Fostering accurate musical self-perceptions may be particularly challenging when developing singing technique, where self-assessment is complicated by the close physiological and emotional relationship between the performer and the body-instrument. The aim of the present study was to investigate how vocal students' beliefs in their performance…

This study investigated the perceptions of piano performance programs in higher education from current collegiate students and faculty members' perspectives in China and the United States. Participants were from representative university-level institutions in the U.S. (n = 41) and China (n = 130). They were sent a questionnaire concerning (a) the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of facial expression and conducting gesture on perceptions of choral conductor and ensemble expressivity. College musicians (N = 156) viewed excerpts of two choral conductors who had been recorded conducting with either an expressive conducting gesture and a neutral/static face or an…

This follow-up pilot study investigates the effect of a six-month analysis course, during which college music majors learned to see the meaning of music as being essentially intra-musical. The study aims to explore relationships between intra- and extra-musical perceptions among subjects (N = 33) while listening to Beethoven's "Thunder…

The purpose of this study was to explore with five Arab young adults their perceptions of Western and Arabic musical cultures as well as their perceptions of the Western classical vocal teaching they experienced at an American-modeled university in the United Arab Emirates. Of interest were issues of cultural relevance and the role of music and…

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the perceived impact of personal circumstances, past and present learning environments, and musical culture on the development of playing-related pain and injury among tertiary string students. The study used a multi-phased mixed-methods methodology with elements of both quantitative…

Musical settings that require consumers to construct their own musical instruments serve as potential sites of reconnection between musicians, the musical instruments they make, the natural resources that comprise those instruments, and the labor required to produce them. When musicians reconnect in these ways, they are able to understand and…

To examine the quality of rhythmic improvisations after learning Ugandan folksongs via notated or aural/oral means, we asked university music majors (N = 32) to practice two Ugandan folksongs via Western notation or while viewing a prerecorded video of an expert Ugandan performer singing the same song to mimic aural/oral tradition conditions.…

While there is a growing body of research concerning the well-being of music students, burnout and engagement remain largely unexplored. Likewise, cross-national variations in approaches to music education, and different educational experiences of men and women may influence burnout and engagement. This preliminary study aimed to inform further…

This paper assesses the prevalence of substance use in Spanish music students as a strategy for coping with Musical Performance Anxiety (MPA). We also assess the relation between substance use and thoughts of abandoning one's musical career in connection with the degree of self-reported MPA. We carried out this survey on a sample of 463 students…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of baton usage on college musicians' perceptions of ensemble performance. Two conductors were videotaped while conducting a 1-minute excerpt from either a technical ("Pathfinder of Panama," John Philip Sousa) or lyrical ("Seal Lullaby," Eric Whitacre) piece of concert…

This study explores learners' perspectives on the prevalent pedagogy being followed in an institutionalized setup in teaching Hindustani music; their preferences for learning (one to one, one to many, etc.) and the importance of riaz to them; the dynamics of teacher-student relationship; and the factors contributing to their creative music making.…

Injury risks associated with musical performance continue to be a serious problem for professional and student musicians. Much research has focused on the incidence and severity of these problems yet less information is available on the potential influence of health awareness and attitudes to injuries in these populations. This study aimed to…

For many people, the appeal of music lies in its connection to human emotions. A significant body of research has explored the emotions that are experienced through either the formal structure of music or through its symbolic messages. Yet in the instrumental music education field, this emotional connection is rarely examined. In this article, it…

This study was designed to investigate the impact that choral singing has on instrumental students' development as musicians. Instrumental music students (N = 23) enrolled in a choral elective module at a tertiary music conservatory completed an eight-item questionnaire. Descriptive answers were collated and interpreted revealing six…