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What is it that drives people to undertake music research? Such interest frequently grows from on-the-ground experiences as learners, performers, facilitators, composers, arts administrators, and educators. It can emerge, for example, from music teachers trying out new teaching methods, performers wishing to know more about how to improvise effectively, educators pursuing the most effective ways to structure music curricula, musicians aiming to explain why their music enhances wellbeing among different groups of people, and orchestral managers seeking to promote and protect the health of their players. At the heart of all of these enquiries lies a question of some sort, and it is these research questions that determine the direction of the research to be undertaken.
Performing Music Research is a comprehensive guide to planning, conducting, analyzing, and communicating research in music performance. The book examines the approaches and strategies that underpin research in music education, psychology, and performance science. It reviews the knowledge and skills needed to critique existing studies in these fields and to design and carry out new investigations. Perspectives on qualitative, quantitative, and multistrategy methodologies are highlighted across the book in ways that help aspiring researchers bring precision to their research questions, select methods that are appropriate for addressing their questions, and apply those methods systematically and rigorously. Each chapter contains a study guide, comprising a chapter summary, a list of keywords, and suggestions for further discussion, and the book concludes with a resources section, including a glossary and supplementary material to support advanced statistical analysis.
The book''s companion website provides information designed to facilitate access to original research and to test
knowledge and understanding.
List of contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Planning Research
- 1: Research questions
- 2: Methodological approaches
- 3: Research ethics
- Conducting Research
- 4: Observations
- 5: Documentation
- 6: Interviews
- 7: Surveys
- 8: Experiments
- Analyzing Research
- 9: Qualitative Analysis
- 10: Descriptive Statistics
- 11: Inferential Statistics: Foundations
- 12: Inferential statistics: Differences
- 13: Inferential statistics: Relationships
- Communicating Research
- 14: Communication and dissemination
- Resources
- Glossary
- Abbreviations and Symbols
About the author
Aaron Williamon is Professor of Performance Science at the Royal College of Music (RCM) and Director of the Centre for Performance Science, a partnership of the RCM and Imperial College London. His research focuses on skilled performance and applied scientific initiatives that inform music learning and teaching, as well as the impact of music and the arts on society. He is founder of the International Symposium on Performance Science, chief editor of Performance Science (a Frontiers journal), and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and the UK's AdvanceHE (FHEA). In 2008, he was elected an Honorary Member of the Royal College of Music (HonRCM)
Jane Ginsborg is Professor of Music Psychology, Associate Director of Research, and Director of the Centre for Music Performance Research at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Her research focuses on expert solo and collaborative music practice, rehearsal and performance; musicians' health, wellbeing, resilience, and literacy; practice-led research; and virtuosity. She is a fellow of the UK's AdvanceHE (FHEA) and served as president of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (2012-2015) and managing editor of Music Performance Research (2010-2018). She was appointed editor-in-chief of Musicae Scientiae in 2018.
Rosie Perkins is Professor of Music, Health, and Social Science at the Royal College of Music (RCM). Based in the Centre for Performance Science, Rosie's research investigates two broad areas within music and mental health: how music and the arts support societal wellbeing and how to enhance artists' wellbeing and career development.
George Waddell is Research Associate in Performance Science at the Royal College of Music (RCM). His research focuses on the evaluation of performance and the use of technology to enhance how performance is assessed, taught, and practiced. He leads courses on scientific research methods, the psychology of performance, performance evaluation, enterprise and innovation, and musicians' health. He is an honorary Research Associate at Imperial College London
Summary
Performing Music Research is a comprehensive guide to planning, conducting, analyzing, and communicating research in music performance. The book examines the approaches and strategies that underpin research in music education, psychology, and performance science.
Additional text
Performing Music Research is an essential read for anyone interested in interdisciplinary enquiry at the crossroads of music performance and music education, psychology, and performance science. In addition to providing a solid foundation for sound research, it provides a wealth of practical guidance, presented both with breadth and in depth, to guide the reader through the essential steps and common pitfalls of conducting research in music, informed by perspectives from multiple fields and supported by helpful learning resources. This book will no doubt become a central tool for training the next generation of music researchers, allowing them to navigate from one field to another and contribute to the advancement of musical knowledge and understanding.
Report
The book is particularly interesting from an educational perspective because of its applied focus and its structural features ... The book's structural features help to provide clarity of information and encourage independent learning, reflecting a model for good textbook writing practice. Yanyi Lu, Educational Review
