Methodology

EUROMUSE used a mixed-methods approach to observe, measure and understand how Synomusic influences visitor experience across different museum contexts.

Quantitative Research

In quantitative research we wanted to observe, measure and compare multiple indicators of visitors’ experience.

  • We administered exit surveys to the total of 1,337 visitors in silent and music test conditions in the three museums, including 474 parents of children in Museo dei Bambini.
  • We administered cognitive tasks to 45 children aged 3 to 15 in Museo dei Bambini.

Qualitative Research

With qualitative methods we aimed to capture the rich processes, the creation of meaning and collaboration in different museum target groups.

  • We interviewed 4 curators and 6 composers to explore creative decision-making and institutional perspectives in the process of creating compositions.
  • We had 32 dedicated museum visitors organised in Community Muse Boards (CMB), writing diaries and taking part in group discussions to capture the audience’s input on creating compositions and participatory dynamics.
  • We interviewed the group of 23 blind and visually impaired museum visitors to better understand their experience, accessibility and multisensory engagement in the context of the EUROMUSE project.

Contrasting Environments

EUROMUSE explored the Synomusic effects in contrasting environments to capture both similarities and context-specific effects of Synomusic.

Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology

Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology, Athens

Ancient technology museum, demonstrations and interactive narrative, large city context.

Museu de Arte Pre-Historica e do Sagrado do Vale do Tejo

Museu de Arte Pré-Histórica e do Sagrado do Vale do Tejo, Município de Mação

Heritage/archaeology, reflective pacing, smaller town context.

Explora Museo dei Bambini Rome

Explora! Museo dei Bambini, Rome

Children’s museum, high activity and layered noise, large city context.

This mixed-methods approach enabled EUROMUSE to understand not only what music does in museums, but how and why it shapes visitor experience in different contexts.