Sound Teaching

Sound Teaching explores the ways in which music psychology and education can meet to inspire developments in the teaching and learning of music performance.
The book is based on music practitioners' research into aspects of their own professional practice. Each chapter addresses a specific topic related to musical communication and expression, performance confidence and enjoyment, or skill development in individual and group learning. It explains the background of the research, outlines main findings, and provides suggestions for practical applications. Sound Teaching provides a research-informed approach to teaching and contributes to music tutors' professional development in teaching children and adults of various ages and abilities.
Sound Teaching is written for vocal and instrumental music teachers, music performers with a portfolio career, and music students at conservatoires and universities. Music students undertaking practice-related research will find examples of research methodologies and projects that are informative for their studies. Musical participants of all kinds - students, teachers, performers, and audiences - will find new ways of understanding their practice and experience through research.

Henrique Meissner is Honorary Research Fellow at The University of Sheffield and Course Leader for Practice-based Research in the Master of Music at the Prins Claus Conservatorium in Groningen. Renee Timmers is Professor of Psychology of Music at The University of Sheffield. Stephanie E. Pitts is Professor of Music Education at The University of Sheffield.

- Introduction: a research-informed approach to vocal and instrumental music learning and teaching Henrique Meissner, Renee Timmers, Stephanie E. Pitts Part I: Musicians as teachers - How musical learning experiences have an impact on music educators' attitudes and practices Cláudia Braz Nunes - Traditional musicians as teachers: sharing skills for participation Josephine L. Miller Part II: Developing specialist musical skills - Teaching children and teenagers expressive music performance Henrique Meissner - Developing timbre on the piano: interactions between sound, body, and concepts Shen Li - Mobilising improvisation skills in classically trained musicians Jonathan Ayerst Part III: Group leadership and interaction in ensembles - Communication and interaction in ensemble rehearsal Nicola Pennill - Conductors as teachers: the effects of verbal feedback on singers' confidence, enjoyment, and performance quality Michael Bonshor Part IV: Strategies for enhancing musical confidence and enjoyment - Singing and signing with Deaf and hearing impaired young people Gail Dudson - Teaching pre-performance routines to improve students' performance experienceMary Hawkes - The teacher's role in the enhancement of students' performance experience Elsa Perdomo-Guevara - Reflections on implications for sound teaching, lifelong music learning, and future research Henrique Meissner, Renee Timmers, Stephanie E. Pitts