With many activities vying for students’ time and attention, helping young musicians achieve their potential while inspiring them to continue engaging with music throughout their lifetime is a vital part of the music educator’s role. To accomplish this important function, the teacher may strive to fulfill students’ psychological needs, leading to improved student achievement and well-being, enjoyment of learning, and greater participation in class, among other positive outcomes. Through an understanding of the basic human needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence, this article applies these fundamental components of human psychology to the music classroom. Teachers can readily implement meaningful activities to guide students in lifelong music learning, leading to increased engagement and decreased attrition in musical study.
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