Tertiary flute students’ listening habits regarding live performances and commercial recordings : the influence of listening on students’ attitudes towards study, practice, performance and further listening.

Abstract

This thesis investigates the listening habits of tertiary flute students, with a particular focus on listening to commercial recordings and live performances, examining possible influences of these on advanced learning in tertiary level music performance. The question of whether there are differences in the influences on students’ attitudes when listening to commercial recordings or live performances is examined as a preliminary overture for further exploration. As part of expected study approaches, tertiary music students listen extensively to commercial recordings and attend live performances not only as listening entertainment, but to support their learning of repertoire; including stylistic and interpretative musical aspects, stagecraft, performance practices and standards. This study seeks to ascertain the direct influence that listening has on tertiary students own learning and progress in the development of musical performance skills. The aim of this research is to offer a preliminary study which examines the listening habits of tertiary flute students regarding commercial recordings and live performances and the influence of listening on students’ attitudes towards study, practice and performance, exploring any differences in the impact of both listening contexts. Further, the study seeks to explore whether listening to edited commercial recordings has any impact on students’ expectations and attitudes in the way that they listen to live performances. The participants for this research were tertiary flute students from The University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music and the Monash University Academy of Performing Arts, Melbourne. Surveys were administered to the research participants to coincide with the Australian Flute Festival in Adelaide, October 2009. The surveys examined three different listening contexts, edited recordings, live performances and live recordings and were based on specific performances of Australian artists from the Australian Flute Festival. The results of this study suggest that listening contributes to learning in various ways. Student responses indicate that the focus of this thesis is of considerable interest in relation to studying music with serious intent in a tertiary environment. The researcher suggests that a greater awareness of what is sought in listening to music and the production standards of such music would, in general, generate more effective learning and broaden positive attitudes. As a preliminary overture this research starts a discussion on the habits and influences associated with listening to enhance learning, highlighting the need for, and potential of, further exploration along similar or extended lines of engagement, through which the function of recorded and live music as a learning tool is explored.