University musicians’ use of component cognitive skills in practice: A self-report study

Abstract

This study’s procedure, carried out by university musicians in a naturalistic practice environment, explored the effect of attention to musical cognitive skills on self-reported characteristics of practicing. One hundred university music majors carried out a practice session that targeted an expressive performance skill, and while doing so, responded to written prompts to report their thought processes. Musicians in the treatment condition, prior to practicing, read a 650-word excerpt that explained three component cognitive skills of music performance: goal imaging, motor production, and self-monitoring; their instructions prompted them to report their thoughts related to the three component skills. The musicians in the control condition received no such excerpt and were prompted to simply report their thoughts before, during, and after performance attempts to improve their targeted skill. Participants’ written responses were coded according to the presence of seven characteristics, specifically four indicators of self-regulation and three strategies of effective practice. The results showed that musicians in the treatment condition reported significantly more self-regulation indicators and practice strategies. This finding suggests that conscious attention to the underlying cognitive skills of music performance can prompt musicians to practice more effectively and lead them to have greater confidence in the efficacy of their practicing.