University Music Students Research Articles

Harmonizing the mind:

This study delves into the psychological effects of vocal therapy on university music students, addressing a gap in research on targeted mental health interventions for this group. Amidst the unique pressures of music education, this research examines how vocal therapy influences students' coping strategies, social connectedness, mental health, and resilience. Utilizing various validated instruments like the Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI), Short Form-36 (SF-36), UCLA Loneliness Scale, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the study compares students undergoing vocal therapy with those who are not. Results indicate a significant reduction in performance anxiety, improved general health and mental well-being, decreased feelings of loneliness, enhanced coping strategies, and increased resilience in students participating in vocal therapy. These findings underscore the efficacy of vocal therapy as a comprehensive intervention, advocating for its integration into university mental health services. This study contributes to the growing field of music therapy and mental health, offering essential insights for educational institutions, mental health professionals, and music educators.

The support of autonomy, motivation, and music practice in university music students: A self-determination theory perspective

Practice may be the single most important activity that musicians can use to improve their performance. Yet practice requires significant effort and can sometimes feel difficult or unenjoyable. For this reason, substantial motivational resources are required to sustain consistent, high-quality practice over long periods. In this study, we used self-determination theory to study the kinds of motivation that predict practice behavior and the potential influence that teachers might have on their students’ behaviors. A total of 213 university music students in the United Kingdom and Canada completed measures of practice time, practice quality, motivation, and their teacher’s teaching style. Hypothesized relationships between these variables were examined using structural equation modeling. Results supported the process model in which teacher autonomy supported predicted autonomous motivation, which in turn predicted practice time and practice quality. Teacher control predicted controlled motivation, but controlled motivation was not predictive of practice time or practice quality. Indirect effects suggested that motivation fully mediates the link between teaching style and practice behavior. The findings add clarity to research aiming to understand the kinds of social environments that lead students to develop forms of motivation that enable them to practice in a way that is enjoyable and productive.

Pianists’ Interpretive Insights: Exploring Hunt, Military, and Pastoral Motifs through Monelle’s Topic Theory

Topic theory in musicology examines how musical elements and structures convey emotions or topics in music. Despite its potential to provide a framework for understanding musical expression, topic theory has rarely been applied to piano pedagogy. This study aimed to explore participants’ perceptions of Raymond Monelle’s topic theory, specifically the hunt, military, and pastoral topics, in piano interpretation and teaching. Participants included six music lecturers from Chinese universities and nine university music students from Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, and the United States. Data was collected through a listening survey and semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The listening survey used excerpts from Dussek’s La Chasse, C.146, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in A Major, Op. 101, Second Movement, and Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage, Première année - Suisse, No. 3, Pastorale. The results showed that more than half of the participants matched the selected topics with the musical excerpts, with some confusion between the hunt and military topics. All participants agreed that topic theory enriches the interpretation of piano pieces and provides a complementary method in piano pedagogy. Two main themes emerged regarding the application of topic theory in piano interpretation: enhanced expression and imagination. Participants also believed that topic theory could serve as an analytical framework for interpreting musical works and increase the musical knowledge of both teachers and students.

Effects of social support on music performance anxiety among university music students: chain mediation of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy.

The primary goal of this research is to investigate the relationship between social support and music performance anxiety in the context of social cognitive theory and stimulus-organization-response theory among music university students in China. The study involved both postgraduate and undergraduate students. The suggested framework consisted of three independent variables: parental support, teacher support, and peer support, two mediators: emotional intelligence and self-efficacy, and one dependent variable: music performance anxiety. A survey of 483 students was undertaken, and the data was analyzed using path analysis and structural equation modeling. The study discovered that all three forms of parental, teacher, and peer support were positively associated to both self-efficacy and emotional intelligence, with postgraduate students experiencing the strongest effects. Furthermore, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence had a negative significant effect on music performance anxiety, with the association being stronger among postgraduate students. Finally, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence emerged as significant mediators of the relationship between social support and music performance anxiety. These results add to our knowledge of the mechanisms by which social support influences music performance anxiety.

