Considerable practice is needed for success in playing an instrument. However, music students often lack a clear understanding of how to practice on their own. In the present study, we address this issue using action research because we wanted to improve teaching aimed at developing three viola students' perceived productivity and self-awareness…

This paper offers an invitation to higher music education communities to think differently about the significance of the connections between music and play. We highlight the many texts that articulate these connections and draw together a speculative ontological claim that all musicking is an enactment of play. In other words, we ask how…

This study investigated the effects of a practice checklist on performance achievement, practice time, focal practice areas--the key musical elements students focused on during practice--and practice strategies among non-music major South Korean college students learning the "Danso," a traditional Korean wind instrument. Ninety-six…

This article explores the work of conductors to develop an understanding of verbal feedback in the context of professional-level big band orchestras. A big band conductor must have strong musical and social skills to guide a big band to the performance level. This qualitative study is based on Vygotsky's theory of learning as a social process. The…

This dissertation aimed to better understand how violin and viola private instructors teach Mental Practice in their studios, investigating different approaches on how to apply and teach auditory, motor, and visual imagery, score study, and auditory modeling, as well as its benefits. This research was divided into two different stages. In the…

Research was and still is involved in the controversial issue about innate talent or extensive practice as the determinants of excellent performance in a range of domains. This study aims to contribute by presenting an analysis of practice activities in a domain that appears to be particularly suitable--orchestral conducting. Most conductors…

The purpose of this study was to examine graduate instrumentalists' practice habits, motivation orientations, and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their instrumental practice. Data were collected for this qualitative descriptive study through four participants' videotaped practice recordings (N = 4), video-stimulated recall (n = 4),…

Practice is essential to the acquisition and development of musical skills, requiring musicians' time, investment, application, motivation, metacognitive strategies, and ability to self-regulate. Research in children's music practice indicates the type, quality, and duration of practice, along with adult support, contributes to fluency in musical…

The inclusion of jazz ensembles within extra-curricular instrumental music programs in secondary schools in Australia has grown exponentially in the past two decades. Despite this growth, there is a deficiency of specialist teacher training in jazz education and pedagogy in Australian tertiary institution instrumental music courses. This lack of…

Research on the educational applications of social robots has shown how they can motivate children and help improve academic learning outcomes. Here, we examine how robots can support skill learning and, more specifically, musical instrument practice. Drawing from social facilitation theory and evaluation apprehension theory we expected that the…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the potential relationships between self-regulated learning with regard to instrument practice, amount of instrument practice time, and Big Five personality traits. Participants were 172 preservice teachers enrolled in music teaching undergraduate programs of three universities in Turkey. Data were…

The purpose of this study was to survey collegiate string musicians on their use of drone accompaniments to improve intonation. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to collegiate string musicians (N = 152). Most participants reported that they used a drone accompaniment as a tool to improve their intonation and that they were introduced…

We asked school- and college-aged instrumentalists (N = 32) to imagine an ideal performance of a brief passage of music, record a performance of the passage, and describe discrepancies they noticed between their imagined and actual performances. The more experienced participants took at least as much time to imagine their idealized performances as…

The purpose of this descriptive research study was to examine collegiate instrumentalists' applications of practice strategies and their motivation orientations to practice. Respondents (N = 128) were music majors who enrolled in concert band or orchestra. Results indicated that pianists spent more time in practice followed by percussionists,…

In the third segment of the series, we explore general music behaviors and techniques that may be incorporated into the secondary performing ensemble in order to provide enrichment and depth to performance-focused instruction. Using research-based evidence and ensemble experience in both the choral and instrumental settings, we will discuss…