The attitudes and experiences of 13 music students entering a conservatoire were tracked before their entry and throughout their first term at college. Aspirations and apprehensions towards the musical, academic and social aspects of college life were collected in addition to career aims, and the data analysed qualitatively to produce emergent themes. Three pivot points were drawn from the analysis, describing events or factors that appear to shape the development of the students as musicians. The first highlights the importance of the students' first performance at college, and the second focuses on overcoming possible feelings of inadequacy generated from being one of many outstanding musicians. Thirdly, the role of feedback is highlighted as an important part of the students becoming confident in all aspects of their musical work.

This paper examines the tradition of ‘teaching’ in the arts, taking, as a case in point, recent attempts by music educators to make school music more appealing to students. Research is cited which would seem to call into question the effectiveness of years of so-called curriculum development in music, and the point is made that the reforms may not have been sufficiently radical. By reference to the writings of R. G. Collingwood and H.-G. Gadamer an argument is developed around the notion that the arts cannot in fact be ‘taught’ and that the troubles connected with, in this case, school music, arise from the failure of music teachers at all levels to acknowledge this fundamental intuition. The paper follows Collingwood further in suggesting an account of arts teaching which sees the arts as a way of having ideas, and the purpose of an education in the arts as helping someone find their authentic, expressive voice.

For the majority of undergraduate classical music performance students, ‘musotopia’ is a place where performance ambitions are realised with an international performance career. However, given that so few musicians achieve this ambition, should this ideal be redefined? This paper investigates instrumental musicians' careers by exploring the realities of professional practice. A detailed study which incorporated interviews, focus groups and a lengthy survey, revealed the multiplicity of roles in which most musicians engage in order to sustain their careers. The findings call into question the concept of a musician as a performer, positing that a musician is rather someone who practises within the profession of music in one or more specialist fields. The diversity of roles pursued by practising musicians is not reflected in the majority of conservatorium curricula, thus the enormous potential for the transfer of music graduate skills into the broad cultural industries setting remains largely unrealised. Acceptance of, and preparation for, a more holistic career will enable many more graduates to find their own musotopia.

This paper analyses a collection of musical life histories, drawn from 71 British respondents who have maintained a lifelong interest in music as regular concert-goers, amateur performers and/or music educators. These respondents reflect on the influences and opportunities which have contributed to their lifelong engagement in music, and in doing so illustrate the impact of changes in British music education and culture over the last 50 years. Particular analytical focus is placed here on the relative influence of home and school, on the ideal characteristics of each environment, and the relationship between them. The value of a long-term perspective on music education is debated, and conclusions drawn about the challenges to teachers and researchers that are evident from this study.

How can we use practice time in the best possible way? Do we, as performers, have a keen enough awareness of the workings of our mind and body to be sure we are learning in the optimum way for secure performance? If not, how can we readily convey to others good habits for learning and memorisation? By demonstrating aspects of how experienced solo instrumentalists prepare for performance, this paper makes some progress towards answering these questions. In order to extend existing piano based research and to establish possible instrumental differences in working patterns, this study is based on data from interviews with a guitarist and a 'cellist. Thematic analysis of the interview data reveals that despite some variation due to the respective nature of the instruments, most practice strategies are common to both and these strategies are always generated by interpretative goals. Firstly, the clear links between interpretative goals and the formation of playing techniques are demonstrated by the subjects' intuitive mental constructs involving imagery, giving considerable insight into their thought processes and working patterns. Among the forms of imagery identified, motor imagery was found to be unexpectedly significant. Next, there is some discussion of how imagery associated with simultaneous technical and emotional input can help to embed information securely in the memory. The value of creating idiosyncratic structures relating to learning and performance is then shown. Finally, advantages of introducing a more imaginative approach into practice at all levels are proposed, together with potential benefits for both motivation and memory retention.

