Abstract

This project explores the reasons Undergraduate music students practice the way they do. A survey was administered that seeks to find trends in how music students believe they develop their skills and how they approach practicing and performing. The two factors emphasized were how the students spent their time practicing, and how discouraged they are by setbacks.

There were two hypotheses. The first was that students who viewed their musical ability as the product of natural talent would practice more performance pieces and would become less discouraged by setbacks. The second hypothesis was that students who believed that their ability is primarily due to nurture would focus their practice sessions on technique and would become more discouraged due to practice setbacks. The data found that many more factors exist that impact this than can be explored in a survey, but that most students follow a nurture-driven mindset. They believe their talents to be developed over time due to environmental factors and hard work. Perhaps this is why they have become successful musicians.

Semester/Year of Award

Spring 2019

Mentor

Joseph Carucci

Mentor Professional Affiliation

Music

Access Options

Restricted Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Music

IRB Approval Number (if applicable)

2209

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