Content area
Abstract
The purposes of this investigation were (1) to describe the attitudes and perceptions of adults toward their past or current piano study, (2) to identify their music and nonmusic interests, and (3) to describe their perceptions of home influences related to music and piano study. A questionnaire was administered to 747 members of the Baylor University Alumni Association. Of the 564 respondents who returned completed questionnaires, 58% had studied piano only as children, 15% had studied both as children and as adults, 3% had studied only as adults, and 24% had never studied piano.
The majority of respondents who had studied piano as children reported growing up with parents who demonstrated positive attitudes toward music and who encouraged music study. The most frequently cited reason for beginning lessons as children was parents' decision that their children should study. Adult students were motivated to begin or resume lessons for reasons related to skill development and personal pleasure. Respondents reported that lessons were enjoyed because they were fun and challenging, because the teacher was supportive, and because students enjoyed the music they played. Citing reasons for not enjoying lessons, respondents indicated that lessons were boring, the teacher was too critical, and the music was disliked. Lessons were discontinued primarily because of time spent with other activities, although boring lessons, dislike of practicing, and lack of skill were frequently cited reasons for quitting lessons, particularly for subjects who had studied piano only as children.
Approximately three-fourths of the respondents who had studied piano reported enjoying lessons and reported that they received personal benefits from playing. Slightly over half of the respondents who had ever studied reported that they continue to play. Respondents' perceptions of their own skills as pianists and their ratings of their lessons were positively related to their perceptions of other aspects of lessons, practicing, and playing. Results from this study may be useful in planning applied piano instruction and piano pedagogy programs that attempt to create positive and successful learning environments for children and adults and that attempt to promote life-long involvement with music and piano.
