Acquiring the Art of Conducting: Deliberate Practice as Part of Professional Learning

Research was and still is involved in the controversial issue about innate talent or extensive practice as the determinants of excellent performance in a range of domains. This study aims to contribute by presenting an analysis of practice activities in a domain that appears to be particularly suitable—orchestral conducting. Most conductors usually attain expertise in instrument playing prior to commencing conducting studies. Twenty-seven students of German study programs of orchestral conducting (approximately 18.7% of the population) responded to a questionnaire about their practice activities in conducting programs and their instrumental experiences. Descriptive results show the wealth of prestudy experiences conducting students have. A clear influence on practice activities cannot be stated. During study, students rated conducting-specific practice activities as more demanding and devoted more time to them than to general music practice activities. Therefore, conducting-specific practice activities might have been practiced more deliberately than general music practice activities.

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A PRISMA Review of Research on Music Practice

Musicae Scientiae ◽

10.1177/10298649211005531 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 102986492110055

Author(s):

Ee Ran How ◽

Leonard Tan ◽

Peter Miksza

Keyword(s):

Self Regulation ◽

Deliberate Practice ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Final Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Research Literature ◽

Mental Practice ◽

Future Research ◽

Complex Activity ◽

Music Practice

We employed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method to systematically review research on music practice from 1928 until June 2020 and identified a total of 3,102 records using our inclusion criteria, of which a total of 296 were eventually selected for the final analysis. We tabulated percentages and frequencies of (a) publications in ten-year periods, (b) type of publications, (c) sampling by geographical location, (d) methodologies used, (e) the top tenth percentile of the most highly cited research, and (f) topics covered. Our analyses reveal that particularly strong growth occurred in the literature between 2000 and 2020. In the literature we retrieved, the most commonly sampled research participants were those in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and Australia. Quantitative research designs were most prevalent, accounting for two-thirds of all studies reviewed (66.2%), with questionnaires and recordings being the most common methods of data collection. Non-empirical papers (17.5%) as well as studies incorporating qualitative (13.5%) and mixed-methods designs (3.1%) were much less prevalent. Ericsson et al.’s (1993) seminal study of deliberate practice, Driskell et al.’s (1994) review of the research literature on mental practice, and Sloboda et al.’s (1996) study of young musicians were by far the most often cited. Overall, the most common topics addressed were deliberate practice, practice strategies, mental practice, the benefits of practice, metacognition, self-regulation, and self-efficacy, suggesting that music practice is a rich, multifaceted, and complex activity. In light of the findings, recommendations for practice and implications for future research are provided.

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Deliberate Practice Theory: Perceived Relevance, Effort, and Inherent Enjoyment of Music Practice: Study II

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.109.2.431-440 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 109 (2) ◽

pp. 431-440 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Randy Hyllegard ◽

Tamara L. Bories

Keyword(s):

Practice Theory ◽

Deliberate Practice ◽

Music Practice ◽

Practice Study ◽

Perceived Relevance

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Error Reflection

General Music Today ◽

10.1177/1048371316667160 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 11-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Virginia Wayman Davis

Keyword(s):

Learning Process ◽

Music Teachers ◽

Deliberate Practice ◽

Growth Mindset ◽

General Music ◽

Job Description ◽

Student Errors ◽

Musical Growth ◽

Music Classrooms

As music teachers, part of the job description involves the detection of student errors and the use of our experience and education to eliminate them. This article is an exploration of the role of error in the learning process, with the goal of recognizing mistakes not as an enemy to be vanquished but as a friend with much to teach us. Carol Dweck’s seminal research into the importance of “growth mindset,” in which students react to challenges with excitement rather than fear, lies at the heart of this journey. In addition, the importance of reflective, deliberate practice is highlighted as a key feature in developing musicality, as well as the idea of creating “desirable difficulty.” Teachers are encouraged to help students analyze their performances and develop strategies for overcoming difficulties. By designing our general music classrooms as places where student struggle is not just accepted but celebrated for its connection to true musical growth, we can help every student discover their potential.

