Bright young things

A new survey by the American String Teachers Association gives an insight into the experiences of young music students. How can educators act on its findings?

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An impromptu ‘flashmob’ performance at ASTA’s 75th birthday conference

COURTESY ASTA/RANDOMPHOTOGRAPHY

Marking its 75th anniversary this year, the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) is reflecting on both the past and the future. For its latest survey, Looking Forward, it has questioned just under 300 students aged 16 to 22 about their experience of high-school music, to inform the future practice of string teachers. At its national conference in March a panel of experts, chaired by musician and educator Taylor Morris, digested and debated the survey’s results with members. ‘The idea for the survey particularly grew out of what we feel to be incredible differences between our own lives as young students, which were pre-or early-internet for the majority of teachers, and the lives of young students today, with incredible access to information,’ says Morris. ‘In an ever-changing world we feel it’s important to consider and reflect on the voices of students when we think about guiding and developing the profession.’

The survey results gave an insight into a wide variety of topics. The subject of chamber music was a consistent presence, both as something that former students wished they had done more of and as a genre of music that future students would benefit from taking part in. ‘We know that people want to feel autonomy, a sense of belonging and competence in their endeavours, all of which are often easily found in chamber music,’ continues Morris. ‘While all of these things can certainly be felt in an orchestral setting, it can also be easy to feel like you’re just one person in a large group, especially if you don’t feel connected to the experience for whatever reason.’ The survey also cited ‘interaction with peers’ as playing an important role in students’ enjoyment of musical studies. Fellow panellist and professor at Texas State University Lynn Ledbetter agrees that there is a synergy between this and the importance of chamber music for students. ‘During the pandemic, musicians have sought positive interactions with their colleagues, their families, their constituents and their friends,’ she says. ‘By definition, chamber music is of course not only one person on a part, but “music by friends, for friends”. That, I think, perhaps says it all. Musicians of all kinds have reached out for musical connections.’

Performance anxiety was also cited as an important catalyst in the discontinuing of musical studies. ‘It has long been an issue for any player,’ says Ledbetter. ‘I think this survey demonstrates the need for this important aspect of performance to be addressed with helpful instruction. If a student has an unsuccessful performance, not because of lack of responsible preparation but because of performance anxiety, that can certainly push them more towards discontinuing musical studies.’ Morris adds that while the survey could not unpick all the reasons behind this tension, it is useful that teachers are aware of this conflict of competing forces within students. ‘The broad nature of the survey didn’t allow for nuance in those terms, for example the types of performance opportunities that are motivational and the situations in which performance anxiety feels particularly acute. But anecdotally, I don’t think it’s uncommon for professional musicians to feel this way as well! This is an interesting tension at the heart of the performing arts. I think the biggest takeaway here is that performance anxiety is influential in the lives of students. As educators, we can and should actively address the reality of performance anxiety to help our students better comprehend and navigate it.’

‘Musicians of all kinds have reached out for musical connections’

One golden thread that ran through many responses appeared to be the principle of giving students greater ownership of their studies and engaging them in a more diverse spectrum of musical genres. Ledbetter believes this is reflective of an empowered generation of students who deserve to have their voices heard. ‘There are many teachers who feel that the student voice is terribly important in terms of engaging them in the discussion of repertoire and many other things, such as classroom management,’ she says. ‘This is no longer a time when students are unquestioning of teachers. As a teacher, I certainly believe that students know more than they are often credited with knowing. We teachers can guide discussions about repertoire and other things by providing background information for the question at hand, allowing the student to do some of their own research and then having a responsible and well-informed discussion about a variety of topics.’

In connection, it is clear from the survey that students believe their string teachers hold a pastoral responsibility, too. Duane Padilla, panellist and faculty member of the Punahou Music School and Chaminade University, believes this to be an imperative part of the skillset for any modern teacher. ‘Thinking of my own musical past, the great pedagogues in my life have always reached beyond the purely musical,’ says Padilla. ‘My favourite quote from a lesson with my college professor, a protégé of Galamian was, “Music is about life. Life is not about music.” Most of my early musical years were spent with Suzuki pioneer Idell Low. One of the core beliefs of the Suzuki method is, “Where love is deep, much can be accomplished.” The expectation of teachers reaching beyond the purely musical with their students is not a new idea. Our survey simply highlights the fact the students today need this as part of their string education more than ever.’

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