A Study on the Effectiveness of Online Cooperative Learning Application for University Music Students

A Study on the Effectiveness of Online Cooperative Learning Application for University Music Students

Training college music students to be digitally literate: A public musicology certificate in action

AbstractThis chapter is a case study of the first and only public musicology program in the United States and how the program's courses embed the teaching of digital literacy. Suggestions for adapting and implementing some of the activities in disciplines outside of music are provided.

College music students during COVID-19: Examining the moderating effect of access to resources and stability of living on the relationship between perceived social support and mental health

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived social support (PSS) and general mental health in collegiate music students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, perception of access to academic resources and stability of living was analyzed as a moderator in the relationship between PSS and general mental health. Participants completed a survey that included the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and questions adapted from the “access to necessary resources” and “stability of living” section of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) COVID Survey. In the final sample, PSS explained a statistically significant amount of the variance in general mental health. Moderation analysis was conducted using PSS as the predictor variable, mental health as the criterion variable, and access to resources and stability of living as a composite variable as the moderator. The interaction between PSS and the composite variable was statistically significant. Access to resources and stability of living proved a positive moderator between PSS and general mental health. PSS positively predicted general mental health in collegiate music students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, access to resources and stability of living (composite variable) were positive moderators, with a higher perception of both creating a stronger positive relationship between PSS and general mental health.

Examining students’ music listening willingness and engagement to foster their musical achievement and development in higher educational institutions

Drawing upon self-determination theory, this study explores how listening music willingness (LMW) and music engagement (ME) impact musical development and achievement (MDA) via the mediating role of music aesthetic experience (MAE) and music listening behavior (MLB) among 299 university music students in Chinese higher educational institutions (HEIs). Employing structural equation modeling (SEM), the results reveal that LMW significantly influences MLB but not musical development and achievement. ME significantly affects both music aesthetic experience and MDA, with a significant correlation between MLB and MDA. Besides, the relationship between MAE and MDA is positively significant. Mediation analysis reveals that music listening behavior fully mediates the LMW–MDA relationship, while the relationship between ME and MDA is partially mediated by musical aesthetic experience. These findings offer insights for crafting music educational strategies emphasizing positive listening behavior, active engagement, and enriched aesthetic experiences to enhance effectiveness in HEIs. For policymakers particularly in China, understanding the pivotal role of MLB as a mediator between willingness and achievement suggests interventions targeting listening habits can positively influence overall MDA. Furthermore, recognizing the partial mediation by aesthetic experience in the relationship between engagement and MDA suggests programs enhancing musical aesthetic experiences could amplify the impact of music education initiatives.

Creation and Evaluation of a Music Appreciation Curriculum for University Music Students: A Case Study of Music Appreciation Course of Four Universities in Jiangsu Province

Creation and Evaluation of a Music Appreciation Curriculum for University Music Students: A Case Study of Music Appreciation Course of Four Universities in Jiangsu Province

Positive Childhood Experiences and Depression Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, mental health concerns have become more prevalent worldwide. However, there is a lack of research specifically addressing the mental well-being of college art students. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among college music students and explore the factors that predict and alleviate these symptoms amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted among college music students (n = 407) from two universities at May 2022 in China. Self-report scales were used to measure levels of depression (Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale), positive childhood experiences (Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale), social support (Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and regulatory emotional self-efficacy (Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale). Hayes PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to test the hypothesized effects of regulatory emotional self-efficacy and social support in the relationship between positive childhood experiences and depression. Results showed that, the prevalence of depression symptoms of the current study sample was 64.13%, positive childhood experiences had a significant and negative predictive effect on the depression of college music students, and the relation was partially mediated by regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Furthermore, social support moderated the relationship between positive childhood experiences and regulatory emotional self-efficacy, the relation was significant only for students with higher levels of social support, social support may enhance and amplify the positive impacts of positive childhood experiences on regulatory emotional self-efficacy. The findings reveal a significant prevalence of depression among college music students during the COVID-19 epidemic, underscoring the seriousness of the issue. Moreover, this study contributes to a deeper comprehension of how positive childhood experiences alleviate depression among college music students. These insights hold potential for informing mental health education initiatives tailored to college art students in the post-pandemic era, offering valuable guidance for promoting their well-being and resilience.