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Engaging professional learning in online environments

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology ◽

10.14742/ajet.1116 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Amani Bell ◽

Gayle Morris

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Social Dimension ◽

Large Bank ◽

Learning Resource ◽

Learning At Work ◽

Specific Practice ◽

Online Environments

<span>Much of what is regarded as effective professional learning is that which is situated, incorporates a social dimension and enables practitioners to converge in and around authentic practice. This article describes an inter-university online learning resource for tutors which is underpinned by a practice based approach to professional learning. The emphasis is on seeing authentic, discipline specific practice via a large bank of multimedia clips of experienced tutors and reflection on that action through the incorporation of reflective triggers. Evaluation suggests a fruitful way forward for supporting learning at work.</span>

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DELIBERATE PRACTICE THEORY: RELEVANCE, EFFORT, AND INHERENT ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC PRACTICE

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.107.6.439-448 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 107 (6) ◽

pp. 439 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

RANDY HYLLEGARD

Keyword(s):

Practice Theory ◽

Deliberate Practice ◽

Music Practice

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Deliberate Practice Theory: Relevance, Effort, and Inherent Enjoyment of Music Practice

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.107.2.439-448 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 107 (2) ◽

pp. 439-448 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Randy Hyllegard ◽

Tamara L. Bories

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Students ◽

Practice Theory ◽

Deliberate Practice ◽

Music Practice ◽

And Performance

This study examined three assumptions of the theory of deliberate practice for practice playing music on an electronic keyboard. 40 undergraduate students, divided into two separate groups, practiced one of two music sequences and rated the relevance of practice for improving performance on the sequences, the amount of effort needed to learn the sequences, and the inherent enjoyment of practice sessions. Findings for each assumption were consistent with those suggested by theory but also showed that perceptions are affected by the amount of practice completed and performance of the skill.

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Computer programs for the calculation of x-ray intensities emitted by elements in multi-layer structures

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100134685 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 216-217

Author(s):

G.F. Bastin ◽

H.J.M. Heijligers ◽

J.M. Dijkstra

Keyword(s):

Software Package ◽

Light Element ◽

Matrix Correction ◽

Excellent Performance ◽

Element Analysis ◽

X Ray ◽

Know How ◽

Accurate Knowledge ◽

Layer Structures ◽

Bulk Matrix

For the calculation of X-ray intensities emitted by elements present in multi-layer systems it is vital to have an accurate knowledge of the x-ray ionization vs. mass-depth (ϕ(ρz)) curves as a function of accelerating voltage and atomic number of films and substrate. Once this knowledge is available the way is open to the analysis of thin films in which both the thicknesses as well as the compositions can usually be determined simultaneously.Our bulk matrix correction “PROZA” with its proven excellent performance for a wide variety of applications (e.g., ultra-light element analysis, extremes in accelerating voltage) has been used as the basis for the development of the software package discussed here. The PROZA program is based on our own modifications of the surface-centred Gaussian ϕ(ρz) model, originally introduced by Packwood and Brown. For its extension towards thin film applications it is required to know how the 4 Gaussian parameters α, β, γ and ϕ(o) for each element in each of the films are affected by the film thickness and the presence of other layers and the substrate.

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Perceptions of a Collaborative Professional Learning Program: Seeing the “Bigger Picture”

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_persp-19-00041 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 290-303

Author(s):

P. Charlie Buckley ◽

Kimberly A. Murza ◽

Tami Cassel

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Professional Learning ◽

Social Communication ◽

Special Educators ◽

Service Providers ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Theory Approach ◽

Learning Program ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Related Service

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of special education practitioners (i.e., speech-language pathologists, special educators, para-educators, and other related service providers) on their role as communication partners after participation in the Social Communication and Engagement Triad (Buckley et al., 2015 ) yearlong professional learning program. Method A qualitative approach using interviews and purposeful sampling was used. A total of 22 participants who completed participation in either Year 1 or Year 2 of the program were interviewed. Participants were speech-language pathologists, special educators, para-educators, and other related service providers. Using a grounded theory approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1967 ) to data analysis, open, axial, and selective coding procedures were followed. Results Three themes emerged from the data analysis and included engagement as the goal, role as a communication partner, and importance of collaboration. Conclusions Findings supported the notion that educators see the value of an integrative approach to service delivery, supporting students' social communication and engagement across the school day but also recognizing the challenges they face in making this a reality.

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