The relationship between new technology and learning is gaining increasing relevance in the field of music education (Webster, 2002; Folkestad et al., 1998). However, only a few studies have considered the nature of the interaction between children and musical machines. This article describes an observation study of children aged 3–5 years confronting a particular interactive musical system, the Continuator, which is able to produce music in the same style as a human playing the keyboard (Pachet, 2003). The analysis of two case studies suggests that the Continuator is able to develop interesting child/machine interactions and creative musical processes in young children. It was possible to observe a ‘life cycle’ of interaction, as well as micro-processes similar to those observed in child/adult interactions (Stern, 1985; Imberty, 2002). The ability of the system to attract and hold the attention of children has been interpreted through Csikszentmihalyi's (1990) ‘flow theory’.

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in schools is now commonplace and, for many, an unquestionable part of everyday teaching and learning. But detailed studies of the use of ICT in classroom-based music education are rare. This article explores how pupils aged between 11 and 16 used ICT to create and perform music in new ways. Working as a teacher-researcher, the author used the methodologies of action research and case study to investigate how pupils engage with and organise sounds with ICT.

This article reports on a study which investigated the spontaneous instrumental music-making of three- and four-year-olds in typical pre-school educational settings in London, UK. It argues that many prior studies of children's music-making have analysed and evaluated such activity against models drawn from the practices of Western art music and its conventions of analytical theory, and suggests that this approach has certain drawbacks. The study adopted a grounded theory methodology moving through three phases in different nursery classrooms. Each phase was characterised by successive focusing and refinement of methodological tools in response to the emerging findings. Data were collected on videotape which was then repeatedly reviewed, transcribed and categorised. The children's music-making was analysed as relational processes in time and space involving the two-way interplay of child and instrument. Structures in space delineate the child's movement within the spatial potentials and constraints of the instrument design. Structures in time describe how movements and movement ideas were strung together in ever-lengthening portions.

Recent publications, such as Music from 5 to 16 (D.E.S., 1985a) and the National Criteria for Music for GCSE (D.E.S., 1985b) reflect the now established view that composition should be a normal part of the music curriculum for all children. There is still some work to be done infurthering our understanding of children's compositions. Much of the material published so far (e.g. Loane, 1984) has concentrated on children of secondary school age. The present article offers some reflections prompted by work with younger children.

Despite three decades of research, gendered participation in music continues to be problematic. While many aspects of Western society maintain a patriarchal stance in the workplace, it is apparent that girls have made some significant changes in their musical choices. Males, it seems, are maintaining the same preferences for instruments as they did 100 years ago, avoiding ‘gentler pursuits’ like singing and playing the flute. This paper seeks to investigate the continued existence of stereotyping of musical participation and to discover some of the underlying reasons for this in the musical choices for boys through the literature. Furthermore, themes arising from existing research are investigated through fieldwork recently conducted in Australia.

This article reports further qualitative findings of an interview study involving 42 students (aged 10–18) attending a specialist music school, and parents of half of them. The students were encouraged to talk about events and experiences that influenced their progress in learning musical instruments. Observations by the children and their parents concerning perceptions of instrumental teachers, various aspects of practising activities, and attitudes towards performing. These insights complement previous quantitative and qualitative findings (Sloboda and Howe, 1991; Howe and Sloboda, 1991) and contribute descriptive knowledge of the precursors of musical accomplishments.

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is a widely acknowledged condition in the field of music performance. However, MPA is rarely discussed in the field of music education. Classroom, studio and conservatoire teachers observe their students experiencing MPA related to performances, examinations or auditions, but few have the prerequisite skills to manage the condition. It is therefore essential for music educators to gain an understanding of MPA in order to assist their students. This paper discusses the nature of MPA and its prevalence in the various populations which have been reported in the literature, including children and adolescents, undergraduates, amateur and professional musicians, and music educators. The paper argues that music educators have a critical role in the developmental trajectory of the condition and provides music educators with advice on how teaching practice can ameliorate developing or extant MPA in their students.

The article reports on a 2-year higher education music programme for young rock musicians in Sweden called BoomTown Music Education. The pedagogical philosophy behind this programme is developed from the findings of two Swedish music education researchers, and the programme exemplifies how knowledge about popular musicians' learning strategies in informal contexts can be utilised when designing post-compulsory music education. The aim of the article is to problematise the BoomTown environment in relation to its informality and authenticity. In addition to a description of the programme, the author's experiences from visiting this education programme are laid out in order to provide the ground for such a problematisation.

