Mental representation of music performance: A theoretical model

Transcription

1 International Symposium on Performance Science ISBN The Author 2013, Published by the AEC All rights reserved Mental representation of music performance: A theoretical model Gilvano Dalagna 1, Filipa Lã 1, and Graham F. Welch 2 1 Department of Communication and Art, University of Aveiro, INET-MD, Portugal 2 Institute of Education, University of London, UK Different coexisting definitions regarding mental representation cause difficulties in the provision of a comprehensive theoretical model that can conceptualize mental representation in music performance contexts. Mental representation has been understood as an anticipatory plan of the actual music performance. It has been recognized to affect the quality of the performance; a greater refinement is likely to increase performance quality. Despite its additional suggested pedagogical importance to instrumental learning, its development, from practice to performance, is still poorly understood. Grounded in a systematic literature review, a theoretical model is here proposed aiming at the clarification of the concept of mental representation and its application in performance practices. Keywords: mental representation; artistic ideal outcome; mental imagery; performing; instrumental learning Conceptualizing mental representation is difficult, as the phenomenon possesses a certain degree of ambiguity (Lehmann 1997). Thus, there have been several attempts in the literature to define it (Neuhaus 1973). However, a consensual definition that could be transversal to all performance domains and that could promote the acquisition of strategies to optimize performance practices is still missing (Gabrielson 1999, Clark and Williamon 2011). Since early years, the phenomenon of mental representation has been explored in several areas, namely cognitive psychology, education, sports, philosophy, and cognitive neuroscience. In music performance, mental representation has been considered an internal image of musical aspects, including musical gestures (Lehmann 1997), symbol interpretation (e.g. meter, dynamics, etc.; Palmer and Krumhansl 1990), and emotional communication (Ga-

2 830 brielson 1999). In other words, mental representation can be defined as our mental capacity for imagining sound in the absence of a directly audible sound source (Haddon 2007, p. 301). However, there have been other authors considering mental representation as a phenomenon directly associated with artistic imagery, i.e. an aesthetic desired outcome that serves as a plan to guide performance preparation (Chaffin et al. 2003, Gabrielson 1999, Neuhaus 1973). Concerning the pedagogical implications of a mental representation, previous studies have suggested that instrumental learning should be orientated so as to assist the student in establishing a mental representation as part of performance planning. The results of comparisons between music students and expert musicians suggest that differences exist in terms of their ability to create a mental representation as an artistic desired outcome (Jorgensen and Hallam 2010). However, research focused on clarifying what this artistic desired outcome is and how it is related to mental representation is still missing in the literature (Gabrielson 1999). The proposed theoretical model constitutes the first step to such an investigation. It aims at conceiving a broader conceptualization of mental representation based on decoding the essence of mental representation in different domains. MAIN CONTRIBUTION A qualitative selection of the items for a systematic literature review was undertaken using three databases: Web of Science, JSTOR, and Scopus. Also, the catalogues of two online libraries, one in Portugal and one in the UK, were searched. The keywords selected to undertake this search were chosen among the most-used terminology in cognitive psychology: (1) mental representation, (2) imagery, and (3) knowledge representation. The search stopped when all combination of keywords was tried and when theoretical saturation was achieved concerning the definition of mental representation. A total of 26 articles emerged; from these, a further selection of articles was undertaken, taking into account the following inclusive criteria, ordered according to level of importance: (1) acknowledgement of the phenomenon of mental representation in performance, (2) description of mental representation conceptualization, (3) definition of mental representation, and (4) exploration of mental representation development. Items selected could be included in groups, according to areas of research: (1) cognitive psychology (including theories of mind), (2) cognitive neuroscience, (3) sports psychology, (4) education, and (5) music. The inter-relationships found among these areas are discussed below.

