DIAGRAMA DE PROBLEMAS MÁS FRECUENTES

Each participant held expectations for what teachers should contribute to their learning, and which responsibilities they held for their own development. Such expectations were reflected in when and how much input participants desired from their teachers, and how confident they were in their own decisions in comparison to ideas and opinions from others.

7.3.1 Decision-making

The ability to make effective, independent, and critical decisions is a principal learning goal of tertiary music study, and was specified in course outlines at this institution. Attitudes to decision- making varied among the participants according to individual perceptions, teacher approach, and

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area in which decisions were required. In general, the participants looked to their teachers for guidance on immediate musical and technical choices, as well as long-term planning. Technical aspects included learning the best ways to produce sound, approach difficult passages, determine fingerings or bowings, or control physical aspects of playing their instruments. Musical choices were needed for stylistic approaches, articulations, or other expressive and interpretative elements. Long-term planning included decisions about repertoire for future performances, areas of development requiring ongoing attention, and the overall steps necessary to gain sufficient expertise for a successful transition into a career. Teachers contributed to decision-making on all levels, and therefore played an important and practical role. Student perceptions of this role and their own part in making decisions reflected their musical identities in terms of autonomy and sense of control, as well as beliefs about the nature of knowledge (epistemic beliefs). These areas are explored below.

Among the participants, a relationship was apparent between performance confidence and autonomy in decision-making, particularly concerning interpretative decisions. Autonomy in making decisions included confidence that these decisions would be effective, as well as sustaining confidence in decisions or positively altering them in the face of critical appraisal from others. More confident players showed less doubt that their choices might be “wrong”, and a greater sense of control over and responsibility for their decisions. Conversely, less confident players showed less faith in their own musical ideas and a high level of dependence on their teachers. Variation between students is to be expected in the sense that the learning-styles of some students favour a more directed approach from teachers (e.g. Burwell, 2005). However, data in the present study reiterates the importance of autonomy and self-regulation to performance confidence and overall development (Gaunt et al., 2012; Zimmerman, 2002). The findings also highlight the potential for improving confidence in musical decision-making through teacher expectations and goals.

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Less confident performers reported anxiety concerning what was going to “come out”, even before they began playing (Yvette, Leticia, and Emma). These participants were anxious about whether their playing would be judged as “good”, either by themselves or others – a common experience reported in studies on classical musicians (e.g. Dobson, 2010). Anxiety in the context of the present study was discussed more fully in chapter 6. However, it is relevant here to relate participant experiences of anxiety arising from greater focus on the opinions and ideas of others than the validity of their own decisions. Less confident performers described thoughts of what their teacher would think of their performance (Yvette), or managing to realise things their teacher had suggested (Emma). Conversely, confident performers were characterised by comments such as the following:

[A teacher is] just another ear, because I don’t trust my own when I’m playing ... you tend to get caught up in your own ideas, and it’s very hard to see how it works as a whole, so you need someone to listen and say: “Yes, that worked in context with what came before”. (Robert)

This extract indicates that Robert took responsibility for his musical ideas, and did not expect a teacher to help him with the entire process of developing a performance. He used teacher feedback primarily as a way of checking that his ideas were effective to an experienced outside ear, thereby validating his approach and supporting his confidence in his decisions.

Several participants talked about taking music to their teachers early in the learning process to make sure that they were not doing anything “strange” or “wrong”, particularly with elements such as fingerings or bowings. They conveyed a sense that trying to do these things on their own would waste time, and potentially slow the learning process unacceptably. Although they all seemed aware of the value of autonomous learning, these participants felt generally

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uncomfortable with it. They spoke about the value of having their own ideas, but also said that they would not be able to cope without a teacher.

7.3.2 Becoming independent

The necessity of transitioning from dependence to independence was something of which all the participants were aware. But for some, such as Emma, it was removed to an undefined future time and partially ignored. For a first-year student this was unproblematic. For more advanced students, it was associated with anxiety. Leticia provided an example. She projected a need for several more years of guidance, in spite of the fact that she was currently completing a Master’s degree and therefore had many years of study behind her. As she said:

[How you think] is a big part of [my teacher’s] teaching, but there’s only so much that you can be told and then you really have to [do it yourself] ... He’s been telling me that for years and I feel like it’s only just starting to click. (Leticia)

This quote reflects Leticia’s awareness that she needed to take responsibility for what she was doing, and her difficulty in actually doing so. She had been studying with her present teacher for many years, and she had apparently delayed attempting to adopt a more independent approach until now, when it had become acute. As a student, she had been able to rely on her teacher, and to focus on the details of immediate learning goals. More global issues, such as underlying lack of confidence in her abilities as a violinist, had remained unaddressed, and hampered her learning. This example illustrates how musical identity, in this case as a music student, may actually facilitate slow development as it accommodates avoiding or delaying action until a later time (see 5.7.1 for further discussion).

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Harry presented conflicting identities with regard to becoming an independent musician. When asked what kept him coming back to doing performance he said:

Just playing the music how I want to play it, I guess. You listen to a recording, and it’s good but it’s not quite how you would do it. (Harry)

Then, when describing his experience of lessons, he said:

Sometimes it’s uncomfortable – [My teacher] will say: “Take this piece and learn it for next week”. But without her guidance before we start learning, it’s hard to tell what she wants me to do. (Harry)

Harry’s comments reflected the conflict and change which were occurring within his self- perceptions. His present musical identity was characterised by high self-criticism and dependence on both encouragement and guidance from respected others; however, his ideal self was characterised by astute, correct judgement and free, self-defined performance. He was able to embody the latter at times, but he did not see it and the skills supporting it as fully developed. Before he could become more independent, he felt that he must develop his skills and gain confidence in them. In terms of musical identities, in spite of differences between them, Harry’s future possible self was connected to his present self through experience and sensation, which is conducive to ongoing motivation and achievement (Markus & Nurius, 1987).