“Elementary Students’ Definitions and Self-Percep- tions of Being a ‘Good Musician’”


What Did the Researcher Want to Know?


What do elementary students believe it means to be a “good musician” and to what extent do they perceive themselves to be “good musicians?”


What Did the Researcher Do?


Shouldice (2014) individually interviewed 347 students in grades one through four. The students answered ques- tions pertaining to the kinds of things a good musician can do, how one knows if a person is a good musician, and who can be a good musician. At the conclusion of each interview, each student was asked to choose the statement that best described him/herself (see scale in Figure 1) and explain why.


339). Additionally, responses from some students implied the belief that skill in certain musical genres or modes of music making do not qualify one as a “good musician,” such as one second-grade boy’s statement that rappers and beat-boxers cannot be good musicians and that he himself was not a good musician despite describing himself as a “rapping pro.”


What Does This Mean for My Classroom?


Elementary music teachers should be aware of the tendency for students’ musical ability self-perceptions to diminish over time and work to help students maintain positive mu- sical identities as they get older. Teachers also should be aware of the ways in which they might inadvertently com- municate their own judgments of students’ musical abilities and/or beliefs about the value of certain musical genres or modes of musicking. Additionally, teachers can encour- age students to focus on effort and practice as determinants of musical ability rather than emphasizing innate musical talent.


The Value of Research in “Real Life”


Figure 1. Scale to measure students’ perceptions of themselves as ‘good musicians’.


What Did the Researcher Find?


While students across all grade levels most commonly described a “good musician” as someone who plays an instrument, practices, and/or sings well, other characteris- tics fluctuated across grade levels, suggesting that students’ perceptions of what it means to be a “good musician” may change over time in relation to their own experiences. Statistical analysis showed that students in grade one perceived themselves as better musicians than did students in upper grade levels, indicating that elementary students’ perceptions of their own musical ability may diminish as they get older.


Qualitative analysis of the data revealed that some chil- dren’s ability self-perceptions were based on how they be- lieved others perceived their abilities, such as a first-grade girl who knew she was a good musician “because my [mu- sic] teacher always picks me first” (p. 336), or were reached as a result of comparing themselves to others. A number of students believed that innate musical talent is necessary in order for a person to be a “good musician;” their com- ments included the belief that “only some people are born with the talent” and “either you got it or you don’t” (p.


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Rather than assuming we know what is effective or do- ing something because “that’s how we’ve always done it,” music teachers can advance their teaching practice in an evidence-based way by reading current music education research. Research can illuminate phenomena pertain- ing to music teaching and learning, moving the profession forward by informing our actions in the classroom, encour- aging us to try new ideas, and posing new questions for further exploration. Specifically, the implications discussed in this article illustrate ways in which research findings can shape practice for elementary general music teachers.


In providing these summaries of recent research studies, my hope is to not only provide a bit of insight to inform your teaching practicing but also to inspire you to read more research, including the full articles cited. As a member of the Michigan Music Education Association and the Na- tional Association for Music Education (NAfME), you have access to NAfME’s free online journals, including General Music Today and Update: Applications of Research in Mu- sic Education, both of which are excellent sources of music education research publications. Recent articles in these journals that are of particular interest to elementary general music teachers include Hedden’s (2012) review of research on children’s singing and Koops and Keppen’s (2015) re- view of research on enjoyment in musical interactions.


In addition to reading more music education research, you might also consider getting involved in music education research yourself! Teacher research, sometimes called ac-


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