Transcript PRPD NATIONAL CLASSICAL MUSIC TEST

NATIONAL CLASSICAL
MUSIC TEST
PRELIMINARY RESULTS
September 27, 2007
It’s All About the Sound
Listen and decide for yourself …

Is the music appealing?

Unappealing?

What qualities do these sounds have?
 What do they have in common?
 How are they different?
Project Beginnings
 Classical
Core Values
 Primacy of the music
 Core values the same – all classical or mixed format
 PRPD/AMPPR Classical CV Applications project
 Midday listening
 Last public music test in mid-80’s (Denver
Project)
 Looked at all kinds of music
 Focused on NPR listener
Goal:
“…provide the tools stations need to
make intelligent decisions in their local
music selection.”
•
What music is most appealing (sounds)?
•
Probe the “outer limits”
•
Build midday listening

Test CV conclusions
Project Design
 Testing
Phase
 Application
Phase
Partners Stations involved in all
aspects of the project
The Test Markets

Iowa City – KSUI
 all classical, Midwest, small market (89th)

Washington, DC – WETA
 all classical, Northeast, Top 10 (8th)

Tampa - WUSF
 news/classical, South, markets 10-25 (19th)

Sacramento - KXPR
 all classical, West, markets 25-50 (27th)
The Research Subjects
 Listener
to classical music on radio
Weekdays between 9am – 4pm
309 participants
Half from membership lists
Half from hot zip codes
AGE
25-44 = 18%
45-59 = 40%
60-70 = 41%
What Was Tested
 :30
second music segments (150)
 NOT complete pieces of music!
 Music chosen to represent sounds
• Motivations
 Use
for classical radio listening
of technology
 CD, iPod, Satellite Radio, Internet radio
What Was NOT Tested
 Music
sets
 ‘Variety’
 Perceptual Baggage
 Presentation or Announcing styles
 Classical Conventions
Understanding Musical
Preference
Key differentiator:
‘Serious’ vs. ‘Casual’ classical listeners
 Self-identified, based on self-perception
175 Serious, 134 Casual Listeners
The Survey Results
CLASSICAL CORE VALUES
“While all three Core Values categories are engaged in
classical music presentation,
♫Qualities of the Heart and Spirit♫
are the pre-eminent core values
of the classical music listening experience.”
CLASSICAL CORE VALUES
♫ Internal State (peaceful, soothing,
relaxing)
♫ Inspired by the Music (beauty & majesty)
♫ The music is the star
♫ Connection to the timeless, enduring
News Avoiders?
“Most of our respondents use classical
music to escape from the problems of
the world. Accordingly, they mostly
avoid the NPR newsmagazines. While
NPR news in depth attracts societally
conscious listeners, it drives away
most classical music listeners.”
- Classical Core Values (2002)
So, what about airing news
during midday classical?
News In Middays
• Not
“news avoiders”.
• Most do not tune-in to avoid news
• Listen to a lot of news programming
• Majority use NPR mags
• Nor
are they seeking news in midday
• Regular news headlines low priority
♫ Maybe occasional news but
not hourly newscasts ♫
Music Preferences by Daypart
 Morning (5am – 9am)
 Midday (9am – 4pm)
 Evening (4pm – Midnight)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Music characteristics:
Challenging
Familiar
Relaxing
Stimulating
Familiar / Challenging Music
 Familiar
 Important to about 75% in all dayparts
 little difference by daypart
 Challenging
 least important mornings
 Important to 25% or fewer anytime
How important for the music
to be stimulating?
60


Most important
middays
50
Least important
evenings
30
40
20
10
0
Morning
Important
Midday
Moderate
Evening
Not Important
How important for the music
to be relaxing?



