Assessing Practice Strategies in First-year South African Music Students: Considering the Value of a Standardised Practice Questionnaire

Abstract

Tertiary music studies place a huge amount of pressure on first-year music students who generally battle with the transition between  school and university and, most particularly, the increased technical demands for their practical instruments. This study considers the  value of using a standardised practice questionnaire to explore and understand first-year students’ practice strategies, organisation of  practice, levels of concentration and attitudes toward practising. The practice questionnaire was administered to a total of 143 first-year  music students over a period of six years. Students were enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts and Music (BA Mus) and Bachelor of Music  (BMus) degrees at the University of Pretoria. A further goal was to explore differences regarding gender and instrument groups. The  results reveal that overall first-year music students do make use of effective systematic practice strategies. Organisation and planning  strategies, however, could be further developed. Concentration levels and attitudes towards practising were overall favourable. The  article discusses the viability of this practice questionnaire as a diagnostic tool for first-year music students.