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Discussion

The question proposed by this study was designed to determine what the practice habits

of musicians in their undergraduate studies and what the perceived quality of that practice

was. The results varied and are represented in the aforementioned chart. Our main

method of extrapolating this information was through a self-guided questionnaire posed

to the musicians wherein they provided information based on a numbered scale of

qualitative and quantitative practice throughout their years as students. The method

followed the ideas outlined by Marilyn J. Kostka (2002) and instead of examining and

comparing studio teachers and students expectations and attitudes toward practice, this

study sought to examine what students spent the most time exercising during that practice

and what was the perceived quality by the student. One of the problems that we

considered before beginning this study was that students seem to overestimate the

quantitative amount of practice. We combated this by making the spectrum of qualitative

practice broad, encompassing a large spectrum of representative hours. A further

limitation of our study was that we asked for personal evaluations in perception. This

perception accounts for difficulties in determining subjectivity and objectivity; however,

we understood that subjectivity was a major factor in determining our results based on the

nature of data collection by survey.

By using the Kostka as a model, and posing similar questions in a similar method,

this study was able to confirm the results of the data taken in 2002 as still relevant and

current to today. We found that the majority of students perceived their hours of practice

at a normally expected level and that the emphasis on the practice of musicality as more

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dominant, represented by 33% to 56% of the study group, and sight reading to be less

important as represented by 13% to 31% of the study group.

Generalizations and Conclusions

Because the numbers of participants in this study were medium to small, the

generalizability of the results is somewhat limited. With the sample group being from

multiple backgrounds and cultures we may have a decent working model from which to

draw further conclusions. We may first state that the average musician is chiefly

motivated as a means for self-improvement as opposed to the grading model. The

implication this would suggest to music educators is grade driven music is perhaps less

effective then encouraging self-improvement toward driven-practice goals.

We may also conclude that even with the varied background of each of the

surveyed members like voice teachers, concert pianists, and undergraduate students, the

most important aspects of musical practice are the same with the majority of musicians at

any level and in any position.