Ghanaian collegiate music students who play brass instruments’ music education experiences at the pre-tertiary level

In this qualitative study, we share the musical experiences of seven Ghanaian university music students who primarily play a brass instrument in a university band. The purpose of this study is to illuminate these students’ musical experiences during their pre-tertiary years to better understand what those experiences were and how they impacted their current musical abilities and understandings. The research questions for this study are: What were the formal musical experiences of Ghanaian university music majors who play Western-style brass instruments before entering university? What music teaching and learning methods did they experience prior to entering university? Who were the people who taught them music prior to entering university? Findings indicate that musical spaces were mostly outside of the regular school curriculum, including extra-curricular school regimental bands, church brigades, and town bands. Music learning was non-sequential throughout students’ pre-tertiary experiences. Lack of access to instruments outside of rehearsals was a barrier to individual practice. Participants showed a lack of clarity about their music teachers’ credentials, experience, and backgrounds but their answers suggest that professional development and training programs for teachers would be beneficial. It is recommended that Ghanaian brass band music education is restructured in places where it already exists and where pre-tertiary students choose to play, to include more comprehensive and sequential instrumental music education.

A Study on Thinking about Career Cognitive Planning Education for College Music Students

Music major college students are a unique group in both general universities and conservatories. They have strong personalities, rich feelings, and have the youth and vitality of art students. Therefore, it is of great relevance to develop career education based on the main characteristics of music major college students. For music majors, there are relatively various career paths, such as music education, performance, broadcasting, media, and other industries. Therefore, the “employment issue” for most music majors has become one of the more popular topics at present. This paper explores the current career planning as well as career awareness of music college students by using 259 college students enrolled in the Department of Music of Inner Mongolia Normal University in 2017 and 2018 as the main research subjects. The results show that only 6% of music major college students know a lot about employment policies, and still 38% of music major college students know less about employment policies as well as career awareness. The results show that the overall status of career planning development of music majors is at an intermediate level and still needs to be improved. Therefore, it is very meaningful and important for universities to strengthen the career planning education for music majors’ career awareness.

Development and Interrelation of Pain, Depression, and Anxiety in Music Students: Does Successful Treatment of Pain Have an Impact on Mental Health?

Musculoskeletal pain is a common problem among professional musicians as well as music students. Studies have emphasized the effectiveness of music-specific physiotherapy for affected musicians. This study was designed to evaluate if physiotherapy treatment of pain-affected music students had an impact on pain perception as well as psychological well-being. To explore the possible development of musculoskeletal pain, depression, and anxiety, a second sample of pain-free music students, matched for age and gender, was examined twice at identical time intervals. A convenience sample of 31 university music students with moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain and 31 pain-free music students, matched in age and gender, were included in the study. Both groups were examined physically and completed biographical, music-related, and psychological questionnaires. Perceived pain intensity was assessed with a visual-analogue scale (VAS), and depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Music students with pain received a series of 12 sessions of musician-specific physiotherapy, while controls waited for the same amount of time for retesting. On the 10-cm VAS, music students with pain reported an average improvement in pain intensity from a baseline of 6.25 (SD 1.95) to 2.7 (2.03) after the intervention, while the controls (music students without pain) did not change. Furthermore, music students with pain indicated higher depression and anxiety scores as compared to the control group before and after therapy. After intervention, music students with pain with higher BDI-II scores demonstrated clinical improvement concerning depression, but no significant improvement in mental health was found in the pain group taken as a whole. Physiotherapy was effective in reducing pain symptoms in music students affected by chronic musculoskeletal pain. However, physiotherapy did not improve mental health in pain-affected music students. Additional psychotherapeutic interventions may be needed to support music students with psychological comorbidities such as depression and anxiety.

