To be an independent learner one must be responsible for their own learning.

In a musical sense this

is deliberate practice. I think deliberate practice must come through motivation. For there needs to
be some amount of motivation for one to assume responsibility for their learning and want to
improve. Certainly in my own musical journey in studying piano, I have found that I have only be able
to practice deliberately when I have been motivated. The readings explore a psychological factor
that enable motivation. Deci and Ryan (1985) (As cited in Chaffin and Lemieux, 2004) divide
motivation into two types, intrinsic and extrinsic. I think this is true for one’s motivation in learning
an instrument initially.(1) However, I have found this not to be the case when learning specific
pieces. I have found that motivation comes from when I understand what I am trying to achieve and
how I can achieve it. I have found it helpful to think what my teacher would say about my playing
when practicing.

To have the motivation that allows independent practice, one must have a certain set of skills. As
Chaffin and Lemieux (2004, p 23) write, “effective practice depends on strategies that
work”. However, tuition is required for one to know what strategies to try. I have found that before
coming to university, practice is often assumed (depending on the teacher and student) and
effective practice is not taught as such. In my experience, after learning how to practice more
efficiently, I have been more motivated.

What do you think?

(1) Deci E.L., & Ryan R. M. (1985) Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human
behaviour. New York: Plenum.

(2) Chaffin, Roger Lemieux F. Anthony. (2004) General perspectives on achieving musical excellence.
In Williamon, A. (Eds.), Musical excellence: Strategies and techniques to enhance
performance. (pp.29-30) Oxford: Oxford University Press.

From a young age, my parents invested both time and money into piano lessons. Due to this, there
was a lot of pressure to make the most of it and hence music became an obligation, with extrinsic
motivational forces outweighing intrinsic forces (Evans, 2015). Combined with parental pressure,
exams played a big role in my engagement with piano, not only did It force me to continue
practicing, but it also amplified the pressure coming from my instructor. Although this did motivate
me to some extent (being able to obtain top scores in exams and gain musical knowledge in which I
still use to this day), this did not last very long. Eventually, this motivation deteriorated, and as what
I was learning contrasted from my personal creative goals, I became demotivated, with piano
becoming rather unfulfilling and unenjoyable.

Outside of piano lessons, I have been able to embrace my creative goals and participate in music in
an intrinsically motivated way. The three basic human needs: autonomy, competence and
relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000), are now present in my engagement with music. Without having
external pressures, I have been able to explore my musical creativity, and thus not only play the
piano, but make music I am genuinely passionate in. I have become increasingly independent in
developing my musical abilities, and enjoy seeking knowledge as well as challenges. This therefore
has facilitated an improvement in my skills, as well as assisting me in achieving goals such as
completing a composition or attempting a new genre of music.
Despite intrinsic regulation being viewed as more effective in learning (Cortright, Lujan, Blumberg,
Coz & DiCarlo, 2013), extrinsic forces were still quite useful in aiding my musical development.
Regardless of the type of motivation, I was still able to improve my musical knowledge in some sort
of way. Perhaps it was due to immaturity that I viewed the piano as an enemy, as I have now
realised how beneficial learning the piano is. It had provided me with a foundation for my current
attachment to music. Ultimately, it was up to me to change my mind-set, to become more open-
minded when learning new things, and understanding that the process of learning is rather
complex.

References

Cortright, N, R., Lujan, L, H., Blumberg, J, A., Cox, H, J., & DiCarlo, E, S. (2013). Higher levels of
intrinsic motivation are related to higher levels of class performance for male but not female
students. The American Physiological Society, 37(3), 227-232. doi: 10.1152/advan.00018.2013

Evans, P. (2015). Self-determination theory: An approach to motivation in music education

Ryan, M, R., & Deci, L, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic
motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. doi:
10.1037110003-066X.55.1.68

My musical education initially began due to intrinsic motivational factors as I was inspired by music I
heard at concerts and through my peers at school. However the teacher I began with was very strict
and required almost an unreasonable level of perfectionism. This created a lot of stress both during
lesson times each week as well as the dynamic with my parents when I became very unmotivated to
practice. From thereon factors behind practicing and any musical activity became purely extrinsic and
motivation was derived mainly from a sense of having no choice at all in the matter.
However later on as I matured as well as studied under different teachers with different teaching
styles I learned to find enjoyment in music again and participated in orchestras and ensembles. This
all led to studying music at the tertiary level, competitions and taking students of my own. It is an
amazing thing when the mindset and approach to something changes as just the simple act of enjoying
something or having a goal can help you to focus.
From these experiences I have gathered and am still learning that for students to successfully continue
with music learning, as a teacher I need to cultivate good autonomy through a balance of intrinsic and
extrinsic factors (Ryan & Deci, 2000). This also means finding a method in which students feel
competent in their learning but are also intellectually challenged at the same time.

Evans, P. (2015). Self-determination theory: An approach to motivation in music education

Ryan, M, R., & Deci, L, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic
motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. doi:
10.1037110003-066X.55.1.68
Although there was only a slight difference (First group: 21 words, Second group: 22 words) between
the number of words I recalled between both groups, I found it easier to retain the second group
due to chunking. By being able to recognise that each row of words in the second group fall under
the same category, I was able to rely on a word i.e. chair, to trigger the recall of the word ‘desk’ due
to its close association with each other. Thus, by having stimuli that is able to prompt memory of
other things, through patterns, associations etc., I am able to excel in memorisation required in daily
life that also includes music. This can range from the way the notes flow after each other, or finger
movement patterns.

Despite not playing a piece for a long time, memory lapses do occur- with merely a starting bar of
notes, I am able to recall a piece through kinaesthetic memory, and retrieving visual memory of
music scores. With repetitive practice, eventually, the music score becomes engrained in my mind-
thus, as I prefer to perform music without the aid of a score - I often like to close my eyes and vision
the sheet to both calm myself down and assist in retrieving memory of the specific features of the
music.

The strategy suggested for understanding a reading assisted me with recognising what the intention
and central message of the writing is. By reading the introduction and conclusion which essentially
provide a summary of the piece, I am able to gain a better insight on what is to come. It assists with
providing a scope for what the reading will be able, and provides a foundation for understanding a
more in-depth analysis of the topic.