11. Memory for Music

Abstract

This chapter’s main contribution concerns the history of research on Western classical music memorisation; a review of the early pedagogical literature on the topic; empirical research on musicians’ memorising strategies; and research on performance from memory using the longitudinal case study approach, including a brief outline of three of my own studies. To provide a context for this contribution, the chapter begins with examples of how hearing music can evoke autobiographical memory, and an introduction to the concepts of retrospective and prospective memory, since these are essential to the processes of listening actively to music and making music. It also considers two ways of memorising: serial cuing and the development of content-addressable memory. The chapter concludes by setting out the implications of the research evidence for performers and their teachers in the form of recommended strategies for memorisation.