The purpose of this study was to review flow research in music contexts from 1975 until the first quarter of 2019. Specifically, frequencies/percentages were calculated for (a) output in five-year periods; (b) publication type; and (c) methodologies employed, including measurement instruments used. Content analyses were also conducted on topics covered. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, a total of 3,341 records were examined, with 95 studies eventually included in the analysis. Findings indicated a steady increase in research output over the last 25 years. Studies overwhelmingly sampled participants from Western populations, especially the United States. The majority of quantitative studies used self-report questionnaires, of which those developed by Jackson and colleagues were most prevalent. Among the qualitative approaches, interviews and observations were the most common means of data collection. Topics covered in the studies reviewed include the psychophysiological aspects of flow, transmission and group experience of flow, the association of flow with a range of positive outcomes, factors that contribute to flow experiences, and flow experiences of young children. Implications for future research were proffered in light of the findings.

The purpose of this study was to examine the collective flow experiences of participants while playing in a Gamelan ensemble. Participants were 15 members of a Gamelan ensemble in Singapore who were prompted to articulate their phenomenological experiences through extensive semi-structured interviews. Their responses were then transcribed and analyzed for emergent themes with initial codes guided by flow and collective flow theories. Three themes emerged from the data: community, chemistry, and collective peak. The Javanese term “ ngeli” surfaced from the interviews as a parallel notion to the Western concept of flow. Implications for theory and practice were proffered in light of the findings.

In 1990, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi warned against an excessive emphasis on how well music learners perform rather than on the experiential aspect of music in and of itself. Whereas the former approach is, in his words, “a source of psychic disorder,” the latter approach offers access to “flow”: the optimal, enjoyable, meaningful, and happy state. What might an approach to music education that aims to optimize optimal experiences (i.e., flow) look like? This article presents concrete strategies to facilitate flow experiences in music classrooms and rehearsal halls by drawing on flow theory, research findings, and the authors’ own professional and applied experiences. The authors clarify the nature of the flow experience, sketch the benefits of flow, and propose ten strategies to facilitate flow for music educators.

In this article, we systematically reviewed the research literature dealing with expectancy-value motivation theory within music contexts. Employing the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) approach, a total of 1,120 records were retrieved and examined, with 110 eventually included in the analyses. Frequencies/percentages were generated for research output in 5-year time periods, type of publication, sampling locations, and methodologies. Summaries of all 110 records were provided; content analyses on topics covered were also conducted. Findings indicated a clear increase in research interest over the past 15 years with quantitative methodologies being twice as prevalent as qualitative approaches. While the vast majority (97.7%) of quantitative research employed self-report questionnaires, the most common form of qualitative data collection was interviews (59.1%). Salient topics covered included students’ expectancy-value beliefs across music and other school subjects, continued music participation, intentions to pursue a career in music, and parental influences.

Nearly fifty years ago, Timothy Gallwey published The Inner Game of Tennis, which left an indelible mark on sports psychology; subsequently, Barry Green used similar principles to author The Inner Game of Music. As far as can be determined, there lacks a concise guide that translates key insights from sports and music psychology into practical strategies for large ensembles. To address this gap in the professional literature, we draw on the sports and music psychology literature, as well as our own professional applied experience, to discuss the benefits of psychological skills for musicians, and we present ten practical strategies to aid the development of psychological skills for large-ensemble musicians. We conclude with some final thoughts on developing the inner musician.