Psychology for Musicians: Understanding and Acquiring the Skills

by Andreas C. Lehmann, John A. Sloboda, Robert H. Woody

Overview

What is it that accounts for the differences between musical beginners, advanced music makers, and world class performers? Virtually everyone likes music and has the capacity to be musical in some way (despite what some may say about themselves). Yet far fewer people come to be so involved with it that they identify themselves as musicians, and fewer still become musicians of international class. Psychology for Musicians provides the basis for answering this question. Examining the processes that underlie the acquisition of musical skills, Lehmann, Sloboda, and Woody provide a concise, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to psychological research for musicians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199881901
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/08/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Andreas C. Lehmann is Professor of (Systematic) Musicology at the Hochschule f"ur Musik in W"urzburg, Germany. John Sloboda is Professor of Psychology at Keele University. A Fellow of the British Psychological Society, he has been President of both the Psychology and General Sections of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as President of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. Robert Woody is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music.

Table of Contents

Musical Learning
Science and Musical Skills     5
Development     25
Motivation     44
Practice     61
Musical Skills
Expression and Interpretation     85
Reading or Listening and Remembering     107
Composition and Improvisation     127
Managing Performance Anxiety     145
Musical Roles
The Performer     165
The Teacher     185
The Listener     205
The User     224
References     243
Index     265

Editorial Reviews

"This is a well-considered book by three familiar and extremely influential figures within their field, professional academics with distinct specialisation and musical competency."—Denise Borland, Singing

"This book is a much-needed reference and text for expanding our awareness and use of psychology's formative role in teaching, learning, and performing music. The authors begin by identifying folk wisdom that has guided performance and teaching practices in music. They then proceed to present and clarify the psychological principles that influence the various outcomes of music. The focus on musical skills ranges from musical memory to improvisation, with a unique closing to each chapter—a self-study that requires reflection on the material presented in the chapter and also on the implementation and explanation of our psychological knowledge in teaching, learning, and performing. The use of valid research studies as documentation makes this book a page-turner: the user will be reluctant to put it down."—Richard Colwell, co-editor The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois

"This book impressively bridges the gap between psychological insights into music making and the music practitioner's need for concise explanations. Its twelve readily comprehensible chapters and its innovative self-study exercises, study questions, and cultural contextualizations make it an ideal textbook for all musicians wishing to become informed performers and music teachers."—Reinhard Kopiez, Professor of Music Psychology, Hanover University of Music and Drama, Germany

"This book is written by three outstanding musicians active in the fields of psychology for musicians, teaching, and performing, working together as an interdisciplinary team. It provides a great source for students of psychology who are eager to know more about music and the mind, music making, and listening. It is the kind of book that musicians and performers will be referring to for years to come. Highly recommended."—Maurice Hinson, Senior Professor of Piano, School of Church Music and Worship, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

From the Publisher