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Abstract - Physical and Psychological Aspects of Skills Development for Beginning Strings
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Cynthia S. Miller - A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Music Education - Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas 1994
Chapter 1 - Introduction
The intent of the information contained within this work is to better equip the reader to deal with the problems inherent in instructing budding string players. After many years of teaching both privately and in the public schools, I have realized that the best teachers are always looking for ways to improve their teaching skills. Part of this improvement comes through increased awareness of the paths students must take to acquire new knowledge and skills.
In the ensuing chapters, we will examine the factors which affect skills acquisition, both from psychological and physiological aspects. The usual articles published about and for strings generally concern themselves with technique from the philosophical point of view of the author. No attempts here will be made to discount one philosophy over any other. Each has its strong points and those which are applicable will be noted.
Most pedagogical works address the technical aspects of the usual advanced literature studied at one time or another by all the great artists. These are usually on such an advanced level that they may be of limited value to the needs of the average director/instructor of beginning and intermediate strings. There has been an increase in the last few years in attempts to cover concerns of the beginner and a corresponding increase in method books and literature for the same. However, little is directed to the specific areas of what is occurring physically, much less neurologically. Where psychologists are more interested in observable behavior, physiologists attempt to describe learning through various mechanisms and processes.
Although a number of neurological theories do account for learning by referring to changes in synaptic regions, certainly others have presented different explanations. Actually theories may be classified as being materialistic or subjective, since there is a dualistic point of view on how to go about understanding the nervous system's role in learning. Those theorists who are materialistic talk about the nature of the nerve impulse, reverberating nerve chains, changes at the synapse, and reflex physiology. These theorists are primarily physiologists. Subjective theorists are primarily psychologists who refer to the mind and experience. To them, the physiological basis of mind occurs between the sensory input and motor output. Mind is not described other than as being an organizer and intergrator of activity.1
Therefore, we will try to gain a better understanding of skills development by investigating is from both points of view.
While much of the material to be presented should prove valuable to anyone who teaches music, those for whom it is intended most are string teachers, particularly those who want a more in-depth look at the development of skills than they may have received before. Often one watches a student struggling to achieve a new skill and wonders what to do about his/her apparent physical difficulties that had little or nothing to do with things like posture or position. A better understanding of these neurological processes should make decisions concerning curriculum, the amount of time and intensity to be spent on specific lessons, and evaluation of students' individual and/or group progress much clearer.
A special section at the end will attempt to give more specific areas of help by providing an in-depth look at the various skills contained in the works of the contemporary composer Robert Frost. Mr. Frost, known to music educators for his excellent contribution to the literature for young orchestras, earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in Music Education from Utah State University. His affiliations include the Utah Music Educators, of which he formerly served in the positions of Secretary and Vice President of Orchestra, and President of the National School Orchestra Association (1986-1988). Other memberships have included the Cache Education Association, American String Teachers Association, European String Teachers Association, Music Educators National Conference, and ASCAP. Mr. Frost also is a member of both Pi Kappa Lambda and Kappa Delta Pi. He has been guest lecturer and clinician and has conducted honor and clinic orchestras at many state, national and international Music Educators Association conferences. Before his recent retirement from the Cache County School District, he was string specialist with orchestra at the middle school and high school levels. He plans currently to devote himself to composing and completing the pursuit of a Doctorate in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado. In addition to co-authoring the All For Strings Comprehensive String Method, Mr. Frost has published over 160 works.2 Several of these works are of part of the Texas University Interscholastic League's Prescribed Music List.
This section of analysis will be divided into areas of perceptual motor skills, left and right-handed skills. It is hoped that this will prove to be a useful tool in developing the technique of young players in the group setting of an orchestra, and serve as a catalyst for the examination of other literature for the purposes of promoting better music education.
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1 Robert N. Singer, Motor Learning and Human Performance: An Application to Physical Education Skills (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1968), 44.
2 Frost, Robert S. Primo Performance (San Diego, California: Neil A. Kjos Music Company, 1994), 2.
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