3 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON PERFORMANCE SCIENCE 831 The phenomenon of mental representation The most recurrent definition of mental representation found in domains other than music was represented knowledge in the brain. In cognitive neuroscience, mental representation is regarded as the product of an internal psychophysiological processing of the results of the interaction between several organic systems (e.g. endocrine, immune, and nervous) and the brain (Damásio 2010). This interaction results from (and influences) individual social and cultural features, i.e. the self (Damásio 2010), enabling the realization of environment, actions, and thoughts as mental images. Consequently, these images will feed the psychophysiological processing in a feedback loop, i.e. a reaction from the images themselves (Damásio 2010). According to cognitive psychology, the psychophysiological process described by cognitive neuroscience should not be mistaken with mental imagery (Stenberg 1999). Theories of mind organization propose mental representation as an outcome of complex interactions between concepts and imagery (Novak 2010). A perceived regularity, or pattern in events or objects, by which one organizes knowledge constitutes concepts, whereas imagery is an individual experience that one may have in the absence of the real stimuli (Cumming and Ramsey 2008). According to this point of view, another person besides the performer cannot inculcate the development of mental representation in performance. However, mental representation benefits from the stimulation and guidance of others. Thus, one might infer that mental representation can be developed only when it is essentially based in acquired knowledge. This assumption is also accepted in educational contexts, where mental representation develops as part of the learning process (Jorgensen and Hallam 2010). In line with theories of mind organization, learning the definition of a word, for example, is essentially representational learning, i.e. one can have an image as a definition for something, but not a clear idea on its meaning (Novak 2010). To learn the meaning of the word, which is the regularity or the pattern that the word or symbol stands for, is conceptual learning, i.e. the image reflects an internal perception of a pattern and the possible elements involved. Both educational and cognitive psychological views on mental representation shed light on the fact that, for example, many may understand mental representation as an artistic image. However, few have acquired a deeper understanding of it as a concept. This might be the case of musicians, for whom approaches of inculcating a defined image of interpretation, instead of guidance towards the development of the students own concepts and representations, have been the prime scen-

4 832 ery in instrumental lessons. This is perhaps related to the fact that, in music, many terms have been used as synonymous of mental representation, including performance cues (Chaffin et al. 2003), performance plans (Gabrielson 1999), artistic imagery (Neuhaus 1973), and mental imagery (Clark and Williamon 2011). Based on the contributions of all areas described above, one might argue that mental representation results from the organization and storage of knowledge as concepts. These concepts are represented as mental images, which underlie human expression and enable life management (Cumming and Ramsey 2008). In sports psychology, this network between concepts and images, i.e. mental representation, constitutes the primarily mediator of performance and the degree of its refinement determines the level of performance quality (Ericsson 2003). The following section further discusses the importance of the interaction between concepts and images, proposing it as a theoretical model of conceptualizing mental representation in music performance contexts. Theoretical model Bridging the conceptualization of mental representation from all the above domains, three main components emerge as fundamental to the development of a mental representation (see Figure 1): (1) environment, (2) performer (i.e. individual), and (3) music making activity. The first component concerns individual social and geographic conditions (Durrant and Welch 1995, Jorgensen and Hallam 2010). The second component refers to a set of features that define the individual (Damásio 2010). Finally, the last component involves all activities carried out in music making, including efforts involved in performance preparation (Elliott 1995). Both environment and performing elements are constantly feeding the performer element with input information received by the sensory channels. This input is concomitantly processed by the body and the mind; the result is an emotional phenomenon which emerges from the knowledge previously acquired and which is affected by neurophysiological processes. This network of concepts and representations expresses behavior according to the performer s level of engagement (i.e. volition; Elliot 1995).

5 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON PERFORMANCE SCIENCE 833 Figure 1. A theoretical model for mental representation in music performance. IMPLICATIONS The present model takes into account mental representation as a complex relationship between several life aspects, i.e. perception, behavior, environment, and music making. Hence, it assumes that concepts, which form the acquired knowledge, are of paramount importance to mental representation: they influence action making. The conceptualization of this model has been based also on the idea that mental representations (concepts and imagery) are mediators to performance quality (as a desired outcome to be achieved). The model here proposed, i.e. mental representations are concepts previously acquired and represented in the mind, can be taken into account to introduce programs of mental training with students aiming at performance optimization. Images are essentially an individual experience, so cannot be exactly reproduced among all individuals. However, the concepts behind the images can be explored in order to facilitate the creation of certain images. The next step in this investigation is to assess how well the model fits the students conceptualizations and representations of a desired artistic outcome in music performance. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the CAPES Foundation (Ministry of Education of Brazil), University of Aveiro (Portugal), and INET-MD (Portugal) for the support of this investigation. Address for correspondence Gilvano Dalagna, Department of Communication and Art, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro , Portugal; gilvano.d@ua.pt

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