This study investigated the role of repetition on listener response. It tested the hypothesis that repetition, in the form of looping during an exposure phase, would make random sequences of tones sound more musical when rated later during a test phase. In Experiment 1, participants without special music training rated the musicality of random sequences of tones on a Likert-like scale from 1 to 7. Experiment 2 used the highest and lowest rated sequences as stimuli. In an initial exposure phase, participants heard half these sequences presented six times in a loop, and half of them presented only once. In a subsequent test phase, they rated the musicality of each sequence. Sequences that had been repeated were rated as more musical, regardless of whether they had received a high or low musicality rating in Experiment 1, but the effect size was small. These results, although limited in some respects, support a large body of literature pointing to the importance of repetition in aesthetic experiences of music.

We investigate the effects of different levels of delay (or latency) on the coordination, pace and timing regularity of musicians who are in remote locations—a situation encountered in an interactive network performance. Two pairs of musicians performed two Mozart duets while isolated visually and connected through microphones and headphones. Different levels of latency (0, 20, 40, 50, 80, 100, 120, 150, and 200 ms) were introduced into the performing environment (musicians heard themselves in real time and only the other part delayed); the musicians performed the duets under these conditions and rated their musicality and level of interactivity. Although the musicians chose different strategies to handle the latency, which resulted in different levels of success in maintaining coordination, pacing and regularity, both duets were strongly affected by latency at and above 100 ms. At these levels, the musicians rated the performances as neither musical nor interactive, and they reported that they played as individuals and listened less and less to one another.