Introduction
Today, more than ever before, music education scholars and practitioners are increasingly realizing the fundamental importance of motivation in music practice settings. Several studies have already concluded that several attributes such as motivation, self-efficacy, amount of time spent, available resources, and amount of applied effort, are of critical essence in deliberate music practice (Clark, 2008). The present paper attempts to assess how the important attribute of motivation upgrades K-12 students’ practice frequency in music performance.
Main body
Motivation has been described in the music literature as “the driving force behind the behavior, the initial spark, and purpose behind the sustained effort that is needed for successful, deliberate action, and can only happen if people believe in what they are capable of doing” (Clark, 2008 p. 32). In music practice settings, motivation can therefore serve to influence K-12 students not only to achieve the levels of accepted expertise in music but also to rise above the standards set by society and succeed in a sphere that is often considered effortful, challenging, time-consuming, and requiring sustained effort (Klickstein, 2009).
Motivation can also be used to upgrade the young students’ practice frequency in music performance as it reinforces perseverance and sustenance of effort, implying that motivated students are more likely to develop various skills that are fundamental in facilitating practice frequency in music performance (Schmidt, 2012). Perseverance and sustenance of effort may arise from extrinsic motivational factors such as parental or teacher involvement in student’s practice settings (e.g., parents inquiring about student progress, requesting for advice or availing information to the instructor about home practice), or from intrinsic motivational factors such as student value-reasoning for engaging in the persistent act of music practice, personal choice, investment in goal attainment and self-satisfaction in achievement (Clark, 2008; Mark, 2002). These factors are related to the concept of motivation, hence its importance in upgrading the young students’ practice frequency in music performance.
Extant literature demonstrates that “students learning and developing musical skills may also need to have a metacognitive and emotional understanding of how they think about the music, both when learning it and when performing it” (Clark, 2008 p. 35). Motivation is a major ingredient in assisting students to develop metacognitive and emotional capacities, as well as in reinforcing their self-beliefs and perceptions of their learning in music practice settings (Schmidt, 2012). More importantly, motivation assists the young students in not only exerting and sustaining effort in deliberate music practice owing to the strong urge to satisfy needs, reach goals, and fulfill musical aspirations with purpose, effort, planning, and problem-solving (Klickstein, 2009), but also in approaching music practice in a self-interesting, ambitious and self-regulating manner (Bruser, 1997). Such an orientation is of critical importance for K-12 students who desire to upgrade their practice frequency in music performance.
Motivation is also positively correlated with the development of a strong personal attachment to the music practice settings (Mark, 2002), not mentioning that it encourages independent thinking and proactive attitude among music students as well as their increased identification with music in practice settings (Schmidt, 2012).
Of course, teachers and parents often take the blame for hindering aspects that could spur motivation among students, therefore disrupting student practice frequency in music performance (Smeltz, 2012), Given this observation, teachers should always refrain from criticizing students who have demonstrated interest in music, avail adequate time for students to practice, encourage socialization among the students, and always support the importance of music education particularly in comparison to other examinable subjects (Clark, 2008).
Conclusion
To conclude, it is evident from the discussion that motivation is of fundamental importance in upgrading K-12 students’ practice frequency in music performance. Consequently, music educators should develop strategies and approaches aimed at reinforcing motivation in student music practice and performance.
References
Bruser, M. (1997). The art of practicing: A guide to making music from the heart. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.
Clark, J.L.C. (2008). String student self-efficacy and deliberate music practice: Examining string student’s musical background characteristics, self-efficacy beliefs, and practice behaviors. Michigan: ProQuest.
Klickstein, G. (2009). The musician’s way: A guide to practice, performance, and wellness. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mark, M.L. (2002). Outcomes in general education. In R. Colwell & C. Richardson (Eds.), The new handbook of research on music teaching and learning: A project of the music educators’ national congress (pp. 1041-1084). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schmidt, C.P. (2005) Relations among motivation, performance achievement, and music experience variables in secondary instrumental music students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 53(2), 134-147.
Smeltz, H. (2005). Reframing student practice to facilitate lifelong, joyful musicianship. Music Educators Journal, 99(2), 51-55.