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"Comeau, Gilles"
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Translating Piano Pedagogy Into Biomechanical Language: A Qualitative Framework for Interdisciplinary Knowledge Exchange
Pianists experience high rates of Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMDs). Biomechanical factors have been investigated by both researchers and music teachers as potentially significant in PRMD development. Knowledge exchange between the fields of music and science about PRMDs may be beneficial, but differences in language use can make interdisciplinary communication challenging. One potential solution is to translate pedagogical ideas into language that is consistent with biomechanical science. Doing so could improve interdisciplinary communication and allow for scientific examination of pedagogical ideas. However, no methods for doing so have been published. To fill this gap, we developed a methodological framework with two stages for translating ideas about piano technique into scientific language: Stage 1 uses Qualitative Content Analysis to summarize pedagogical content; then, Stage 2 includes an “Analysis of Biomechanical Language,” in which researchers translate the ideas described in Stage 1. Both stages are collaborative and rely on expert consultation to produce an appropriate translation. This article outlines the framework and explains how it was used in an initial study on the Taubman Approach. Further methodological guidance to assist researchers in future studies is given based on some of the challenges encountered in the initial study. The framework and guidance here will allow researchers to carry out more studies of this kind. Because the framework is newly developed, it will likely need to be adapted further as more studies are done.
Journal Article
Postural Variability in Piano Performance
Variability is inevitable in human movement and posture, including piano performance, although little research has been conducted in this area. The purpose of this study was to determine if, when comparing individuals to themselves, pianists demonstrate consistent postural angles within a task across multiple measurements and to ascertain if, between various tasks, there are discernible task-related postural patterns. Fifteen pianists participated in this study. Each pianist returned for a total of three measurement sessions. The tasks they were required to perform at each session were quiet sitting, raising their hands on and off the keyboard, playing an ascending and descending scale, sight reading, and playing a piece in three expressive conditions (i.e., deadpan, projected, exaggerated). The following postural angles were calculated based on motion capture data collected during the performance of these tasks: craniovertebral angle, head tilt, head-neck-trunk angle, trunk angle, thoracic angle, thoracolumbar angle, and lumbar angle. The within-person variability ratio across the three measurements was calculated for each angle and across all tasks. Task-related patterns in angles were examined by comparing the same postural angle across different tasks. Results showed that there is a considerable amount of within-person variability, but not enough to be inconsistent over time. Task-related patterns indicate that reading a musical score or playing at the extreme ends of the keyboard tend to involve leaning closer to the instrument. Implications for future studies, intervention studies in particular, include taking more than a single baseline measurement to provide a more accurate picture of an individual pianist's typical posture.
Journal Article
Teacher perspective on music performance anxiety: an exploration of coping strategies used by music teachers
The purpose of this study was to explore music performance anxiety (MPA) from music teachers’ perspectives by identifying and describing common coping strategies teachers use to support students with MPA. A quantitative content analysis of scientific and non-scientific MPA literature identified preparation, open communication, realistic expectations, exposure therapy and deep breathing as the five most common coping strategies mentioned in the literature. Qualitative thematic analyses of existing literature and interview transcripts from five piano teacher participants provided descriptions of the five commonly identified coping strategies. A comparison of literature and interview results suggests a gap between research knowledge of MPA and practical teaching application. While music teachers employ a variety of strategies to help students cope with MPA, they may also benefit from formal MPA training opportunities grounded in research to provide additional resources for effectively managing students with MPA.
Journal Article
Les arnbiguiles d'un concept de la creativite qui minimise le role de la creation
In the last few decades, creativity has become a major preoccupation in education. Educators generally approach creativity either with regard to the development of certain personality traits, or the development of creative process. Rarely do they stress the production of tangible creative works. The arguments include many ambiguities, and are often supported by hypotheses that are currently under question. Educators would benefit from looking at creativity through its connection to the production of concrete works. It is when the creative process is directly tied to the constraints of developing a work that it can best serve educational purposes.
Journal Article
De la creativite a la creation ou des mythes a l 'experience
Creativity is a widely used term in education, but the meaning of the concept remains vague and imprecise. Humanistic psychology proposes a conception of creativity directly linked to self-actualization and personal growth. Experimental psychology studies the way creativity functions, explaining the process and the product in scientific terms. Piaget and Vygotsky, two cognitive psychologists, studied how we elaborate and develop the cognitive elements that make it possible to use our imaginations and construct something new in the act of creating. The author has tried to bring out as clearly as possible the meanings attached to the concept of creativity in order to analyze the degree to which they encompass certain myths or ideologies which could have a significant impact on education.
