Musicians As Lifelong Learners

Muzici uit diverse landen over een leven lang muziek leren.

Muzici uit diverse landen over een leven lang muziek leren.

In music, while coaching groups of adults in ensemble settings and teaching them in the independent studio is a longstanding tradition, most tertiary-level music courses do not address the specific issues associated with teaching adults. The Adult Music Student addresses this gap, equipping music educators and professional musicians with the skills to provide optimal learning environments for adult music-makers, and exploring the process of learning and making music across the entire adult lifespan. In chapters rooted in research and real-world experience, adult learning theory, assumptions and philosophy are presented within the context of musical situations. The author also addresses adult motivation, teacher attributes that facilitate learning, and specific strategies to engage adults at different psychosocial or developmental stages. Providing practitioners with both an understanding of how adults learn, and practical approaches that can be used immediately in various music settings, this book offers an essential guide for any instructor working with adult music students.

Who am I as a musician and how can I contribute to society? It is the key question in this reflective handbook on Lifelong Learning in Music, in which Rineke Smilde reflects on today’s musicians’ emerging identity and its relationship with their professional performance. For many years she has been leading the research group Lifelong Learning in Music of Prince Claus Conservatoire (Hanze University Groningen), examining questions about the relationship between musicians and society. What for example, does engagement with new audiences mean for the different roles, learning and leadership of musicians? And how could we consider musicians’ learning environments? During the research into their learning processes further questions were raised and possible answers examined. In this reflective handbook fundamental concepts of Lifelong Learning in Music are clarified and discussed through examples of research projects which were explorative and innovative. A fair amount was learnt. Several key themes are identified such as reflective practice, artistry, excellence, reciprocity and artistic response. In particular, the multilayered roles of biographical learning and improvisation emerge in these examples. Special attention is given to the notion of the ‘reflexive conservatoire’, which is rooted within the framework of lifelong learning and includes attention to tacit knowing, artistic excellence and the crucial connection to the outside world. In the end, the author makes a strong case for all musicians developing an informed social role that reflects their own identity and underpins their professional performance. There is an emphasis on eliminating the false dichotomy between artistic practices as ‘l’art pour l’art’ or ‘social work’. This can only be achieved through convincing examples of artistic practices in social contexts, which inform musicians’ artistic growth and strengthen their personal and professional development and sense of identity. Here there is no either-or; on the contrary, tradition and innovation are married and strengthen each other by being complementary.

This book examines contemporary issues in music teaching and learning throughout the lifespan, illuminating an emerging nexus of trends shaping modern research in music education. In the past, most music learning opportunities and research were focused upon the pre-adult population. Yet, music education occurs throughout the lifespan, from birth until death, emerging not only through traditional formal ensembles and courses, but increasingly through informal settings as well. This book challenges previous assumptions in music education and offers theoretical perspectives that can guide contemporary research and practice. Exploring music teaching and learning practices through the lens of human development, sections highlight recent research on topics that shape music learning trajectories. Themes uniting the book include human development, assessment strategies, technological applications, professional practices, and cultural understanding. The volume deconstructs and reformulates performance ensembles to foster mutually rewarding collaborations across miles and generations. It develops new measures and strategies for assessment practices for professionals as well as frameworks for guiding students to employ effective strategies for self-assessment. Supplemental critical thinking questions focus the reader on research applications and provide insight into future research topics. This volume joining established experts and emerging scholars at the forefront of this multifaceted frontier is essential reading for educators, researchers, and scholars, who will make the promises of the 21st century a reality in music education. It will be of interest to a range of fields including music therapy, lifelong learning, adult learning, human development, community music, psychology of music, and research design.