Can research help artists? Current research on music performance Richard Parncutt University of...

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Richard ParncuttUniversity of Graz, Austria

Kunstuniversität Graz, 7.11.05

Changing Changing contexts of music academiescontexts of music academies

Academic context pressure degrees, research parallel development of performance research

Political context transparent „mission“ cost efficiency

Social context changing demands on musicians/educators flexibility of job markets

A possible aimA possible aim

Improve „efficiency“ of music academy?

efficiency = „output“ / „input“

„Input“ = time, effort, costs– invested by teachers, students, state

„Output“ = musical achievement of graduates– enjoyed by society (that pays the taxes)– enjoyed by country (international competition)

A possible way forwardA possible way forward

The optimal ratio of performance to scholarship in the curriculum…

…depends on the institution• history• orientation• culture

…depends on the individual student • career aims• personality and approach to learning

…could be determined empirically

Approach of this talkApproach of this talk

1. Survey promising research– What is interesting for music students?– What can speed their progress?

2. Address practical and political issues– Why not currently taught?– Anticipated effect of introduction– Strategies to encourage introduction

Enriching the curriculum Enriching the curriculum

Possible academic courses: Music history, music theory/analysis General intro: music psychology / music performance research Physics, physiology, psychology of own instrument Efficient practice Expression Improvisation Performance anxiety Music medicine Educational / developmental psychology Psychology of theory/analysis/composition

Should these be electives for all students? If so, for what proportion of program?

AssumptionAssumption

Academic work should take up a small proportion of a student‘s total study time.

Physics, physiology and psychology of pianoPhysics, physiology and psychology of piano

Students know surprisingly little about: Relevant mechanics, acoustics, physiology Timbre

– key velocity, noise, pedals, balance, onset timing

Fingering – constraints: physical, anatomic, motor, cognitive– dependencies: expertise, interpretation

Structural and emotional communication– with limited expressive possibilities

Physics, physiology, psychology of singingPhysics, physiology, psychology of singing

VoceVista: Visual feedback for instruction in singing

Efficient practiceEfficient practice

Diversity of approaches: Study and analysis of scores Mental and physical practice Listen to recordings and concerts

Metacognition organization, goal orientation Intrinsic motivation

Many short sessions with breaks

Structural communicationStructural communication

Structure: – phrasing, meter, melody, harmony

Expression and accentuation– Immanent versus performed accents– Performed accents reinforce immanent accents

A good theory– is simple and applicable– allows meaningful analysis of own repertoire

Emotional communicationEmotional communication

Cues– size/variation of: tempo, dynamic, articulation

(attack / duration), timbre, durational contrast, intonation/vibrato

Redundancy and ambiguity of messageRelation to structureEffectiveness of feedback training

IImprovisatimprovisationon

Psychology of speech acquisition imitate improvise notate transcribe

Stepwise approach– set limits (dynamics, articulations, pitches, durations)– expression first: syntax through semantics– combine structural elements with musical skills

Psychological theory of creativity– knowledge, risk, evaluation, motivation, flow– balance group and individual work

Performance anxietPerformance anxietyy

High incidence, low awareness / treatment: Optimal arousal versus panic Personality, mastery, situation Perfectionism and control Treatments and exercises

– physical (relaxation)– cognitive (realism, desensitization, restructuring)– combined (Yoga, hypnotherapy, Alexander technique)

Music medicineMusic medicine

High incidence, low awareness / treatment: Common problems

– chronic tension, reduced elasticity of muscles– pelvis, lower spine, back of neck– specific to instrument, technique, repertoire, physique

Student musicians need:– knowledge (relevant anatomy, physiology)– strategies (exercises, sport, nutrition)– treatments (active interventions, avoiding overload)– information specific to children (for teaching)

Why important?– Prevention is better (cheaper, more effective) than cure!

Psychology of music education (1)Psychology of music education (1)

Student-teacher interaction Research

– child’s, teacher’s, parent’s attributions of success and failure Results

– teachers don’t discuss failures or feel responsible– girls attribute more than boys to uncontrollable factors

Strategies– attribution training, self-efficacy, stress management,

motivational feedback Aims

– realism, confidence, motivation, progress

Psychology of music education (Psychology of music education (22))

„Sound before sign”

Psychological background: language acquisition– hear, understand, imitate, improvise, write, read; interact

Historical context– improvisation died out in 19th century

Pedagogical context– modern music teachers feel inadequate / don’t improvise

Strategies– start early (plasticity), one skill at a time, improv. against

accomp., notate improvs., multiple representations…

My sourcesMy sources

Parncutt & McPherson (OUP 2002)Students: Gasenzer, Goebl, Holming,

Lassnig-Waldner, Jost, PainsiTalks at

– Psychology and Music Education (Padova 2004)

– Performance Matters (Porto 2005)

Frequent objections 1: Course contentFrequent objections 1: Course content

Foreign ideas and other teachers interfere with teaching! It‘s about ideas, not “truth”. Students should learn to evaluate ideas. Eminent performers typically had many teachers. Students have rights and intellectual freedom.

