Electronic Journal of Music in Education

Listening to Students through their Musical Preferences: Dialogical Gatherings, an Opportunity for Critical Music Education

Scenic Anxiety in Professional Music Education Studies Learners’

Javier Olvera-Fernandez, Almudena Ocaña-Fernández, Ramón Montes-Rodríguez

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of the introduction in Primary and Secondary Education of a musical repertoire based on the musical preferences of the students. Starting from a socio-critical position and through an interpretative methodological process by means of a multi-case study, the aim is to analyse how the implementation of dialogical music gatherings affects classroom dynamics and whether this didactic strategy can facilitate a change towards a critical music education. Six cases are studied in six schools, both primary and secondary. The information was obtained from focus groups with students and researchers, research diaries, playlists and conversations held on a social network. After analysing the data, the focus is on a) what the students listen to and how this shapes their identity; b) the topics discussed after listening; c) the educational changes after the implementation of the tertulias and their strengths; and d) the difficulties encountered. This study is in line with some of the findings of previous research and can help teachers and researchers to open up more democratic, open, committed, reflective and critical educational-musical scenarios.

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Keywords: Music Appreciation, Teacher Collaboration, Qualitative Research, Focus Groups.
Elvira Montiel Guirado, Esperanza Clares-Clares

Abstract

Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a subjective construct of a maladaptive type created by the musician himself. This problem triggers a series of physical, cognitive, and behavioural symptoms that lead to a decreased interpretive effectiveness in public and a risk to the overall health of the sufferer. Therefore, this is a problem that affects musicians, both students and professionals, and constitutes a real obstacle to their careers. In this work, the level of MPA has been measured in learners of Professional Music Education Studies in Murcia (Southeast of Spain). For this purpose, the Spanish version of the K-MPAI (Kenny-Music Performance Anxiety Inventory) questionnaire was given to a sample of 403 students. The results indicate that the factors of MPA that reach higher levels are anxious apprehension, proximal somatic anxiety, and worry/dread. It is concluded that women, wind instrumentalists, students whose parents are musicians, as well as those who have studied music for more years present higher levels of AEM compared to their comparison group counterparts.
Keywords: Musicians; education; stress; conservatory; MPA.