Adolescent Music Development: The Influence of Pre-Tertiary Specialised Music Training

This book informs the reader of a study that explores the music development, achievement and aspirations of adolescent students participating in pre-tertiary specialised music programs. A theoretical model is developed for the study to investigate the role and influence of such training in the development of music skills, and explores relationships amongst music experience, music engagement, interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, personal learning styles, and affective response to music. The data source for the study is a pre-tertiary Australian music program. The study was conducted over two years, used a large student population, a small group of case studies, and combined contemporaneous and retrospective approaches. This study enhances understanding of the conditions through which music development is nurtured; it confirms the importance of exposure and opportunity, the collective efforts of the family and community, and the need for hard work and perseverance to usually be exercised by young musicians themselves. Extensive appendices contain case-study reports, reflective journals, interviews, surveys, tasks and tests.