Utilizing Journaling To Develop A Personalized And Efficient Musical Practice Regimen

Author

Erin KilpatrickFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-11-2024

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Music

First Advisor

Adam Estes

Second Advisor

Michael Worthy

Third Advisor

Nancy Maria Balach

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Musicians universally agree that practicing consistently is vital to improvement. However, a lot of young musicians do not understand how to practice effectively. There are many factors that influence practice time, focus, and overall learning. For the purpose of this research, I will define “efficient practicing” as any practice that increases development as a player and encourages the player to continue in pursuit of learning music. This encompasses physical aspects like ligature, reed, mouthpiece, and the horn itself, as well as more broad musicianship fundamentals such as developing a characteristic tone, building technique, and learning how to phrase appropriately, must be developed during practice sessions. This also includes personal realms of learning like background, learning styles, or other restraints that might inhibit the achieving of an efficient practice time. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors that inhibit learning from taking place during practice sessions in order to achieve optimal practice sessions consistently and reduce frustrations.

This research utilized journaling to document the impact of factors that influence the efficiency of practice: time of day, level of stress, meditation tactics, and practice techniques. The data was synthesized and it was found that the optimal practice time of day for the participant was 12:00-4:00 pm. When the level of stress was high, efficiency was low. When meditation tactics were used, efficiency increased. When practice techniques were utilized, efficiency increased. While these results are tailored to the individual collecting the data and will not be the same for everyone, the quantitative and qualitative data proves the usefulness of journaling to developing an individually tailored practice regimen.

Recommended Citation

Kilpatrick, Erin, "Utilizing Journaling To Develop A Personalized And Efficient Musical Practice Regimen" (2024). Honors Theses. 3174.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3174