Music Ensemble: a large dataset on musicianship, cognition, and personality in musicians and nonmusicians
Year: 2026
Type: data-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The Music Ensemble dataset is a large-scale, cross-national database that provides detailed information about the musical, cognitive, personality, and demographic profiles of young adult musicians and nonmusicians. Data were collected from 1438 participants (aged 18-30) across thirty-five research sites in Europe, North America, South America, and Australia. Participants completed an in-person, in-lab battery of objective tests, including measures of verbal, visuospatial and musical short-term memory, executive functions (updating component), nonverbal reasoning, verbal comprehension, and music perception skills. The battery also included standardized and custom self-report questionnaires assessing music sophistication, music reward, personality traits, socioeconomic status, and demographic characteristics. Music Ensemble was preregistered, and the research protocol followed a standardized procedure across sites. The dataset also includes a large subsample of musicians and nonmusicians that are pair-matched for age, gender, and education (678 pairs). It enables well-powered investigations into the relationship between musical expertise and individual differences in cognition, personality, and demographic variables. It is also suitable for training in statistical and psychometric methods.
Source: Scientific Data
Authors: Francesca Talamini, Massimo Grassi, Gianmarco Altoè, Elvira Brattico, Anne Caclin, Barbara Carretti, Véronique Drai-Zerbib, Laura Ferreri, Filippo Gambarota, Jessica Grahn, Lucrezia Guiotto Nai Fovino, Marco Roccato, Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells, Swathi Swaminathan, Barbara Tillmann, Peter Vuust, Jonathan Wilbiks, Marcel Zentner, Karla Aguilar, Christ B. Aryanto, Frederico C. Assis Leite, Aíssa M. Baldé, Deniz Başkent, Laura Bishop, Graziela Bortz, Fleur L. Bouwer, Axelle Calcus, Giulio Carraturo, Antonia Čerič, Antonio Criscuolo, Léo Dairain, Simone Dalla Bella, Oscar Daniel, Anne Danielsen, Anne-Isabelle de Parcevaux, Delphine Dellacherie, Verónica Detlefsen, Tor Endestad, Victor Cepero-Escribano, Juliana L. d. B. Fialho, Caitlin Fitzpatrick, Anna Fiveash, Juliette Fortier, Noah R. Fram, Eleonora Fullone, Stefanie Gloggengießer, Lucia Gonzalez Sanchez, Reyna L. Gordon, Mathilde Groussard, Assal Habibi, Heidi M. U. Hansen, Eleanor E. Harding, Kirsty Hawkins, Steffen A. Herff, Veikka P. Holma, Kelly Jakubowski, Maria G. Jol, Aarushi Kalsi, Veronica Kandro, Rosaliina Kelo, Sonja A. Kotz, Gangothri S. Ladegam, Bruno Laeng, André Lee, Miriam Lense, César F. Lima, Simon P. Limmer, Chengran K. Liu, Paulina d. C. Martín Sánchez, Langley McEntyre, Jessica P. Michael, Daniel Mirman, Julieta Moltrasio, Daniel Müllensiefen, Niloufar Najafi, Jaakko Nokkala, Ndassi Nzonlang, Maria Gabriela M. Oliveira, Katie Overy, Andrew J. Oxenham, Edoardo Passarotto, Marie-Elisabeth Plasse, Herve Platel, Alice Poissonnier, Vasiliki Provias, Neha Rajappa, Pablo Ripolles, Michaela Ritchie, Italo R. Rodrigues Menezes, Rafael Román-Caballero, Paula Roncaglia, Wanda Rubinstein, Farrah Y.-A. Sa’adullah, Suvi Saarikallio, Daniela Sammler, Séverine Samson, E. Glenn Schellenberg, Nora R. Serres, L. Robert Slevc, Ragnya-Norasoa Souffiane, Florian J. Strauch, Hannah Strauss, Nicholas Tantengco, Mari Tervaniemi, Rachel Thompson, Renee Timmers, Petri Toiviainen, Laurel J. Trainor, Clara Tuske, Jed Villanueva, Claudia C. von Bastian, Kelly L. Whiteford, Emily A. Wood, Florian Worschech, Ana Zappa
Institutions: Universität Innsbruck, University of Padua, Aarhus University, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Lyon 1 Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Laboratoire d'étude de l'apprentissage et du développement, Université Bourgogne Europe, University of Pavia, Western University, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, Royal Academy of Music, University of New Brunswick, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, University of Sheffield, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, University of Oslo, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Leiden University, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Maastricht University, VIZJA University, Centre for Research on Brain Language and Music, International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Université de Montréal, Durham University, Université de Lille, Psychologie : Interactions, Temps, Emotions, Cognition, Universidad de Buenos Aires, University of Palermo, Computer Vision Center, Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, Western Sydney University, Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen Normandie, Université de Caen Normandie, University of Southern California, Goldsmiths University of London, The University of Sydney, University of Jyväskylä, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Helsinki, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, TUM Klinikum, Hanover University of Music Drama and Media, Technical University of Munich, Universidad de Granada, Centro de Investigación Mente, Cerebro y Comportamiento, University of Minnesota, New York University, McMaster University, Tilburg University, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Fondation Pour l'Audition, Institut de l'Audition, University of Toronto
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,490
Funders: Vanderbilt University, University of Minnesota, York University, University of Edinburgh, University of Sheffield, Durham University, National Research Foundation, Universiteit Leiden, Danmarks Grundforskningsfond, Universiteit Maastricht, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, Universität Innsbruck, Australian Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W7130343187