Musical preferences correlate architectural tastes: preference correlations between architectural material features and musical instruments

ABSTRACT

This study explores correlations between personal preferences for musical instruments and architectural materials. Specifically, it determines whether preferences for 12 musical instruments or their instrument families may reflect a preference tendency in architectural material features pertaining to colour, quality, texture, and reflection. First, a survey gathered individual appreciations of the attributes. After carefully distinguishing the valid responses, Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis revealed attribute preference correlations within different demographic classes, and Bonferroni correction screened the most reliable ones. The outcomes show different correlation trends across ages and genders, and once again confirm their importance in the preference correlations. Attributes related to material colour and quality reflected a higher number of correlations with musical instrument timber preferences, and thus have more potential to reflect the satisfactory attributes in another field. Several correlations were also discovered, thereby confirming the existence and potential uses of the preference correlations between musical instruments and architectural materials.

KEYWORDS:

• Architectural materials
• musical instruments
• architecture and music
• correlated features
• preference correlations
• personal preferences
• correlated qualities
• raw materials preferences

Acknowledgements

This paper is prepared based upon the PhD dissertation of Seyed Farhad Tayyebi, carried out under the supervision of Prof Dr Yüksel Demir at Istanbul Technical University, Turkey. The authors are grateful to each member of the dissertation committee, Prof Mehmet Nemutlu and Assoc. Prof Dr Can Karadoğan, for their extensive professional guidance over the dissertation progress.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seyed Farhad Tayyebi

Seyed Farhad Tayyebi completed his PhD in the Architectural Design Program at Istanbul Technical University. While writing his dissertation, he investigated architectural composition features and extensively explored the preference correlations between architectural and musical attributes. In addition, he created a systematic and fully objective method to transform a music sheet, as a representation of a music piece into an architectural form sculpture, thereby creating an artistic bridge between the composition of architecture and music.

Y. Demir

Y. Demir studied Architecture at Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture (1983–1987), got his master (1990) and PhD (2000) degrees from ITU Institute of Science & Technology Architectural Design Program. Practiced architecture (1987–1989). Worked as teaching assistant (1989–2002) and Assistant Prof (2002–2012) in ITU Department of Architecture. Currently works as a Professor in ITU Department of Architecture; served as the head of the department of Fine Arts in ITU (2007–2016). Under his administration, the department opened elective art courses for all engineering students of ITU. He took part in the development process of interdisciplinary first year basic design studio in ITU department of Architecture (2000–2004). Demir worked in Politecnico Di Milano DIAP (now DASTU) as a guest professor (2010–2015) and was a visiting professor at Anadolu University, Department of Architecture (2009–2013), and Auburn University CADC (2016 Fall and 2017 Fall). He founded ITU Mardint Interdisciplinary Research and Development Center (2005). Assigned as advisor to the rector (2014–).