Mindfulness and music: investigating the effect of mindfulness techniques in musical practice

Abstract

Meditation is a practice that has been important for generations in Eastern cultures, but in recent years it has gained traction in the Western World. Specifically, educators and musicians are utilizing mindfulness, a concept taken from meditation, to aid in both Socio-Emotional Learning as well as practical performance gains in the classroom. Research by Anderson (2016), Czaikowski and Greasley (2015), and Diaz, Silveira, and Strand (2020) support this practice. Building off of this data, this study asks music students at Ball State University to include mindfulness techniques in their practice sessions and to self-report perceived improvements in practice efficiency and performance gains. While the study was interrupted before data collection could be obtained, prior research supports the hypothesis that students will experience performance and efficiency increases when adding mindfulness exercises to personal practice.