Brain Play Some psychological perspectives in flute performance training

Abstract

Both the field of psychology and that of neurology can provide important insights into the musical functions of the brain. This thesis aims to provide a pragmatic theory of how to incorporate aspects of these fields into music performance and education in a flute context. It is divided into two parts where Part I focuses on the theoretical methodologies that can be used for this purpose, including neurology, cognitive and social psychology, philosophy and how habits affect our lives. Part II combines the conclusions from Part I into a three-point ‘checklist’ that aims to provide a practical way of applying the theories to real-life practise, performance and educational settings.