Developing emotional skills is one of the challenges that concern teachers and researchers in education, since these skills promote well-being and enhance cognitive performance. Music is an excellent tool with which to express emotions and for this reason music education should play a role in individuals’ emotional development.

This paper reviews the results of previous studies that explore the connections between active engagement with music and the development of emotional skills, specifically in the field of music education. A sample of 21 investigations was analysed.

The results from the selected studies show that music has multiple benefits for the development of certain aspects of emotional skills and positive implications for education. Suggestions for music educators gathered from the previous research are presented and potential areas of interest for further exploration in the field are identified.

This paper discusses a project in which third-year undergraduate Performance majors were asked to assess their second-year peers. The impetus for launching the project came from some stirrings of discontent amongst a few students. Instead of finding the assessment of their peers a manageable task, most students found the breadth of musical focus, across a diverse range of musical styles on a wide range of instruments, daunting and difficult. Despite this, students and staff believed the task had proved valuable for learning about the assessment process itself and for understanding the performance process.

This paper explores teachers’ and students’ perceptions of one-to-one pedagogy, in the context of tertiary vocal and instrumental tuition. Teachers and students at one Australian conservatoire participated in interviews and focus groups that explored their experiences and perceptions on the nature, value, effectiveness and challenges of one-to-one learning and teaching. Four key themes emerged: customising teaching to the learner, the teacher–student relationship, negotiating issues of student dependency versus self-sufficiency, and situating one-to-one in a broader institutional context. Aside from an undisputed view that one-to-one is essential to students’ learning and development, findings indicate diverse perceptions, including discrepancies between intentions of teachers and their pedagogical practice, and between teacher practice and student expectations. By drawing on voices ‘from the inside’ to characterise one-to-one practice, the study contributes to evidence-based research about learning and teaching in the conservatoire environment.

This review article discusses the use of action research in music education and its potential for producing knowledge and improving practice. The discussion is situated in an analysis of action research studies in music education. The review demonstrates that action research in music education focuses on a wide variety of subject matter, integrates research and action, is collaborative, grounded in a body of existing knowledge, and leads to powerful learning for the participants. However, few action research projects are cyclical, deal with aspects of social transformation, or broad historical, political or ideological contexts, and there is little focus on reflexivity. The review suggests that, in order to undertake high-quality action research, researchers need a good understanding of action research, a focused use of research literature and a defensible position with regard to data analysis and the generation of trustworthy findings.

Strategies for memorising music change as expertise develops. Twenty-two professional freelance musicians and 55 novice musicians were interviewed regarding their approaches to memorisation. Strategy use was found to depend on the nature of the material to be memorised. There was also evidence of considerable individual diversity in preferred strategies, learning being based on combinations of automated aural, kinaesthetic, or visual strategies. The professionals also made deliberate attempts to assist the memorisation process by developing an understanding of the structure of the music through analysis and devising strategies to avoid confusion when passages were similar. To reduce anxiety related to performance several strategies were often adopted simultaneously.

In this article, we argue that the musical schooling of immigrant students could be seen as forming a healthy test for any educational context in terms of how democracy is enacted. We engage in a discussion linking music education, agency, pluralism and democracy. In our theoretical reconstruction of multicultural music education we first make a review on how music education literature has approached the cultural and musical schooling of immigrant students. We then attend to sociological theories to discuss why development of musical agency may be of particular importance to first generation immigrant students and how agency-enhancing music education may be connected to the development of sound democratic practices in the 21st century schooling.

Life attitudes to, level of involvement with and success in musical learning are all tied to first musical experiences. Consequently an important objective in the planning of any musical programme for young children is to acknowledge their interests in and attitudes to different musical activities. The purpose of this investigation was to determine young children's attitudes to musical activities included in their pre-school musical programme. In particular it sought to discern if preferences exist for certain activities. What emerged from the investigation is that pre-school children generally appear to respond favourably towards involvement in all musical activities but that preferences do exist for moving and playing based activities.