Apprenticeship in music: A contextual study for instrumental teaching and learning

Abstract

Master' and 'apprentice' are terms more commonly coined than explained in the literature focused on instrumental teaching and learning. This theoretical paper explores apprenticeship as a way of understanding the practice of studio-based instruction, beginning with a brief historical overview, and going on to examine the assumptions lying behind references to the term in the research literature. It is argued that, while our understanding of apprenticeship may be richly textured and ambiguous, it is this complexity that makes it so useful in understanding a richlytextured and complex practice.

Motivation to pursue a career in music: The role of social constraints in university music programs

“…When we examined the three conservatory characteristics we were interested in-perfectionism, competitiveness, and teacher control-we found mixed results at a descriptive level. Teacher control was mostly below the midpoint (M = 2.85, SD = 1.46 on a scale of 1 to 7), similar to the results from studies examining teacher control in high school classrooms (Cheon & Reeve, 2014;Cheon, Reeve, & Song, 2016), and a result that seems to belie the impression that master teachers can be perceived as impossibly demanding and intimidating (Burwell, 2012). Students perceived their institutions as being highly competitive (M = 5.10, SD = 1.27 on a scale of 1-7), which was conceptualized as a problem in the present study.…”

Encouraging reflective practice in conservatoire students: a pathway to autonomous learning?

“…It is but one way through which students can assume ownership of their learning. This approach appears to address, at least in part, some of the concerns raised in the literature about issues of power in the student-teacher dyad (Burwell 2013;Author 2008;Long et al 2014). Through collaborative learning and shared clarity of purpose, there is potential for power imbalances to be mediated.…”

“…Other concerns relating to the approaches of learning in this environment include the generalizability of the learning that often takes place (e.g. Mills 2004; Author & Non-Author 2015), and issues of power that can arise between teacher and learner (Burwell 2013;Author 2008;Long et al 2014). This research has highlighted the need to challenge and improve practices that impede students' autonomy and their capacity for life-long learning.…”

Intersecting Cultures in Music and Dance Education

“…Much of the recent literature examines performance training in higher education (Carey et al 2013 ;Perkins 2013 ;Burwell 2013 ;Zhukov 2012 ;Gaunt 2010 ;Nerland 2007 ). For a performance student preparing to work in the community as an instrumental or voice teacher, a limited body of research exists on interpersonal studio relationships in pre-tertiary contexts and little literature on encounters between the studio teacher and student with different cultural worldviews.…”