Journal Article
Psychological, Social, and Musical Benefits Associated with Participating in an Intergenerational Community Orchestra: A Mixed Methods Study
Research suggests it would be beneficial for adolescents involved in a musical training program throughout high school to continue playing their musical instrument after graduating by joining amateur community orchestras (Shansky, 2010), or at least, by having the opportunity to join such orchestras later in life when they feel the desire to reconnect with their musical instrument after several years (Helton, 2020). After searching the literature, we found only one study exploring the benefits of an intergenerational orchestra (Kearney et al., 2021) in which participants of all ages reported musical skill improvement, social bonding, gaining self-confidence, and an appreciation of the intergenerational aspect. [...]this study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic while participants were engaged in virtual music making. [...]there is a lack of research examining the benefits of intergenerational orchestras involving in-person rehearsals and concerts. [...]to fill these gaps, we partnered with the Grand Orchestre Grande Riviere (GOGR), an intergenerational orchestra composed of adolescent musicians aged between 14 and 18 years old (n=20) and adult musicians aged between 19 and 60 years old (n=27), to investigate the benefits associated with this ensemble using a mixed methods design.
Journal Article
Psychological, Social, and Musical Benefits Associated with Participating in an Intergenerational Community Orchestra: A Mixed Methods Study/B n fices psychologiques, sociaux et musicaux associ s la participation un orchestre communautaire interg n rationnel : une tude m thodes mixtes
This mixed methods study explores the benefits of participating in an intergenerational orchestra for adolescents (n=10) and adult musicians (n=13). Participants completed a quantitative questionnaire consisting of items assessing psychological, social, and musical benefits. Additionally, interviews conducted with eight musicians were analyzed thematically and three themes emerged: Sense of Weil-Being; Friendly and Collaborative Social Activity; and Harmonious Intergenerational Orchestra. The former two themes were supported by the quantitative results and suggest that participants perceive an array of psychosocial benefits. The findings suggest that this high school-based intergenerational orchestra is a viable and beneficial model for musicians' wellness.
Journal Article
The Motivation for Learning Music (MLM) questionnaire: Assessing children’s and adolescents’ autonomous motivation for learning a musical instrument
The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and construct validity of The Motivation for Learning Music (MLM) questionnaire, designed to measure the autonomous motivation of young music students. Based on Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan in Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior, Plenum, New York, 1985), the instrument consists of five subscales, each assessing a different type of motivation: intrinsic motivation, identification and integration, introjection, external regulation, and amotivation. We studied 337 child–parent pairs, with 257 of the children studying piano, and 80 studying violin. The children were age 6–17. The item pool was administered to the children, and various construct validation measures were administered to the children and/or their parents. For the final MLM, we selected 5 items per subscale, based on their psychometric properties and a desire to adequately cover each content domain. Each subscale formed a distinct component in principal components analysis; the questionnaire performed well in confirmatory factor analysis; the inter-correlations of the subscales had a consistent simplex pattern; and all subscales had alphas above .80.
Journal Article
Colorful Illustrations In Piano Method Books: A Pilot Project Investigating Eye Focus
According to piano pedagogy textbooks (Agay, 2004; Baker-Jordan, 2004; Jacobson, 2006; Uszler, Gordon & Smith, 2006), the majority of piano teachers in North America construct their piano lessons for beginner students using these books. The proliferation of illustrations in instructional material is very widespread: color illustrations on most pages are now considered a standard feature of piano method books, and nearly all children are taught to read music from books containing decorative pictures. The difficulty of acquiring reading skills is particularly acute for young pianists who must process reading on a horizontal and vertical plane, as the musical symbols are displayed over an upper and a lower staff that must be read simultaneously. Because reading-instruction materials use an abundance of illustrations, it is clearly important to study their effects on student learning. Without empirical evidence showing the real impact of illustrations on the acquisition of reading skills, we may perpetuate the production of instructional material that has questionable value for the learners. The possibility that illustrations could have a negative impact on the acquisition of music-reading skills must be considered. Since the 1960s, a considerable number of publications have looked into the impact of illustrations on text reading. Because researchers believe music reading shares characteristics with text reading (Madell & Hébert, 2008), many of the studies on word decoding are of interest for this work.
Journal Article