Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Research Publications

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    Applying self-determination and self-regulation theories for optimizing music performance
    MCPHERSON, G ; Evans, P ; Kupers, E ; Renwick, J ; Mornell, A (Peter Lang Publishing, 2016-04)
    In this chapter, we explain research related to motivation and practice quality as a means of outlining our thoughts on how musicians are able to develop competence and acquire the skills necessary to perform under pressure. We start with motivation as viewed through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT). Since the 1970s, SDT has become a major approach to the study of human motivation. The theory rests on the assumption that humans naturally seek growth through interactions with their social environments. This growth is nourished by the fulfilment of three basic psychological needs (Deci & Ryan, 2000): the need to feel effective in interacting with the social environment (competence), the need to feel accepted by others (relatedness), and the need to feel that one’s actions are aligned with one’s interests and sense of self (autonomy). Practice quality is viewed through the lens of self-regulated learning (SRL; Zimmerman, 2000), a social-cognitive theoretical framework that is used to understand students’ strategic behavior as they work through problems. Thus, self-determination theory helps us conceptualize how musicians of all ages are able to build the resilience and personal attributes necessary to cope with the demands of performing, particularly in stressful and demanding situations as often can occur in the competitive environments in music programs and in the professional lives of musicians.