Student-directed learning in popular musicianship: An action research study of university music students

This action research study provides insight into the learning of university music education students who participated in a popular musicianship experience. The participants were thirty-four music education students (i.e. pre-service music educators) at an American university enrolled in a student-directed Popular Musicianship course. Although given access to “rock band” instruments and sound equipment during the semester-long experience, they did not receive any direct instruction from the faculty instructor of record. After organizing into bands, the participants were challenged to prepare for performance two or three songs, including one cover and one original song. They also indicated the confidence they had in their ability to lead their future students in popular music making. This measure of self-efficacy was collected at the beginning, middle, and end of the experience. Also, participant written descriptions of their experiences was analyzed qualitatively. The findings of the study indicated that participants believed their overall musicianship benefited from the experience due to the challenging nature of vernacular music making, which was also enjoyable and rewarding. The experience also appeared to impact their teaching philosophies for the future. Finally, their self-efficacy increased significantly across the experience.

Factors and Clusters of Musical Self-Concept Discovered in a Cross-Cultural Sample of Swiss, Chinese, and Taiwanese Students

Cultural and societal settings in which an individual is raised, and the role of music and musical training during an individual’s upbringing, shape the relation to music and the conception of the self with regard to music in the present and in the future. Accordingly, differing cultural and musical biographical backgrounds are reflected in differences of musical self-concepts. The aim was to assess distinct musical self-concept types of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Swiss university music students with an adapted version of the Musical Self-Concept Inquiry (MUSCI), and to analyze these types in terms of the manifestation of different dimensions of the musical self-concept as well as sociodemographic and further personal characteristics. 805 university music students took part in the study. The sample included 293 Swiss, 356 Chinese, and 156 Taiwanese students. An adapted version of the Musical Self-Concept Inquiry was administered, and the data subjected to a principal component and a confirmatory factor analysis to determine the factors of the musical self-concept. A cluster analysis was carried out to identify self-concept clusters. H-, U-, Chi2, and two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov Z-tests were carried out to assess cluster differences in the factor manifestations, as well as sociodemographic and further personal aspects. The Musical Self-Concept Inquiry-SwisSino could be confirmed with regard to three factors (ability, mood management, dance), while other factors could not be retained. Three significantly distinct clusters were identified, which differed regarding the factor manifestation and the students’ origin, gender, course of study, main instrument, practice hours, and parental educational background and musical activity. However, due to only a few dimensions of the musical self-concept being verified, the broadness of the concept was restricted. Advances in quantitative comparative music studies will thus require further work on conceptional issues as well as the clarification of cultural notions and adequate translations.

Investigation of the Understanding and Application of Musical Imagery in China University Music Students

Investigation of the Understanding and Application of Musical Imagery in China University Music Students

Factors Associated with Mental Health among Malaysian University Music Students: Roles of Fear of COVID-19, Nomophobia, Loneliness, Sleep Quality, and Socioeconomic Status

Previous mental health studies have shown higher levels of anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms among university music students. In general, some similar findings have been observed for Malaysian music university students. In diagnosing the complications of mental health, there is consensus that it is essential to develop and evaluate a model oriented toward mental health illness prevention and treatment. To date, a suitable pattern for estimating mental health in terms of anxiety, stress, and depression among music university students is lacking. To fill this gap, we collected the necessary data from 691 music and 871 general students who were students for one year. The introduced pattern includes socioeconomic status, fear of COVID-19, nomophobia, sleep quality, loneliness, and mental health. Our data analysis proved that the levels of anxiety, depression, and stress of music students were lower than those of general students. Unlike some previous studies, in this study, the fear of COVID-19 and nomophobia didn't have the most significant impact on mental health. The most significant impacts were related to sleep quality and loneliness. These findings have the potential to inform health promotion and services in the music education system.

