Violin Performance Teaching and Learning: the development of technology and its role in violin pedagogy

Abstract

Music is a creative art involving the expression of feeling and spontaneity. This artistry demands the mastery of musical instruments, of which the violin is one. Traditional violin methodology has been the accepted way to develop the art of violin playing, but technology and the internet have provided different approaches to teaching methods. This thesis addresses the degree to which these different approaches may or may not enhance violin teaching and learning. In the first instance this thesis looks at the function of the online learning platform YouTube, and then at the teaching methodology of Suzuki using audio and of Zhang using online video. In order to assess the possibilities of these new learning approaches, it was necessary to research teaching methods used by traditional masters of violin pedagogy. A study into their philosophy, which was formulated from their personal teaching experience, revealed a unanimous belief in the crucial need for mental practice in the co-ordination of mind and body. Further evidence about this crucial link between mental preparation and performance can be found in research into training for sport, from amateur to professional levels. The overall results of the thesis reveal that technology, as used by Suzuki and Zhang’s online method, cannot meet all the expectations of traditional methodology. In particular, technological teaching is unable to respond to the individual needs of students, nor is it able to guide students in the development of mental practice and independent learning. On the positive side, YouTube provides a platform for students to observe masterclasses and the performances of renowned musicians and orchestras.