Early Socialization and Opinions of Musicianship Among Preservice Music Teachers

Abstract

The development of musicianship is a fundamental learning outcome for music students. The purpose of this study was to examine the early socialization experiences of preservice music teachers, as well as their opinions about musicianship. A total of 138 undergraduate music education students completed a three-part online questionnaire. The large ensemble setting was the most common source of learning and participants believed this setting contributed to the development of overall musicianship more so than any other source of learning. “Learning songs from notation” and “Music analysis” were perceived as most valuable in developing musicianship. Kruskal–Wallis tests showed differences in conceptions of musicianship based on the instrument played, but not among other socialization variables. Based on the findings, I conclude that preservice music teachers are being socialized to conceive of musicianship in ways that suit an existing school model, rather than contemporary and evolving music cultures found outside of schools.