Development of a theoretical framework for teaching and learning expressive music performance

Based on the presented findings I propose a new theoretical framework for teaching and learning expressive music performance. The development of my theoretical framework for teaching expressivity can be presented in a series of illustrations (Figures 8.1.-8.6) based on figures from Chapters 3, 6 and 7 (Figures 3.2., 3.3., 6.3., 7.1. and 7.2.). For consistency, I have adjusted these so that instructional strategies are based at the top of the figures influencing expressive music performance which is

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placed at the bottom25_{. Firstly, Figure 8.1. (Figure 6.3. in Chapter 6) depicts how}

children tend to perceive playing a musical instrument as a challenging activity from the beginning of learning, and that they become more aware of the complexities of instrumental performance when they get older and start working on harder repertoire. Because of these technical challenges, practising scales and difficult sections had been helpful for making progress during lessons in Study 1. When note reading and technique are perceived as difficult, children tend to concentrate on reading from notation and ‘technicalities’ during practice, overlooking matters of interpretation. Consequently, the technical complexities of instrumental playing may cause limited expressiveness in performance. Potentially, tutors might focus on accuracy and technique in lessons too (cf. Karlsson & Juslin, 2008; McPherson et al., 2012; West & Rostvall, 2003), because of their pupils’ difficulties and limited expressiveness (Figure 8.2., see Section 8.1.). By asking open questions about the musical character and the use of expressive cues, tutors can shift young musicians’ attention from a focus on the ‘technicality’ to an increased awareness of the ‘musicality’ of their pieces which may enhance their expressiveness in performance (Figures 8.1., 8.2. and 8.3.).

Figure 8.1. Illustrative figure depicting reasons why certain instructional strategies may be effective in a dialogic teaching approach.

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Figure 8.2. The challenges of instrumental music learning may cause limited expressiveness.

Figure 8.3. Open questions and dialogue can raise pupils’ awareness of the musical character thus improving their expressiveness.

Findings from Studies 1 and 3 demonstrate that teachers’ questions, concerning the musical character and how this can be conveyed by modifying expressive tools, can indeed stimulate pupils’ reflection on the interpretation and enhance expressiveness in lessons.

Based on the findings of my Master’s study (Meissner, 2017) and Studies 1 and 2, I proposed at the start of Study 3 that various instructional strategies, such as analysis, imagined or felt emotion, imagery, modelling, singing, projected performance and listening to recordings of pupils’ own performances can support and illustrate the dialogue about the musical character and/or the dialogical explanation of the use of expressive cues (Figure 8.4., based on Figure 3.3.). Thus, the instructional strategies at the top row in Figure 8.4. could be seen as a toolkit of strategies for working on expressiveness within a dialogic teaching approach. Together with my colleagues I investigated this idea in the ARP (Study 3). According to my colleagues it is not possible to differentiate exactly which method is useful for improving a particular aspect of performance, as various methods can affect several aspects of playing. They proposed that ‘everything is intertwined’ in dialogic teaching of expressivity; methods that illustrate the learning and teaching of expressiveness may also support the process of improving accuracy or technical skills. Improvement of accuracy and technique in turn can increase the expressiveness of a performance. Figure 8.5. (Based on Figure 7.1.) illustrates the view of my colleagues that various instructional strategies can complement a dialogic teaching approach for working on expressive performance, although open questions and dialogue supported by modelling were seen as central for effective teaching-and-learning of expressivity. Based on these findings, Figure 8.6. depicts a ‘toolkit of strategies’ for teaching expressivity: Various instructional strategies can be used to illustrate and strengthen the questions and dialogic about the musical character and the use of expressive tools. However, it is important to bear in mind that the findings form these studies support the view that open questions and dialogue together with aural modelling are central for pupils’ learning of expressivity.

Figure 8.4. Theoretic model, at the start of Study 3, for teaching and learning expressive music performance incorporating supplemental strategies that can be employed to support the dialogic teaching of expressiveness.

Figure 8.5. ARP-Tutors’ views on teaching and learning expressive music performance within a dialogic teaching approach.

Figure 8.6. Toolkit of strategies for teaching expressive music performance.

Furthermore, findings from Study 3 suggest that a dialogic teaching approach supported by modelling, and combined with regular performance experiences, can enhance pupils’ confidence and thus increase their self-efficacy. Additionally, this dialogic teaching approach supported by modelling had affected various other aspects of the teaching-and-learning process, as tutors’ questions in the ARP had stimulated pupils’ thinking about the musical character and how to convey this, which had increased their self-efficacy and musical agency. Furthermore, pupils’ accuracy and technical fluency had improved, and some tutors thought that the dialogic teaching approach had helped them to understand their pupils better (Figure 8.7. based on Figure 7.2.).

Finally, Figure 8.8. illustrates how everything is intertwined in a dialogic teaching approach: Open questions and dialogue supported by aural modelling are central for teaching expressivity, while supplementary methods such as imagined or felt emotions, thinking about projected performance, and listening to own recordings can be helpful too. Overall, instruction should be tailored to the individual pupil and situation. Effective dialogic teaching can increase pupils’ expressivity, confidence, self- efficacy and musical agency, while regular performance experiences may also support expressiveness as it can increase students’ confidence (Figure 8.8.).