Expert pianists’ practice perspectives

A production and listening study

Bibliographic Data

ID20408045
AuthorsNina Johanna Loimusalo (0000-0002-2670-2508, University of Jyväskylä, corresponding author), Erkki Huovinen (0000-0003-0646-0043, Royal College of Music in Stockholm)
Year2021
Volume25
Issue4
Pages480-508
Publication date2021-12-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMusicae Scientiae (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1029-8649 • E-ISSN: 2045-4147
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1029864920938838
OpenAlexW3179135320
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited28

The purpose of this study was to investigate how professional pianists practice music for a concert, and whether their individual cognitive orientations in such practice processes can be identified accurately from the resulting performances. In Study I, four pianists, previously found to be skilled music memorizers, practiced and performed a short piece by André Jolivet over the course of two weeks, during which their practice strategies were studied using semi-structured interviews, and analyses of practice diaries, practice activities, and eye-movement data. The results indicate that the pianists used similar basic strategies but had different cognitive orientations, here called “practice perspectives,” consistent with each individual, in that they focused on different kinds of information while practicing. These practice perspectives may be related to skills and habits in using imagery and music analysis, as well as to professional and educational background. In Study II, 34 piano teachers listened to recordings of the concert performances and evaluated them against 12 statements representing the four practice perspectives identified in Study I. The results did not support the prediction that practice perspectives would be correctly detected by listeners. Nonetheless, practice perspectives can be used to highlight potentially vast differences between the ways in which individual professional classical musicians conceptualize music and make it meaningful to themselves and others. They could be used in the context of music education to increase musicians’ knowledge of different practice strategies and the ability to develop their own preferred working methods

Active listening · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Music education · Music psychology · Pedagogy · Piano · Communication · Diverse Music Education Insights · Music Therapy and Health · Neuroscience and Music Perception · Psychology

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