Aaron Williamon, Royal College of Music, London: Facing the music: Employing science and technology to enhance professional training

This lecture is part of the 'International Symposium on Learning and Teaching Music in the Twenty-First Century: The Contribution of Science and Technology', which will take place from 5-7 November 2015.

The lecture will take place in TANNA SCHULICH HALL, followed by a wine and cheese reception in room A833 (8th floor of the New Music Building).


ABSTRACT: 

Musicians typically rehearse far away from their audiences and in practice rooms that differ significantly from the concert venues in which they aspire to perform. Due to high costs and the inaccessibility of such venues, much current international music training lacks repeated exposure to realistic performance situations, with students learning all too late (or not at all) how to manage the stresses of performing and the demands of their audiences. This lecture will explore the physiological and psychological differences between practising and performing, specifically examining cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses in musicians when performing under pressure. It will also introduce the ‘Performance Simulator’, an innovative new facility which operates in two modes: (i) concert and (ii) audition simulation. Initial results demonstrate that the Simulator allows musicians to develop and refine valuable professional skills, including enhancement of communication on stage and effective management of performance anxiety. 

 

ABOUT AARON WILLIAMON:

Aaron Williamon is Professor of Performance Science at the Royal College of Music, London, where he heads the Centre for Performance Science. His research focuses on skilled performance and applied scientific initiatives that inform music learning and teaching. Aaron is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the UK's Higher Education Academy.

More information on the International Symposium can be found here: http://ltm21aem21.wix.com/colloque2015


VIDEO ARCHIVE - AARON WILLIAMON

APA video citation:

Williamon, A. (2015, November 27). Facing the music: Employing science and technology to enhance professional training -
CIRMMT Distinguished Lectures in the Science and Technology of Music. [Video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93Fa5gC1QSk