Becoming a Music Student Investigating the skills and attitudes of students beginning a Music degree

Abstract

ab s t rac tThis article reports a project designed to foster first-year music students' academic study skills and to investigate their expectations and experiences of starting at university. Data gathered through questionnaires, diaries and in-class tasks reveal the change in learning strategies and musical identity the students experience in their first semester of the music degree course. Academic work and anxieties about workload and assessment challenge the focus on performing which has previously been the students' main source of musical involvement, necessitating a redefinition of what it means to be musically successful. These findings are discussed in the broader context of musicians' life-span development, and the article concludes with some implications for practice in higher education and beyond. k e ywo r d s music students, school-university transition, student/musician identity, study skills s ta r t i n g at u n i v e r s i t y Th e f i r st s e m e st e r of any degree course brings a multitude of challenges for students as they adjust to a new physical, social and educational environment. In addition, music students are faced with possibly their first experience of being amongst a large number of performers of a similar standard. While this can bring new opportunities for making music, the loss [ 2 8 9 ]

‘Tristan chords and random scores’: exploring undergraduate students' experiences of music in higher education through the lens of Bourdieu

“…In acknowledging the challenges faced by a diverse student population in higher music education, Burland and Pitts (2007) suggest that with support from institutions, induction programmes can be of benefit for both students and staff. In the context of this study where western classical music dominates course content, certain measures could be taken to reduce anxiety and doubts felt by students whose musical habitus is not primarily western classical.…”

“…Previous research on students' experiences of music in higher education (Burt and Mills 2006;Burland and Pitts 2007;Feichas 2010;Finnegan 1989;Kingsbury 1988;Nettl 2005;Pitts 2003Pitts , 2005 highlights issues of confidence, the hidden curriculum and feelings of inadequacy and isolation amongst students of music. In examining the socio-cultural learning experiences of music students, Dibben (2006) highlights a relationship between social class and issues of access to higher music education.…”

“…Burland and Pitts (2007) illustrate the relationship between students' musical backgrounds and their experiences of self-doubt and anxiety in regard to academic success vis-à-vis theoretical knowledge and skills. Although the findings of this study resonate to a certain extent with Burland and Pitts (2007), research on the relationship between students' musical backgrounds, prior music education and their expressed experiences of higher music education within the context of Ireland has not been conducted heretofore.…”

“…Burland and Pitts (2007) illustrate the relationship between students' musical backgrounds and their experiences of self-doubt and anxiety in regard to academic success vis-à-vis theoretical knowledge and skills. Although the findings of this study resonate to a certain extent with Burland and Pitts (2007), research on the relationship between students' musical backgrounds, prior music education and their expressed experiences of higher music education within the context of Ireland has not been conducted heretofore. Moreover, although data from this study echo the misgivings expressed by academics in relation to the content and assessment of revised secondary school music curricula in the 1990s, findings also suggest that students from diverse musical backgrounds express very different experiences to their classical counterparts who have more formal prior training in music theory.…”

Recent changes to students' perceptions of their key skills on entry to higher education

“…Consequently, various initiatives (sometimes in the form of 'skills modules') have been introduced to support students' skills development in IT, and other skills such as essay writing and constructive use of feedback and self-evaluation (Burland and Pitts 2007). However, the provision of such support is 'expensive' in terms of both staffing/resources and curricular time, so it is vital that incorporated skilldevelopment opportunities are carefully tailored to meet student needs.…”