What does articulation in music refer to?

Articulation in music primarily refers to the way in which a note is played or sung, influencing its attack and release, as well as how it connects to surrounding notes. This encompasses various techniques such as staccato (short and detached), legato (smooth and connected), accents (emphasizing a note), and more. These techniques directly contribute to the musical shaping or phrasing, allowing performers to express nuances in interpretation and emotion within a piece.

While dynamics relates to the volume level of music, the style pertains to the overarching characteristics of a musical genre, and tempo refers to the speed at which the music is performed, none of these options capture the essence of articulation as it specifically pertains to the technique and expression of individual notes and phrases in performance. Thus, the choice that correctly identifies articulation is indeed that which focuses on musical shaping or phrasing.