Analytic thinking inhibits spontaneity! Analytic thinking is confined to practising. Many eminent performers promote analytic approaches.

We never learned or needed this material! No specialist keeps track of developments in all relevant fields. Students may become better musicians than their teachers. Beethoven had no Bachelor‘s degree

Frequent objections 2: Pedagogical traditionFrequent objections 2: Pedagogical tradition

Why change a successful pedagogical tradition? Improve procedural-episodic-semantic balance. Every student generation has new influences and expectations.

A strong teacher-student relationship is important! Contact time can include applied research and co-teaching. Students respect teachers who are open to outside influences.

Practice time is important! (cf. expertise research) Optimal amount is clearly less than 100% of curriculum. Practice time is physiologically and cognitively constrained.

We cannot foresee the benefits! Evaluate a trial course. Trust other experts.

StrategiesStrategies

…for music academics who want to promote performance research in their institution

Engage with administration Understand democracy Maintain excellence through innovation Support students‘ analytic thinking Promote interdisciplinarity Optimize course content Inform and involve teachers Empower students Introduce new courses gradually Expand and diversify teaching staff

Engage with administrationEngage with administration

… to build understanding and support for academic courses in general music performance research specifically

Understand democracyUnderstand democracy

Music: performers > academics, theorists, composers

Origins: • performance as primary aim of music academies• idea of genius performer

Musicology: historical > systematic & ethno- musicologists

Origins: • 19th-century position of musicology within humanities• idea of art/music historians as aesthetic arbiters

Classic cases of entrenched majorities and minorities

Excellence, tradition and innovationExcellence, tradition and innovation

Maintain excellence by balancing past and future

preserve tradition and continuity– complement, don’t overthrow– balance tradition and innovation

be pro-active– anticipate new developments– take advantage of currently available means

Support students‘ analytic thinkingSupport students‘ analytic thinking

Musicians and artistsholistic, intuitive, qualitative, „right brain“

Nonmusicians and researchers analytic, logical, quantitative, „left brain“

Whether stereotype or trend, everyone needs both!

Music students need support in analytic thinking

PromotePromote interdisciplinarity interdisciplinarity

Difficult boundaries: humanities sciences practice

Necessary: specialism openness, respect, curiosity

Unnecessary: specialist knowledge outside specialism

mission statement

Optimize course contentOptimize course content

have researcher-performers teach illustrate all theory with familiar musical examples balance lecture and workshop styles monitor and respond to student priorities and thinking

Outside the course: adapt research content to teaching needs

Inform and involve academic staffInform and involve academic staff

Inform by: posters launching events accessible literature

Involve in: performance research (planning, execution) associated teaching research advisory committees

- especially heads of departments (keyboards, strings…)

Academic staff should: feel ownership of and identification with research take over promotion of research and teaching

Empower studentsEmpower students

course evaluations mechanisms for requesting

courses mentor’s reports student evaluation of program “design your elective” option

Introduce new courses graduallyIntroduce new courses gradually

Year 1 or 2 (or later): – general introduction

• music psychology• music performance research

Year 2 or 3 (or later): – specialized options

• primarily directed at non-researching performers• may be prerequisite for doctorate

Expand and diversify teaching staffExpand and diversify teaching staff

Scenario 1 director applies for new position find suitable person

Scenario 2 change curriculum temporary staff to teach new units evaluate apply for permanent staff

Enriching the curriculum Enriching the curriculum

Possible academic courses: Music history, music theory/analysis General intro: music psychology / music performance

research Physics, physiology, psychology of own instrument Efficient practice Expression Improvisation Performance anxiety Music medicine Educational / developmental psychology Psychology of theory/analysis/composition

StrategiesStrategies

…for music academics who want to promote performance research in their institution

Engage with administration Understand democracy Maintain excellence through innovation Support students‘ analytic thinking Promote interdisciplinarity Optimize course content Inform and involve teachers Empower students Introduce new courses gradually Expand and diversify teaching staff