can research help artists? current research on music performance richard parncutt university of...
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Can rCan research hesearch help artists?elp artists? CCurrent research on urrent research on music music pperformanceerformance
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