Most important
evenings
60
Important in all
dayparts
40
New conventional
wisdom =
Evenings should
feature relaxing
music
50
30
20
10
0
Morning
Important
Midday
Moderate
Evening
Not Important
The Music Testing
♫
How was the music chosen?
How was it tested?
Frank Dominguez WDAV
John Pittman
KBPS
Joan Kjaer
Iowa Public Radio
Chris Wienk
WMHT
Karen Walker
KBIA
Robert Peterson
WUSF
Cheryl Dring
Capital Public Radio
Craig Cohen
WITF
Robin Gehl
WGUC
Russell Gant
WUSF
Jim Allison
WETA
Mark Urycki
WKSU
Susan Johnson
WQED
EARS Testing ("dial testing")
The Rating Scale
If I were listening to radio for music between
9am and 4pm weekdays, I would…
1
2
3
Dislike
Very Much
(Tune-Out)
4
5
Neutral
6
7
8
9
Enjoy
Very Much
(Listen Closely)
The Videographs
 Listeners
reacting to the music
 Blue line = serious - Red = casual
 Bar graphs = % of serious and
casual rating choosing 1-9
 Average
updated every second
High Appeal Samples
Note:
• Average rating rarely below 4 or above 8
• 7 or higher = very positively rated sounds
Qualities of Music
Most Enjoyed
♫ Melodic
♫ Bright
♫ Consistent dynamics
♫ Has ‘forward motion’
♫ Pleasant
♫ Uplifting
♫ Soothing
♫ Familiar
Some High Appeal Samples
♫ The Moldau"
Smetana
(main theme)
♫ Symphony No. 9, ii
Beethoven
(opening)
♫ Canon
Pachelbel
(opening)
♫ Rhapsody in Blue“
Gershwin
(orchestral theme)
♫ “Peter and the Wolf”
Prokofiev
(opening/Peter’s theme)
♫ "London" Symphony, iv
(opening)
Haydn
Negative Appeal Samples
Qualities of
Music Least Enjoyed
♫
♫
♫
♫
♫
♫
♫
♫
Even serious listeners
do not like these sounds
Dissonant (non-traditional harmonies)
Unstructured
Large dynamic range
Frantic or aggressive
Not in the classical ‘mold’
Lack of forward motion
‘Schmaltzy Pops’
Extremely quiet or sparse
Some Negative Appeal Samples
♫“The Unanswered Question”
Ives
♫“All Things Bright and Beautiful”
Rutter
♫ Duet from Act I of "Faust"
Gounod
(several minutes in)
(entrance of chorus)
(several minutes in)
♫“Celestial Gate” Symphony
(opening)
Hovhaness
♫ Interlude I from the ballet “Agon” Stravinsky
(several minutes in)
♫ "Come Again," with Sting
(opening)
Dowland
Low Appeal Samples
Music With
Low Appeal
Many of these sounds commonplace on
classical music stations
♫ Shared some sound qualities with both
High and Negative Appeal samples
♫ Occasionally used unconventional
arrangements
♫ Veered away from “traditional” classical
♫ Some extreme differences in appeal to
Serious & Casual listeners
Some Low Appeal Samples
♫“Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” Foster/Gould
(opening)
♫ Horn Concertino
Weber
(several minutes in)
♫“Gather at the River”
Traditional
(opening)
♫“Florentiner” March
Fučik
(opening)
♫“O sole mio”
Capurro
(opening)
♫“Salute to Fred Astaire”
(opening)
Berlin/Courage
Different Strokes for
Different Folks
♫ Opening of Brahms, Rhapsody in Eb (solo piano)
Serious = Moderate
Casual = Negative
Overall score = Low
HIGH
MODERATE
LOW
NEGATIVE
♫ First waltz theme of Waldteufel,“Tres jolie” Waltz
Serious = Low
Casual = Moderate
Overall score = Low
Different Strokes for
Different Folks
♫ Opening of Puccini, “Vissi d’arte”
Serious = Moderate
Casual = Negative
Overall score = Low
HIGH
MODERATE
LOW
NEGATIVE
♫ Several minutes in to Puccini“Nessun dorma”
Serious = High
Casual = Low
Overall score = Moderate
Significance


Classical radio = minimal-to-no listening growth
Many stations seek to
 increase loyalty and TSL among occasional listeners
 maintain existing core listeners
 This
research suggests how to
program classical music to
accomplish this objective
The Holy Grail?
 Sounds
with positive appeal to both
serious and casual classical listeners

Program to maintain loyalty of serious
listeners, and increase appeal to casual
listeners
 Convert some casual fringe to core (at minimum
increase their TSL and loyalty!)
Some Conclusions
 The
music determines who and how many
listen
 There
is more commonality than difference in
the tastes of Serious and Casual listeners
 Serious listeners enjoy a wider range than casual listeners

No evidence that familiar or very popular music is negative
for serious listeners.
 Music
must be programmed very carefully to
attract and retain Casual listeners
 Non-traditional
music (film, world, crossover)
is not the answer to audience growth
Applications
Pay attention to how the music SOUNDS
TO LISTENERS!


Not a blunt instrument – more nuance in
choosing the right music for your listeners


These results don’t dictate WHAT to program

Many different types of sounds can be programmed if
chosen carefully

Some categories have many attractive sounds, others
only a handful, a few none at all!
Results can be used to attract specific types
of listeners to your station
What’s Next?
 PowerPoint
on PRPD Website
 Continued analysis of data
 Updates on website and PRPD blog
 Application
Phase
 Stations adjust midday music - January 1
 2008 AMPPR & PRPD conferences
 Final Report - Spring 2009
 Staff
available to present to
stations, organizations
Breakout Session Next
Here - 4:00-5:15pm
 Results by category
 Handout
 View more extensive videographs
 Begin the discussion
 answer questions
 Help shape the continuing analysis
PRELIMINARY RESULTS
September 27, 2007