The Musical Identities of Piano Students: A Phenomenological Case Study

Gerelus, Karen

The Musical Identities of Piano Students: A Phenomenological Case Study

dc.contributor.advisor	Burwell, Catherine
dc.contributor.author	Gerelus, Karen
dc.contributor.committeemember	Gereluk, Dianne
dc.contributor.committeemember	Groen, Janet
dc.contributor.committeemember	Seidel, Jackie
dc.contributor.committeemember	Bell, Adam
dc.contributor.committeemember	Burland, Karen
dc.contributor.committeemember	Creech, Andrea
dc.date	2022-11
dc.date.accessioned	2022-09-27T15:16:17Z
dc.date.available	2022-09-27T15:16:17Z
dc.date.issued	2022-09
dc.description.abstract	It might be said that everyone has a musical identity. Whether you casually sing in the shower or seriously study Classical piano, music holds a role in everyone’s daily life. But what does it mean to incorporate the term musician into your identity? How does being a musician hold a place for who you are and how you describe yourself to others? This research investigated the musical identities of adolescent students in private piano lessons, with supporting evidence from their parents and piano teachers. It was formed around two research questions: How do piano students construct their musical identities and understand themselves as musicians? What kinds of experiences contribute to the formation of a salient musical identity? Drawing from a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews, photovoice, demographic surveys, and lesson observations brought forward the experiences which shaped students’ identities. Results suggested that the social environment, possible selves, and motivation were important themes in the formation of a musical identity because they provided experiences which shaped how students understood themselves as musicians. Beyond these three main themes, ability, choice, and relationships arose as their own emerging areas of consideration. Implications for teachers, parents, and students are provided, such as gaining a better understanding of student-centered learning to improve students’ experiences with piano lessons and harness more salient musical identities. This study offers an unprecedented use of photovoice methodology in music education research, and is unique in its focus on the musical identities of adolescent piano students. Further, this study offered a concurrent conceptualization of social environment, possible selves, and motivation. It connected the topics of musical identities and student-centered learning, providing new contributions and challenges to traditional piano pedagogy.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Gerelus, K. (2022). The musical identities of piano students: a phenomenological case study (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/115295
dc.identifier.uri	https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40301
dc.language.iso	eng	en_US
dc.publisher.faculty	Werklund School of Education	en_US
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.	en_US
dc.subject	musical identity	en_US
dc.subject	piano students	en_US
dc.subject	phenomenology	en_US
dc.subject	social environment	en_US
dc.subject	motivation	en_US
dc.subject	possible selves	en_US
dc.subject	student-centered learning	en_US
dc.subject	relationships	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Education--Curriculum and Instruction	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Education--Music	en_US
dc.title	The Musical Identities of Piano Students: A Phenomenological Case Study	en_US
dc.type	doctoral thesis	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Education Graduate Program – Educational Research	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)	en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true	en_US