This study aimed to examine the relations between character strengths and dispositional positive emotions (i.e. joy, contentment, pride, love, compassion, amusement, and awe). A sample of 574 German-speaking adults filled in the Dispositional Positive Emotion Scales (DPES; Shiota, Keltner, & John, 2006), and the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS; Peterson, Park, & Seligman, 2005). The factorial structure of the DPES was examined on item level. Joy and contentment could not be clearly separated; the items of the other five emotions loaded on separate factors. A confirmatory factor analysis assuming two latent factors (self-oriented and object/situation specific) was computed on scale level. Results confirmed the existence of these factors, but also indicated that the seven emotions did not split up into two clearly separable families. Correlations between dispositional positive emotions and character strengths were positive and generally low to moderate; a few theoretically meaningful strengths-emotions pairs yielded coefficients>.40. Finally, the link between five character strengths factors (i.e. emotional strengths, interpersonal strengths, strengths of restraint, intellectual strengths, and theological strengths) and the emotional dispositions was examined. Each of the factors displayed a distinctive "emotional pattern"; emotional strengths evidenced the most numerous and strongest links to emotional dispositions.

This research answers the question whether there are multiple channels through which we connect with beauty and excellence, and thus contributes to the understanding of the structure of appreciation. Two models were examined: the appreciation of beauty and excellence (ABE) model [Haidt,

We thank Wendy Diessner and Heidi Simmons for feedback on an earlier draft.

Cet essai consiste en une analyse, fondée sur la théorie et l’approche du cours d’action, de l’activité de sept musiciens-étudiants en situation de simulation de concours d’orchestre. Les stratégies d’adaptation des musiciens sont explorées selon les principes de l’énaction. Des entretiens replongeant le musicien dans cette situation ont permis de faire ressortir, à travers le codage des verbatim en « unités significatives élémentaires » (USE), le sens que chacun des musiciens donne aux différents moments de la simulation de concours, ainsi qu’une multitude de stratégies d’adaptation développées pour y faire face. Les différentes macro-séquences identifiées (la découverte du programme, la mise en condition pour le concours, les adaptations, et la construction de l’expérience après concours) ont une influence sur les musiciens et sont perçues de manière changeante selon l’avancée du concours. À la suite de cette analyse, des stratégies sont proposées afin de faire face aux différentes dynamiques générées par le concours. Cette étude, empruntant la méthode pluridisciplinaire du cours d’action, cherche à apporter de nouvelles connaissances dans la gestion de la performance musicale.

The aim of this research was to investigate preservice music teachers’ expectations of their curriculum, namely: (a) What content do they expect in view of their future professional activity? (b) Are their expectations in line with the principles of professionalized teacher education? (c) Are there any differences between the expectations of Swiss and French, and generalist and specialist preservice music teachers? Thirty prospective music teachers studying in two Swiss and two French institutions were included. The results showed that, overall, students’ expectations were (more or less) in line with the principles of professionalized teacher education. The hypothesis that the two French vs. the two Swiss and the two generalist vs. the two specialist subsamples would display distinct expectation profiles was not confirmed. Instead, a solid musical basis emerged as crucial for students to be ready to deal with the contents of professionalized initial music-teacher education.

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Results from recent research have demonstrated positive effects of somatic approaches, such as the Feldenkrais method, somasthetics, and body mapping in the field of music. However, the direct impact of such approaches on instrumental sound was never studied so far. The present pilot study was thus designed to investigate the influence of non-judgmental body awareness on the sound of high string instruments. N = 11 students of the music colleges of Geneva and Lausanne were requested to sense specific parts of their body while playing one long note. The analysis of audio recordings and interviews conducted post hoc show a positive correlation between the subjective experience of ease participants reported, and objective sound volume or stability. The largest effects were observed when participants were aware of their pelvis, rib cage or head region. Increases of sound volume or stability were often accompanied by non-voluntary changes in body weight distribution, indicating that body awareness had a direct influence on the musculoskeletal system. In view of the reportedly high numbers of playing-related health problems in professional orchestra players, more research should be carried out to examine in detail possible effects of body awareness on instrumental sound and on psychological and physical well-being.

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