Research Skills in Practice: Learning and Teaching Practice-Based Research at RNCM

Abstract

First, I will define what we mean by ‘practice-based’ research, encompassing composition and performance, as opposed to ‘performance practice’ and ‘performative’ research, drawing on recently published examples of practice-based research to illustrate the requirements of Ph.D research ‘by practice’ at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Next, I will show how we teach practice-based and performance practice research not only at taught postgraduate level via the Music Research in Practice compulsory module and Lecture Recital option, but also at the undergraduate level via Performance and Repertoire Studies 3 and 4. Finally, I will report on a symposium held in November 2011 at RNCM, Teaching and Learning Practice in/as Research involving staff and students as well as external speakers and performers, and raise for discussion some of the issues that arose at, and from the symposium.