Is there a neurological basis for musical expertise? Scientists have long speculated about the biological basis for musical expertise. Literature[…]
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Category: Expert Performance
Mental Representations in Expert Musicians
Mental Representations in Expert Musicians Following on from my previous post, it has been found that expert musicians have well-developed[…]
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Try harder or try differently?
Try harder or try differently? Deliberate practice Malcom Gladwell (Gladwell, 2011) popularised the notion that it takes 10,000 hours to[…]
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Musical Development and Brain Research
Walter and Walter (2015) present a compelling argument of how brain research can inform skill development in musicians, particularly music students. Practice is important in musical skill development and there has been some major inroads into the understanding of musical skill development and expertise in musicians with deliberate practice. What is not fully understood is how the brain responds to varying amounts of practice. We do know the neural pathways in the brain will change with myelination leading to improved connectivity within the networks of the brain of highly trained musicians. Further research is needed so that teachers can use this knowledge to improve music teaching and help students develop musical expertise.
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Musical aspirations: The development of expertise
Musical aspirations: The development of expertise Hallam, et al. (2016) have recently released results of a large-scale study of adolescent musicians,[…]
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Acquiring high levels of expertise in instrumental music: Deliberate practice
DELIBERATE practice: What predicts level of expertise attained, quality of performance, and future musical aspirations in young instrumental players? Deliberate[…]
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Empty Practice Syndrome
Empty Practice Syndrome “Empty Practice” Students may interpret practice differently to teachers. Students may report practising large amounts during a[…]
Read moreInstrumental Learning: Is early age a key to success?
Instrumental Learning: Is early age a key to success? The small study by Jorgensen (2001) applied elements of deliberate practice[…]
Read moreHow do you know your student is practising effectively? Some insights from meta-cognition
How do you know your student is practising effectively? Some insights from meta-cognition What are some of the tell-tale signs[…]
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The effect of self-regulation strategy instruction on music performance achievement
The effect of self-regulation strategy instruction on music performance achievement Self-regulation has been revealed as an important aspect of the[…]
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