

Every Noise at Once

everynoise.com

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Reposted by Ceren Ayyildiz

University of Sydney (USYD) @sydney.edu.au · Aug 11

“Whether we’re celebrating or grieving, music is something we can turn to."

A new study led by @steffenherff.bsky.social from @sydney.edu.au's Sydney Conservatorium of Music has shown for the first time empirically that music can keep you company by facilitating imagined social interactions.

Music is good company: new study shows music induces social imagination

Music keeps you company: a new study led by Dr Steffen A. Herff, cognitive neuroscientist at Sydney, Music, Mind and Body Lab at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, has shown for the first time empirically that music can indeed keep you company by facilitating imagined social interactions.

go.sydney.edu.au

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 9

I enjoyed chatting about the @smmb-lab.bsky.social’s recent research on music being good company at @abcnewsbot.bsky.social’s Weekend Breakfast! 🎥

Steffen Herff @steffenherff.bsky.social · Aug 9

@cerenayyildiz.bsky.social from the @smmb-lab.bsky.social just did a wonderful interview on live TV discussing our recent research looking at 'Can Music be good company'.
#musicscience #mentalimagery @sydney.edu.au

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Reposted by Ceren Ayyildiz

Sydney Music, Mind, and Body Lab @smmb-lab.bsky.social · Aug 9

Wonderful to see our research being featured on the ABC's Weekend Breakfast. In a wonderful chat between @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social from the Sydney, Music, Mind, and Body Lab, and Fauziah Ibrahim & Tom Oriti from the ABC, they discussed how music can be good company. @sydney.edu.au

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 6

My supervisor, Dr @steffenherff.bsky.social, and I wrote this piece for The Conversation on music and imagination:
“Can music be good company?”
…based on our lab’s recent work

@smmb-lab.bsky.social

theconversation.com/can-music-be...

Can music be good company? Research shows it makes our imagination more social

When people listen to music, they’re more likely to imagine social interactions.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Ceren Ayyildiz

Sydney Music, Mind, and Body Lab @smmb-lab.bsky.social · Aug 6

Can music be good company?

We contributed a small piece to the @theconversation.com drawing from recent work in the field of music and mental imagery. #musicscience #mentalimagery

theconversation.com/can-music-be...

Can music be good company? Research shows it makes our imagination more social

When people listen to music, they’re more likely to imagine social interactions.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Ceren Ayyildiz

Sydney Music, Mind, and Body Lab @smmb-lab.bsky.social · Aug 4

Delighted to share our new work 'Solitary silence and social sounds: music can influence mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions'. We show that music is indeed good company! #musicscience #mentalimagery www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Solitary silence and social sounds: music can influence mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Solitary silence and social sounds: music can influence mental imagery, inducing thoughts of social interactions

www.nature.com

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Aug 2

Grateful for the chance to chat with Turkish News Agency Cyprus (TAK) about music psychology + my journey! 🎶🧠

The interview was re-published in several outlets (in Turkish). E.g.,
🔗 www.yeniduzen.com/her-dinledig...

Auto-translate gives a decent read if you’re curious!

“Her dinlediğimiz müzikte zihnimizde bir şeyler değişiyor. Ben, o değişim anının peşindeyim”

Müzik çoğu için hobi ya da kaçışken, Ceren Ayyıldız için beynin işleyişine açılan bir kapı. Kıbrıslı Türk akademisyen, Sydney Üniversitesi’nde müzik psikolojisi doktorasıyla müziğin zihne etkilerini a...

www.yeniduzen.com

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Reposted by Ceren Ayyildiz

Sydney Music, Mind, and Body Lab @smmb-lab.bsky.social · Jul 25

We had a great time in São Paulo! A massive thanks to all attendees, both in person and online, as well as the organisers of the #icmpc18 who made this such a rich experience. #musicscience

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Jul 26

Thank you so much Connor! It was amazing to see you in person 😊🙏🏻

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Reposted by Ceren Ayyildiz

Sydney Music, Mind, and Body Lab @smmb-lab.bsky.social · Jul 25

In addition to her talk on the effect of rhythmic layering on mental imagery, @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social from the SMMBL also contributed a poster showing compelling interactions between musical micro variations and individual absorption tendencies on mental imagery #icmpc18 #musicscience

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Jul 25

Likewise Ade! 😊

Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Jul 24

Ugur @ugurmkaya.bsky.social from our lab just gave a great talk at #ICMPC18 on how vocalists draw on their own intuitions to influence the vividness and emotional quality of listeners’ mental imagery. 🎤
@smmb-lab.bsky.social

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Ceren Ayyildiz @cerenayyildiz.bsky.social · Jul 24

Ade (@adefathiawati.bsky.social) from our lab highlighted updated trends in Music Performance Anxiety among tertiary music students across Australia, as well as the mitigation strategies students use 📊
#ICMPC18
@smmb-lab.bsky.social

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Reposted by Ceren Ayyildiz

Gerard Madden @gerardmadden.bsky.social · Jul 23

Dr. Steffen Herff from @smmb-lab.bsky.social shares very rich findings at #icmpc18 about expertise-related muscle activation in drummers. This work has important implications for biofeedback interventions to help musicians develop their skills and avoid playing-related injury. #musicscience

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