Does Listening to Music Benefit the Music Learning Process?

07/07/24 • 7 min

We're often told to listen to recordings of music that we're working on.
And we often tell our students to do so as well, but is there any research which suggests that this benefits the learning process in any way?
A 2012 study takes a look at this question, and compares both active and passive listening to see what sorts of benefits there might (or might not) be:
Get all the nerdy details here:
Does Listening to Music Benefit the Music Learning Process?

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

If you’ve been confused (and frustrated) by the inconsistency of your performances, I put together a FREE 4-minute quiz called the Mental Skills Audit, which will help you pinpoint your mental strengths and weaknesses, and figure out what exactly to adjust and tweak in your preparation for more consistently optimal performances.

It’s 100% free, takes only 4 minutes, and you’ll get a downloadable PDF with a personalized breakdown of where you stand in six key mental skill areas. You'll also get the Pressure Proof Practice Challenge, a free 7-day email course where you'll learn specific practice strategies that will help you perform your best, even under pressure.

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Previous Episode

A Better Way to Learn, Teach, and Perform New Skills?

Ever have one of those days in the practice room, where as soon as you fix one issue, another problem pops up? And just when you think you have that problem solved, the original thing "breaks" again? And when you try to think about both of those things, a third issue emerges?
This practice room whack-a-mole problem can be kind of frustrating. But it speaks to how difficult it can be to keep multiple things in mind simultaneously when the various parts of a new skill aren't yet in muscle memory.
Is there any way around this? Well, a 2010 study provides some helpful clues!
Get all the nerdy details here:
A Better Way to Learn, Teach, and Perform New Skills?

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa

Next Episode

Is There a Way to Make Self-Imposed Deadlines Work?

Whether it's writing a paper, studying for finals, or preparing for a recital or audition, have you ever find yourself cramming at the last minute, wishing you had a time machine and could go back and give yourself more time to prepare?
Well, a 2002 study provides some clues on how to set better deadlines - and also, how to make self-imposed deadlines work better, if you haven't had much luck with that in the past.
Get all the nerdy details here:
Is There a Way to Make Self-Imposed Deadlines Work?

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Have you ever wondered why it is exactly that things often sound better at home than they do on stage?

Take the quiz here: bulletproofmusician.com/msa