The Science and Psychology of Music Performance : Creative Strategies for Teaching and Learning

What type of practice makes a musician perfect? What sort of child is most likely to succeed on a musical instrument? What practice strategies yield the fastest improvement in skills such as sight-reading, memorization, and intonation? Scientific and psychological research can offer answers to these and other questions that musicians face every day. In The Science and Psychology of Music Performance , Richard Parncutt and Gary McPherson assemble relevant current research findings and make them accessible to musicians and music educators. This book describes new approaches to teaching music, learning music, and making music at all educational and skill levels. Each chapter represents the collaboration between a music researcher (usually a music psychologist) and a performer or music educator. This combination of expertise results in excellent practical advice. Readers will learn, for example, that they are in the majority (57%) if they experience rapid heartbeat before performances; the chapter devoted to performance anxiety will help them decide whether beta-blocker medication, hypnotherapy, or the Alexander Technique of relaxation might alleviate their stage fright. Another chapter outlines a step-by-step method for introducing children to musical notation, firmly based on research in cognitive development. Altogether, the 21 chapters cover the personal, environmental, and acoustical influences that shape the learning and performance of music. Musical Potential / Anthony E. Kemp And Janet Mills -- Environmental Influences / Heiner Gembris And Jane W. Davidson -- Motivation / Susan A. O'neill And Gary E. Mcpherson -- Performance Anxiety / Glenn D. Wilson And David Roland -- Brain Mechanisms / Eckart Altenmüller And Wilfried Gruhn -- Music Medicine / Alice G. Brandfonbrener And James M. Kjelland -- From Sound To Sign / Gary E. Mcpherson And Alf Gabrielsson -- Improvisation / Barry J. Kenny And Martin Gellrich -- Sight-reading / Andreas C. Lehmann And Victoria Mcarthur -- Practice / Nancy H. Barry And Susan Hallam -- Memory / Rita Aiello And Aaron Williamon -- Intonation / Steven J. Morrison And Janina Fyk -- Structural Communication / Anders Friberg And Giovanni Umberto Battel -- Emotional Communication / Patrik N. Juslin And Roland S. Persson -- Body Movement / Jane W. Davidson And Jorge Salgado Correia -- Solo Voice / Graham F. Welch And Johan Sundberg -- Choir / Sten Ternström And Duane Richard Karna -- Piano / Richard Parncutt And Malcolm Troup -- String Instruments / Knut Guettler And Susan Hallam -- Wind Instruments / Leonardo Fuks And Heinz Fadle -- Rehearsing And Conducting / Harry E. Price And James L. Byo. Edited By Richard Parncutt & Gary E. Mcpherson. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Music educators and practicing musicians have failed to benefit from music psychology research. This volume aims to improve the situation by describing new approaches to teaching music learning music and making music at all educational levels This chapter discusses the identification of musical potential in childhood and considers the impact of an environment that is nurturing and stimulating.