Incorporating performance research into post-secondary music curricula: Political and pedagogical strategies Richard Parncutt University of Graz, Austria Aaron Williamon Royal College of Music, London Presented at Performance Matters!, Porto, Portugal, September 2005

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? 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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

Understand 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 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 thinking Musicians and artists holistic, 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

Promote 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 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 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

Strategies 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 PRESENTATION The following slides (on the possible contents of individual courses)) were not shown at the conference in Porto for lack of time

Sound before sign 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

Improvisation 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 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 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 anxiety 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 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 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 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 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