Previous sport research has demonstrated that athletes of higher levels employ imagery more than low-level athletes. Because there is currently little research on imagery’s application in singers, the purpose of the present study was to investigate whether this finding is reflected in low-level and high-level singers. A study-specific questionnaire was developed that examined singers’ imagery use. The questionnaire consisted of four subscales that assessed vocal technique, performance anxiety regulation, goals, and characterization. It was found that singers used imagery most for characterization (i.e., portraying a character or feeling), followed by goals, vocal technique, and performance anxiety regulation. No differences existed between professional and student singers’ imagery use. There was a significant difference between males and females on the characterization subscale, suggesting that female singers may use imagery for characterization more so than males. Introducing this approach to imagery to singers and teachers of singing has the potential to influence music education in school settings and impact curriculum development.
The purpose of this study was to examine the intersections of experiential learning and critical reflection within the unique context of the Accademia Europea dell’Opera (AEDO), a music performance summer program specializing in opera. Researchers explored the development and implementation of a responsive model of reflection and considered the impact this model had on helping music students shift between multiple spaces of musical performance and skill development. Data were analyzed through a communities of practice framework, and findings drawn from the analysis are explored through the following themes: the complexities of building a new community, synergy between intrapersonal and interpersonal engagement, and participants’ processes of reflecting and learning together.
Formal music performance studies within university settings strive to prepare the next generation of performers and pedagogues for musical engagement beyond university. Yet literature suggests that these spaces of study do not always lead to a sense of readiness for potential professional worlds, due in part to a lack of opportunities for guided, in-depth, critical reflection that helps students connect theory and practice. This article articulates findings from a study that sought to consider the impact of deliberate opportunities for reflection in The Accademia Europea dell’Opera (AEDO), a university-affiliated summer opera intensive experiential learning program. Utilizing a communities of musical practice framework, researchers worked collaboratively to help participants engage in guided critical reflection as they developed high-level musical skills through rehearsals and performances. This article specifically considers the ways in which a ‘broker’ helped participants develop practices of reflection and personal agency both within and beyond this context.
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