This article reports the findings of a study investigating the learning and study strategies of advanced music students and the manner in which their self-efficacy beliefs relate to the strategies employed. Participants were first-year students in Norwegian higher music education aged 18 to 43 years. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire detailing their use of strategies. It was found that students in general apply cognitive, metacognitive and resource management strategies during practice. Overall, they used strategies to manage their resources to a lesser extent than other strategies. The findings also indicate that music students high in self-efficacy were more likely to be cognitively and metacognitively involved in trying to learn the material compared with students low in self-efficacy. Further, while there were significant differences between female and male students with regard to self-efficacy, no significant differences in self-efficacy emerged with regards to main instrument groups or degree programme. However, the interaction effect between gender and degree programme on self-efficacy was significant.

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This case study of two organ students aims to identify learning strategies used in preparing a complex piece for performance. The results are based on data gathered from verbal reports given both during and after practice sessions. These sessions were also videotaped. The results show that the students used learning strategies to select and organise information and to integrate it with existing knowledge. In addition, they were systematic in their approaches to sorting the learning material.

This case study of a church organ student focuses on the student's use of learning strategies during the initial phase of preparing a complex piece for public concert performance. It explores whether the results of regulatory decisions on speed and intensity of cognitive activities can be identified in the observed practice behaviour. The subject's use of learning strategies in different tasks during practice indicates to some degree that the results of regulatory decisions of intensity and speed of cognitive activities can be found in the observed behaviour. Chi-square analyses revealed that the transitions from mastering identical to mastering new patterns, and from mastering identical to mastering related patterns, caused the student to increase intensity and subsequently decrease speed of cognitive activities, while the transition from mastering new to mastering identical patterns, and from mastering related to mastering identical patterns, caused the student to decrease intensity and increase speed of his cognitive activities.

In higher music education (HME), the notion of “private teaching, private learning” has a long tradition, where the learning part rests on the student's individual practicing between instrumental lessons. However, recent research suggests that collaborative learning among peers is beneficial in several aspects, such as sense of belonging, motivation and self-efficacy. This is consistent with the concept of vicarious learning. In this study, we conducted a survey among bachelor music students in church music, performance or music education programs enrolled in a music academy (N = 96), where parts of the questionnaire addressed peer learning and peer's influence on the students's instrumental practicing, and the degree of satisfaction with their practicing. These issues were seen in relation to gender, musical genre and study program. Overall, the students reported engaging in peer learning related to their instrumental practicing, to various degrees. This involved discussing practicing matters with peers, and practicing together with peers. However, student's reports of their views on peer learning, show that they perceive it more beneficial than the amount of time reported doing it would indicate. No significant gender differences were found, but students within improvised music/jazz engaged the most in peer learning, and church music students the least. Neither the degree of engaging in peer learning nor reported influence from peers correlated significantly with the degree of satisfaction. We discuss whether a general dissatisfaction is caused by being in a competitive learning environment combined with a privatized culture for learning. Finally, we suggest that collaborative forums for instrumental practicing within HME institutions can function as constructive and supportive arenas to enhance students learning and inner motivation.