In recent years researchers have contributed a great deal to our shared understanding of the complexities of studio practices, which are widely regarded as a centre-point of higher education music. This article investigates an aspect of studio learning that does not lend itself easily to scrutiny, by drawing common issues from the cases of two…

"Master" and "apprentice" are terms more commonly coined than explained in the literature focused on instrumental teaching and learning. This theoretical paper explores apprenticeship as a way of understanding the practice of studio-based instruction, beginning with a brief historical overview, and going on to examine the…

In higher education music, individual practice remains a unique and solitary activity, perhaps the least accessible to the scrutiny of either teachers or researchers. This study reports on an investigation of the variety among student approaches to practice, with reference to year groups, age, instrumental groups and examination results. Data were…

How do singers approach teaching and learning in the context of performance studies in higher education? And how is their approach distinct from that taken by instrumentalists in the same context? This paper focuses largely on verbal dialogue recorded in 67 instrumental and vocal lessons, in the music department of a UK university. It examines the…

Undergraduate training represents a crucial stage of development for instrumentalists, including singers, as they begin to mature as independent musicians and learners. This paper asks how instrumental and vocal teachers in higher education approach this stage of student development. It focuses on the use of questions by teachers, as they…