THE GIFT OF MUSIC: AN INTERGENERATIONAL CAMPUS-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

Abstract Intergenerational programs bring individuals together across a continuum of age to share experiences. This study was designed to engage university music students with residents at a senior living community. University music student groups performed monthly at a local senior living community and completed pre- and post- performance evaluations to assess performance expectations, level of interest in the performance, perception of factors determining performance success, and perception of performance importance for the senior residents. A total of 24 students participated in one of three musical ensembles (Choir=11; Flutes=5; Steel Drums=8) during the months of February, March, and April 2022. Across all three ensembles, 50% of the students had never performed for residents at a senior living community. On a scale of 1–5, with 1 being “Not at all” and 5 being “Very much”, 21 students indicated a “4” or “5” as to the importance of the performance for the residents whereas 15 students indicated a “4” or “5” in response to the importance of the performance for themselves. Most students reported looking forward to the performance, and following the performance indicated it had been a success. Factors identified as determining performance success included comments such as: “How much the audience enjoyed themselves!” and “Performers and audience enjoyed the performance. We would love to come back!”. Our findings suggest that performing live music in an intergenerational campus-community setting is beneficial not only for students but also for senior living facility residents.

How audience and general music performance anxiety affect classical music students' flow experience: A close look at its dimensions.

Flow describes a state of intense experiential involvement in an activity that is defined in terms of nine dimensions. Despite increased interest in understanding the flow experience of musicians in recent years, knowledge of how characteristics of the musician and of the music performance context affect the flow experience at the dimension level is lacking. In this study, we aimed to investigate how musicians' general music performance anxiety (MPA) level (i.e., the general tendency to experience anxiety during solo music performances) and the presence of an audience influence the nine flow dimensions. The participants were 121 university music students who performed solo a music piece once by themselves (private performance) and once in front of an audience (public performance). Their general MPA level was measured with an adapted version of the STAI and ranged from 27 (very low MPA) to 76 (very high MPA). The level of the nine flow dimensions was assessed with the Flow State Scale-2 after each performance. The levels of "concentration on task at hand," "sense of control," and "autotelic experience" decreased significantly with increasing general MPA level. The levels of "unambiguous feedback" and "loss of self-consciousness" decreased significantly with increasing general MPA level during the public performance only. The level of "sense of control" was significantly lower during the public performance than the private performance across participants. The level of "unambiguous feedback" was significantly lower during the public performance than the private performance for participants with a general MPA level higher than 47. The level of "loss of self-consciousness" was significantly lower during the public performance than the private performance for participants with a general MPA level higher than 32. In contrast, the general MPA level and the audience did not significantly affect the levels of "challenge-skill balance," "clear goals," and "action-awareness merging." These results show that the effects of general MPA level and audience vary greatly across flow state dimensions. We conclude that musicians' flow state should be analyzed at the dimension level rather than as a global score. We discuss how our findings could inform the development and implementation of interventions.

Are music students at ‘high-risk’ of experiencing musculoskeletal symptom outcomes compared with other students?

Musicians have been described as a ‘high-risk’ group for experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs), yet few studies have tested this assumption. We aimed to determine whether the prevalence and profile of MSS outcomes differed between university music students and a reference group (science students). A survey was conducted of university music and science students. Reported MSS outcomes among the two groups were compared using regression analyses. The majority of participants in both groups reported experiencing MSSs in the last 12 months and 7 days. Music students reported a higher prevalence of wrist/hand MSSs compared with science students. Compared with symptomatic science students, music students reported a higher emotional impact of MSSs. We recommend prioritizing research into interventions for music students that address MSSs in the wrist/hand region, and the emotional impact of MSSs. Addressing these MSS outcomes could reduce the MSS burden for musicians during and beyond their studies.