Psychology for Musicians

This book provides a concise, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to psychological research for musicians - performers, music educators, and studio teachers. Designed to address the needs and priorities of the performing musician rather than the research community, it reviews the relevant psychological research findings in relation to situations and issues faced by musicians, and draws out practical implications for the practice of teaching and performance. Rather than a list of DOs and DON'Ts, this book equips musicians with an understanding of the basic psychological principles that underlie music performcance, enabling each reader to apply the content flexibly to the task at hand.

Following a brief review of the scientific method as a way of thinking about the issues and problems in music, this text addresses the nature-nurture problem, identification and assessment of musical aptitude, musical development, adult skill maintenance, technical and expressive skills, practice, interpretation and expressivity, sight-reading, memorization, creativity, and composition, performance anxiety, critical listening, and teaching and learning. While there is a large body of empirical research regarding music, most musicians lack the scientific training to interpret these studies. This text bridges this gap by relating these skills to the musician's experiences, addressing their needs directly with non-technical language and practical application. The book includes multiple illustrations, brief music examples, cases, questions, and suggestions for further reading.

Readership: This book will appeal to performers of all skill levels, music educators, and students and instructors in music psychology.

Andreas C. Lehmann, Professor of Systematic Musicology and Music Psychology, Hochschule fuer Musik, Wuerzburg, Germany, John A. Sloboda, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Unit for the Study of Musical Skill and Development, Keele University, UK, and Robert H. Woody, Associate Professor of Music Education, University of Nebraska, USA

"This is an extremely well-considered book by three familiar and extremely influential figures within their field, professional academics with distinct specialisation and musical competency. ...suitable for the classroom, and as a teaching resource, it is a comprehensive overview of psychology for musicians." - Singing: The Association of Teachers of Singing, Number 53

Part I: Musical Learning
1: Science and Musical Skills
2: Development
3: Motivation
4: Practice
Section II: Musical skills
5: Expression and Interpretation
6: Reading or Listening and Remembering
7: Composition and Improvisation
8: Managing Performance Anxiety
Section III: Musical Roles
9: The Performer
10: The Teacher
11: The Listener
12: The User