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Incorporating performance research Incorporating performance research into post-secondary music curricula: into post-secondary music curricula: Political and pedagogical strategiesPolitical and pedagogical strategies
Richard ParncuttUniversity of Graz, Austria
Aaron WilliamonRoyal College of Music, London
Presented at Performance Matters!, Porto, Portugal, September 2005
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?
Pedagogical efficiency = output / input Input = time, effort, costs
– invested by teachers, students, state Output = musical achievement of graduates
– enjoyed by society (that pays the taxes)– but not by graduates (more competition, not more jobs)
A possible way forwardA possible way forward
Music graduates are poorly informed about relevant performance research
Long-term effect of such knowledge on performance is unknown
What is the optimal ratio of performance to scholarship in the curriculum?– depends on career aims of individual student – depends on history, orientation and culture of
institution– could be determined empirically
Approach of this talkApproach of this talk
Survey promising research– What is interesting for music students?
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 (as currently taught) General introduction to music psychology or music performance research Physics, physiology, psychology of own instrument Efficient practice Expression (structure, emotion) Improvisation Performance anxiety Music medicine and general health Relevant educational and developmental psychology Student-teacher interaction (empirically based) Psychological basis of theory/analysis/composition
Should these be electives for all students? If so, for what proportion of program?
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 that stuff! 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 balance between procedural, episodic and semantic elements. Social context is changing: every generation of music students is exposed
to new influences and has new 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. Quality = focus + diversity
We cannot foresee the benefits of proposed courses. Evaluate a trial course. Trust other experts.
StrategiesStrategies
Engage with director and administration Understand democracy‘s pros and cons Argue that
– maintaining excellence requires innovation– music students need support in analytic thinking
Promote interdisciplinarity Optimize course content Inform and involve teachers Empower students Introduce new courses gradually Expand and diversify teaching staff
Engage with director and administrationEngage with director and administration
… to build understanding and support for academic courses in general music performance research specifically
Understand democracy’s pros and consUnderstand democracy’s pros and cons
Music: – performers > academics, theorists, composers
Origins: • performance as primary aim of music academies• myth of genius performer
Musicology: – historical > systematic & ethno- musicologists
Origins: • 19th-century positioning of musicology within humanities• myth of art/music historians as aesthetic arbiters
These imbalances – are classic cases of entrenched majorities and minorities– no longer have academic or social justification (are anachronistic)
Maintaining excellence requires innovationMaintaining excellence requires innovation
take advantage of currently available means be pro-active preserve tradition and continuity
– complement, don’t overthrow– balance tradition and innovation
Music students need support in analytic thinkingMusic students need support in analytic thinking
Musicians and artistsholistic, intuitive, qualitative, „right brain“
Nonmusicians and researchers analytic, logical, quantitative, „left brain“
e.g. Brandler & Rammsayer (2003)
Everyone needs both sides of this coin Music students need extra support in analytic thinking
PromotePromote interdisciplinarity interdisciplinarity
Risk crossing big, difficult boundaries humanities sciences practice
Regard as necessary: specialism openness, respect, curiosity
And as unnecessary: specialist knowledge outside specialism
Expand mission statement accordingly
Optimize course contentOptimize course content
have researcher-performers teach illustrate all theory with familiar musical examples balance lecture and workshop styles evaluate: monitor and respond to student priorities
and ways of 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
StrategiesStrategies
Engage with director and administration Understand democracy‘s pros and cons Argue that
– maintaining excellence requires innovation– music students need support in analytic thinking
Promote interdisciplinarity Optimize course content Inform and involve teachers Empower students Introduce new courses gradually Expand and diversify teaching staff
END OF END OF PRESENTATIONPRESENTATIONThe following slides (on the possible
contents of individual courses)) were not shown at the conference in Porto for lack of time
Sound before sigSound before signn
Psychological background: language acquisition– hear, understand, imitate, improvise, write, read, share
– role of social interaction
Historical context– improvisation died out in 19th century
Pedagogical context– modern music teachers feel inadequate, don’t improvise with
students
Strategies– start early (plasticity), one skill at a time, improv. against accomp.,
notate improvs., multiple representations
IImprovisatimprovisationon
Psychological valid learning sequence– imitate improvise notate transcribe
Balance– group / individual improvisation
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
Structural communicationStructural communication
Students can‘t express how they express! Structure: phrasing, meter, melody, harmony Good theories: simple and applicable Expression and accentuation Immanent versus performed accents Principle: performed reinforce immanent Meaningful analysis of repertoire
Emotional communicationEmotional communication
Students have little analytical knowledge of: Cues
– size/variation of: tempo, dynamic, articulation (attack / duration), timbre, durational contrast, intonation/vibrato
Redundancy and ambiguity of message Relation to structure Effectiveness of feedback training
Performance anxietPerformance anxietyy
High incidence, low awareness / treatment: Optimal arousal versus panic Personality, mastery, situation Perfectionism and control Treatment
– physical (relaxation)– cognitive (realism, desensitization, restructuring)
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!
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
Efficient practiceEfficient practice
Diversity of approaches: Study and analysis of scores Mental and physical practice Metacognition, organization, goal orientation Intrinsic motivation Listen to recordings and concerts Many short sessions with breaks
Student-teacher interactioStudent-teacher interaction (Painsi)n (Painsi)
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