Can research help artists? Current research on music performance Richard Parncutt University of Graz, Austria Kunstuniversität Graz,

Changing contexts 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 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 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 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 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?

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

Physics, 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 singing VoceVista: Visual feedback for instruction in singing

Efficient 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 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 communication 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

Improvisation 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 anxiety 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 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) 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 (2) „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 sources Parncutt & McPherson (OUP 2002) Students: Gasenzer, Goebl, Holming, Lassnig-Waldner, Jost, Painsi Talks at –Psychology and Music Education (Padova 2004) –Performance Matters (Porto 2005)

Frequent 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 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.

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

Understand 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 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 thinking Musicians and artists holistic, 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

Promote interdisciplinarity Difficult boundaries: humanities sciences practice Necessary: specialism openness, respect, curiosity Unnecessary: specialist knowledge outside specialism  mission statement

Optimize 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 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 students  course evaluations  mechanisms for requesting courses  mentor’s reports  student evaluation of program  “design your elective” option

Introduce 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 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 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

Strategies …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