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From: John Thaden
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 12:42:11 -0600
Subject: ATTN: Participants in SPAH97 materials test

Would those who participated in the materials' tests administered by Vern
Smith at the 1997 SPAH convention mind writing me at jjthad~lash.net
about the following matter? It'd be great to hear from all 27 of you!

As you may know, I'm further analyzing the data. Since I wasn't at SPAH97,
I'd really, really appreciate your best recollection about a few things.
I'm sorry this is happening so long after the event, but please do the best
you can. It's too early to know for sure, but any additional information
you can give me might indeed be valuable.

>From the raw data, I surmise that there were four experiments, the first
two with John Walden repeating a test melody or song eight times on
comb-modified Big Rivers, the third with a vacuum-driven machine playing
them five times, and the fourth with chromatics, played six times by John.
I have read on Harp-L about "training sessions" before each experiment,
during which the harmonicas to be used in that experiment were identified
and demonstrated. I also read that the event included a good bit of
discussion, questions, and some objections, as well as some plain old
distractions and annoyances. Here are my questions:

1. Please estimate the elapsed time for the entire event, in minutes, and
assign those minutes to the various activities in this list (you can just
type the numbers before the letters). I'm particularly interested in
knowing when discussions or other interruptions occurred
a) Introduction/Initial explanations
b) Question and Answer period?
c) Initial setup
d) Training for Experiment 1 (by John)
e) questions/discussion/interruptions?
f) Experiment 1 (eight performances by John)
g) questions/discussion/interruptions?
h) Setup/Introduction, Experiment 2
i) questions/discussion/interruptions?
j) Training, Experiment 2 (John)
k) questions/discussion/interruptions?
l) Experiment 2 (eight performances)
m) questions/discussion/interruptions?
n) Introduction/setup, Experiment 3
o) questions/discussion/interruptions?
p) Training, Experiment 3 (machine)
q) questions/discussion/interruptions?
r) Experiment 3 (five machine-blown tests)
s) questions/discussion/interruptions?
t) Setup/Introduction, Experiment 4
u) questions/discussion/interruptions?
v) Training, Experiment 4 (Chromatics, John)
w) questions/discussion/interruptions?
x) Experiment 4 (six tests by John, chromatics)
y) Data sheet collection
z) Concluding remarks, discussions, etc.

If there was a rest/coffee break, please indicate when and for how long.

2. Did you feel fatigue, i.e., lessening of your ability to listen with
discrimination, at any time(s) during the event? If so, please indicate
using the letters above when and for how long this occurred.

3. Comparing the training sessions for the first two experiments which did
you think was better? Why?

4. Aside from differences between having the harps played by John vs. the
machine, which of the training sessions for the first three experiments did
you find least effective? Why?

5. Please list other variables you noticed between experiments one and two.
Timing? Disturbances? Background noise? John's performances? Your or
others attitudes? Anything else?

6. Please rank the four experiments in order from best (=1) to worst (=4)
with regards to each of the following features, by typing those numbers to
the left of each feature, underneath the experiments' numbers. If you were
not present for an experiment, enter "n" beneath them, but otherwise,
please rank them as best you can. Also, please rate the overall event as
poor (p), fair (f), good (g), excellent (e) or no opinion (n) by placing a
letter to the left of each of the 14 features, under "overall". For
example . . .

SAMPLE:
Experiment #
1 2 3 4 Overall
- -------------
1 3 2 4 g -Clarity of instructions
1 2 3 4 f -Freedom from interruptions
3 2 1 4 f -Freedom from intrusive noises
. . . etc.

Remember, low numbers are better!

Experiment #
1 2 3 4 Overall
- -------------
-Clarity of instructions
-Your "ear-fatigue" level
-General ambience
-Freedom from interruptions
-Evenness of performance
-Concealment of material type
-Practice session effectiveness
-Your frustration level
-Freedom from intrusive noises
-Your memory of reference sounds
-Your confidence in your ears
-Your general comfort level
-Elimination of other variables
-Fun and excitement :)



OK, that's it! Thanks a bunch.



John Thaden
Little Rock, Arkansas, USA