Educational applications of scientific Educational applications of scientific research on music performanceresearch on music performance

Richard Parncutt

University of Graz, Austria

Invited presentation at the International Symposium on Psychology and Music Education (PME04), Padova, Italy, November 2004

Some issuesSome issues

Academic pressure on music academies Changing demands on musicians/educators Flexibility of job markets Cost efficiency versus structural conservatism Communication education psychology Intuitive versus logical thinking

AimAim

Improve efficiency of music education

Efficiency = output / inputInput = students‘ time and effort; costsOutput = musical or educational quality

Some inadequately taught topicsSome inadequately taught topics

Improvisation Expression Performance anxiety Music medicine Physics, physiology, psychology of performance (own

instrument) Efficient practice Student-teacher interaction

Common Objections and AnswersCommon Objections and Answers

O: We never learned or needed that stuff!

A1: Our students will be even better than we are.

A2: Beethoven had no Bachelor‘s degree.

O: Foreign ideas interfere with teaching!

A1: It‘s about ideas, not “truth”.

A2: Communicate with other teachers.

O: Analytic thinking inhibits spontaneity!

A1: Music theorists are music lovers, too.

A2: Analytic thinking is confined to practice.

ApproachApproach

Survey of practically promising research Practical and political issues

– why not currently taught?– anticipated effect of introduction– strategies to encourage introduction

Sound before sign (Jost, McPherson) Sound before sign (Jost, McPherson)

Psychology of speech acquisition– hear, understand, imitate, improvise, write, read, share– successively & interactively

European history– improvisation died out in the 19th century

Modern teachers– feel inadequate, don’t convince parents or play with students

“Sound before sign”– start early (plasticity), one skill at a time, improv. against

accomp., notate improvs., multiple representations

Teaching improvisation (Lassnig)Teaching improvisation (Lassnig)

Order– 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 communication (Friberg)Structural communication (Friberg)

Students can‘t describe 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 communication (Juslin)Emotional communication (Juslin)

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 anxiety (Wilson)Performance anxiety (Wilson)

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 medicine (Gasenzer, Erlitz)Music medicine (Gasenzer, Erlitz)

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

Why important for students?– Prevention is better than cure!

Physics, physiology and psychology Physics, physiology and psychology of piano (Troup, Holming)of piano (Troup, Holming)

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 practice (Barry)Efficient practice (Barry)

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 interaction (Painsi)Student-teacher interaction (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

Analytic versus holistic thinkingAnalytic versus holistic thinking

Brandler & Rammsayer (Psychol Mus 2003): Musicians

- verbal memory; holistic/intuitive

Nonmusicians- series, classifications, matrics, topologies; analytic/logical

Nature/nurture- unclear, irrelevant

Implication: Musicians need support in analytical thinking

Implications Implications

Compulsory units for all students: improvisation expression performance anxiety music medicine physics, physiology, psychology of performance (own

instrument) efficient practice psychology of music teaching

Bachelor‘s: 3 ECTS/unit = 12% of course

Aims of individual unitsAims of individual units

Formulate musically relevant aims, e.g.: Physics, physiology, psychology of piano

– minimize cognitive and physical load– realistically achieve interpretive goals

Changing the systemChanging the system

Politics: majority rules or minority rights?- Musicology: historians versus systematic, ethnomusicologists

- Academy: performers versus academics, theorists, composers

How did it get like this?- Musicology: 19th-century faculties of humanities

- Academy: performance as genius

Solution: arguments not opinions- Cite research

- Quality = focus plus diversity

Example- Musicology in Graz (planned): 6 modules

Getting academic staffGetting academic staff

Change curriculum New units: temporary staff Success of curriculum new permanent staff Quality & international orientation of staff:

may teach in English or French

Musical interdisciplinarityMusical interdisciplinarity

Humanities Sciences Practice

Necessary:- specialism

- openness, respect, curiosity

Not necessary:- specialist knowledge outside specialism

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

and special thanks to all who helped with the Italian translation!

Maddalena Forti Luigi Frezza Silvia Boccato Bintou Traoré Silvia Risato Nicoletta Chiggio Matteo Mattarello