Music is the shorthand of emotion : exploring what motivates one to learn and play a musical instrument

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study is to acquire knowledge regarding the factors that contribute to the motivation of learning a musical instrument. Four dedicated musicians who experienced a formal learning context participated in semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to interpret the data. Six super-ordinate themes emerged: (a) Reasons for learning and performing; (b) Attributions for success; (c) Values and beliefs; (d) Competence beliefs affect effort; (e) The social environment and its influence; and (f) The learning situation affects the learning process. The musicians’ lived experiences show that for students and musicians to succeed through the learning process, they should seek support; hold positive ability beliefs; approach challenging tasks; attribute musical mastery to effort; integrate with other musicians; apply affective learning strategies; and hold positive attitudes towards the learning situation. This study can inform both students aspiring to learn an instrument and teachers who strive to deviate from the traditional musical approach and seek to re-evaluate their teaching methods.