The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to explore the musical ability beliefs and musical self-concepts among eight fourth-grade students whose music teacher believed in universal human musicality—the idea that all human beings have the potential to be musical and can become competent music makers. Data collection lasted 12 weeks and included twice-weekly observations of the students’ music class, numerous one-on-one interviews, and student journal entries. Findings included three themes: (a) conflicting beliefs about the root of musical ability (effort/practice or innate talent), (b) the fluidity and malleability of students’ musical self-concepts, and (c) a perception that musicmaking in the real world is only for performers. Implications include the need for music educators to actively confront the “talent myth” with their students, to be aware of the potential effects of overt comparison and judgment on students’ musical self-concepts, and to provide a learning environment in which mistakes are embraced and music-making is seen as possible and valuable for all.
AbrilC. R. (2007). I have a voice but I just can’t sing: A narrative investigation of singing and social anxiety. Music Education Research, 9(1), 1–15.
2.
AustinJ. R.RenwickJ.McPhersonG. E. (2006). Developing motivation. In McPhersonG. E. (Ed.), The child as musician: A handbook of musical development (pp. 213–238). Oxford University Press.
3.
AustinJ. R.VispoelW. P. (2000). Children’s ability self-perceptions and interests: Grade level, gender, and race differences for music, reading and math. In CravenR. G.MarshH. W. (Eds.), Self-concept theory, research and practice: Advances from the new millennium (pp. 133–142). University of Western Sydney.
4.
BiasuttiM. (2010). Investigating trainee music teachers’ beliefs on musical abilities and learning: A qualitative study. Music Education Research, 12(1), 47–69.
5.
BlackingJ. (1971). Towards a theory of musical competence. In JagerE. J. (Ed.), Man: Anthropological essays presented to O. F. Raum (pp. 19–34). C. Struik.
6.
BongM.SkaalvikE. M. (2003). Academic self-concept and self-efficacy: How different are they really?Educational Psychology Review, 15(1), 1–40.
7.
BronfenbrennerU. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531.
8.
CreswellJ. W.GuettermanT. C. (2019). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (6th ed.). Pearson.
9.
DemorestS. M.KelleyJ.PfordresherP. Q. (2017). Singing ability, musical self-concept, and future music participation. Journal of Research in Music Education, 64(4), 405–420.
10.
ElmgrenH. (2019). Merit-based exclusion in Finnish music schools. International Journal of Music Education, 37(3), 425–439.
11.
FivesH.BuehlM. M. (2012). Spring cleaning for the “messy” construct of teachers’ beliefs: What are they? Which have been examined? What can they tell us? In HarrisK. R.GrahamS.UrdanT. (Eds.), APA educational psychology handbook: Individual differences and cultural and contextual factors (Vol. 2, pp. 471–499). American Psychological Association.
12.
HallamS.PrinceV. (2003). Conceptions of musical ability. Research Studies in Music Education, 20(1), 2–22.
13.
HoweM. J. A.DavidsonJ. W.SlobodaJ. A. (1998). Innate talents: Reality or myth?Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 21, 399–442.
14.
JaapA.PatrickF. (2015). Teachers’ concepts of musical talent and nurturing musical ability: Music learning as exclusive or as opportunity for all?Music Education Research, 17(3), 262–277.
15.
KoopsL. H. (2010). “Denuy jangal seen bopp” (They teach themselves): Children’s music learning in The Gambia. Journal of Research in Music Education, 58(1), 20–36.
16.
MapanaK. (2011). The musical enculturation and education of Wagogo children. British Journal of Music Education, 28(3), 339–351.
17.
McPhersonG. E.O’NeillS. A. (2010). Students’ motivation to study music as compared to other school subjects: A comparison of eight countries. Research Studies in Music Education, 32(2), 101–137.
RuddockE. (2012). “Sort of in your blood”: Inherent musicality survives cultural judgement. Research Studies in Music Education, 34(2), 207–221.
22.
RuddockE.LeongS. (2005). “I am unmusical!” The verdict of self-judgement. International Journal of Music Education, 23, 9–22.
23.
RussellJ. (1997). A “place” for every voice: The role of culture in the development of singing expertise. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 31(4), 95–109.
24.
SaldañaJ. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). SAGE.
25.
ShavelsonR. J.HubnerJ. J.StantonG. C. (1976). Self-concept: Validation of construct interpretations. Review of Educational Research, 46(3), 407–441.
26.
ShouldiceH. N. (2009). A mixed methods investigation of K-12 music teacher beliefs and their relationship to teaching practice [Unpublished master’s thesis]. University of Michigan.
27.
ShouldiceH. N. (2014). Elementary students’ definitions and self-perceptions of being a “good musician.”Music Education Research, 16(3), 330–345.
28.
ShouldiceH. N. (2019). “Everybody has something”: One teacher’s beliefs about musical ability and their connection to teaching practice and classroom culture. Research Studies in Music Education, 41(2), 189–205.
29.
SiebenalerD. (2008). Children’s attitudes toward singing and song recordings related to gender, ethnicity, and age. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 27(1), 49–56.
30.
SimpkinsS. D.VestA. E.DawesN. P.NeumanK. I. (2010). Dynamic relations between parents’ behaviors and children’s motivational beliefs in sports and music. Parenting: Science and Practice, 10(2), 97–118.
31.
StipekD. J.DanielsD. H. (1988). Declining perceptions of competence: A consequence of changes in the child or in the educational environment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(3), 352–356.
32.
SwainN.Bodkin-AllenS. (2014). Can’t sing? Won’t sing? Aotearoa/New Zealand “tone-deaf” early childhood teachers’ musical beliefs. British Journal of Music Education, 31(3), 245–263.
33.
ThompsonL. K. (2007). Considering beliefs in learning to teach music. Music Educators Journal, 93(3), 30–35.
34.
TurinoT. (1989). The coherence of social style and musical creation among the Aymara in Southern Peru. Ethnomusicology, 33(1), 1–30.
35.
TurinoT. (2008). Music as social life: The politics of participation. The University of Chicago Press.
36.
VartuliS. (2005). Beliefs: The heart of teaching. Young Children, 60(5), 76–86.
37.
WaymanV. E. (2004). An exploratory investigation of three middle school general music students’ beliefs about music education. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 160, 26–37.
38.
WelchG. F. (2005). We are musical. International Journal of Music Education, 23(2), 117–120.
39.
WhiddenC. (2010). Hearing the voice of non-singers: Culture, context, and connection. In ThompsonL. K.CampbellM. R. (Eds.), Issues of identity in music education: Narratives and practices (pp. 83–107). Information Age.
40.
WigfieldA.EcclesJ. S.YoonK. S.HaroldR. D.ArbretonA. J. A.Freedman-DoanC.BlumenfeldP. (1997). Change in children’s competence beliefs and subjective task values across the elementary school years: A 3-year study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), 451–469.
41.
YinR. K. (2009). Case study research (4th ed.). SAGE.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
