Psychology for Musicians

What is it that accounts for the differences between musical beginners, advanced music makers, and world class performers? Virtually everyone likes music and has the capacity to be musical in some way (despite what some may say about themselves). Yet far fewer people come to be so involved with it that they identify themselves as musicians, and fewer still become musicians of international class. Psychology for Musiciansprovides the basis for answering this question. Examining the processes that underlie the acquisition of musical skills, Lehmann, Sloboda, and Woody provide a concise, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to psychological research for musicians. The authors explore common traits between skilled activities in non-musical domains and particular musical behaviors such as sight-reading, improvisation, performing from memory, and composing. With these comparisons in mind, they examine how the skills needed to teach, perform, and even listen to music are acquired and honed over time. Importantly, they take a cross-cultural perspective, considering the "conservatory culture" of formally trained musicians alongside non-Western societies, past historical times, and contemporary vernacular music cultures. Making decades of music psychology research relevant for today's musician, Psychology for Musiciansidentifies the most applicable principles and presents them in an accessible way. Each chapter includes discussion questions and suggested self-study exercises to allow readers to apply the content to their own music activities. The twelve chapters are grouped into three sections: Musical Learning, which explores the topics of development, motivation, and practice; Musical Skills, which details the processes behind expressivity and interpretation, reading and remembering music, improvising and composing, and managing performance anxiety; and Musical Roles, which examines the differing skill sets of performers, teachers, listeners, and music "users." An invaluable reference guide for professional, aspiring, and amateur musicians alike, Psychology for Musicianswill also be eagerly read by students and instructors in music education, and psychologists interested in music.