Simulating and stimulating performance: developing a next-generation music performance simulator

The spaces where musicians practice often differ considerably from where they perform. As such, musicians are an emblematic example of performers who must adapt their skillset to contexts where the visual, aural, social, and psychological environment introduces significant increases in variety, risk, and pressure. Numerous domains address this disparity through the use of simulation, giving the performer the opportunity to learn and challenge their skills in contexts more closely resembling real-world conditions. This article describes the implementation of simulation in music performance contexts through the development of the second generation of performance simulation technologies at the Royal College of Music. It outlines the design requirements for a large, immersive space with a high degree of flexibility in recreating the visual and acoustic atmosphere of a performance stage and corresponding backstage area, while also facilitating performance capture and analysis. Applications for such a facility are outlined to advance research, teaching, and knowledge exchange within and beyond music performance

Reassessing musical excellence

This chapter reassesses musical excellence and explores pathways for connecting inspiration, technique, and career. Tensions between traditional notions of excellence are highlighted through a series of case studies, alongside notions of what it means, and could mean, to be successful within a conservatoire context. Topics include what makes an excellent performance and how we construct shared understandings of excellence that recognise different dimensions of achievement. The chapter provides perspectives on the range and diversity of support needed to allow musicians to develop the artistry and the careers that they seek

Philanthropy at the Royal College of Music: shaping the future of music education

This chapter explores the importance of philanthropy to the modern conservatoire in the context of the funding environment for ‘world-leading’ English conservatoires. It begins with an exploration of the long history of philanthropic support at the Royal College of Music (RCM). Calling on the results of recent research, the chapter then explores the connection between philanthropic giving to music education and the well-being of donors, examining the social engagement benefits that donors derive from being a part of the community of the conservatoire. These insights can inform the approach taken by conservatoires in developing sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships with their donors

Intersubjectivity in performance

This chapter explores musical interaction across contexts and cultures. It outlines ways in which explicit and implicit knowledge and judgment play key roles in performance. It considers affect, empathy, and connectedness in shaping intersubjectivity, and how the community of agency involved in making music together may become a merging of agencies. It discusses the explicit and implicit forms of intersubjectivity implicated in musical performance, the former being evident in the agreement on performance plans typical in expert ensemble performance of western art music (and in some jazz contexts), while the latter are attributable to seemingly spontaneous yet successful bouts of music-making both by experts and non-experts. Both forms of intersubjectivity are shown to derive from shared cultural norms and expectations as well as from intersubjective processes associated with affiliative social interaction. The chapter suggests that any ongoing performance may elicit and be motivated by the changing affective and empathic states and experiences within and between performers, interaction in music being intertwined with the intersubjectivities that may underpin it and to which it may give rise as well as the cultural contexts in which it is embedded

Countercurrent podcast: Ashley Solomon in conversation with Roger Kneebone

Ashley Solomon is Head of Historical Performance and Professor at the Royal College of Music. He is a baroque flute and recorder player who has performed as a soloist all over the world. He co-founded the baroque ensemble Florilegium in 1991. Since then they have made over 35 recordings and performed all over the world, including almost a hundred appearances at London’s Wigmore Hall. Ashley has been working with indigenous musicians in Bolivia for over twenty years, uncovering and exploring a baroque musical tradition dating back to the Jesuit missions in the 17th century. ***** This podcast episode is free to listen to at the 'Official URL' link given below. ****

A mi violín corneta: the stylistic development of Argentine tango violinists and the social acceptance of tango, 1910–1935

This dissertation examines the development of violin performance practice in Argentine tango from 1910 to 1935, a transformative period during which the genre’s violin techniques underwent a rapid evolution, followed by standardisation and codification, establishing the foundational techniques and stylistic conventions central to the genre today. This study argues that these changes were inextricably tied to the broader socio-cultural context, as tango transitioned from a marginalized expression of Buenos Aires' lower classes to a celebrated música nacional, at a time when Argentina was constructing its national symbols. The study traces these developments through primary sources, namely newspaper and magazine articles, alongside a practice-informed aural analysis of historical recordings. Chapter One, using the analysis of both European and Argentine periodicals, examines Tangomania in Europe (1911–1914), and particularly in Paris, where tango was celebrated as an exotic cultural export. This European fascination reshaped perceptions of the genre’s artistic and social value, accelerating its acceptance among Argentina’s upper and middle classes. Against this backdrop of shifting social attitudes, tango violin playing evolved rapidly, reflecting the genre’s broader process of social integration. The succeeding chapters are case studies of key violinists, which use primary sources and historical recordings to trace how their innovations shaped the instrument’s role in tango ensembles. In addition, a detailed discography has been compiled for each violinist. Early violinists such as Casimiro Alcorta, Ernesto Ponzio, and José Bonano, emerging from a milieu of largely self-taught music making, embodied tango’s origins in the lower classes of Buenos Aires. David Roccatagliata, with formal musical training, introduced experimental techniques that expanded the violin’s expressive possibilities. Finally, Julio De Caro, representing a new generation of middle-class musicians, brought greater artistic ambition and sophistication to tango music. By situating these musical developments within the cultural and historical dynamics of early 20th-century Argentina and its transnational context, this study highlights the violin’s pivotal role in tango’s journey from the margins to mainstream social acceptance

New methods for measuring shared and divergent visitor experience: a pilot study at the Royal College of Music Museum

We report on a new method for anonymously measuring shared and divergent museum visitor reactions to specific content of exhibits, going beyond more general standardized evaluations of overall experience. In a small pilot study, six visitors reported three things that had most struck them about their visit, and they later rated the extent to which they agreed with other visitors’ anonymized reports. The method reveals which objects generate more and less attention and interpretive consensus and the extent to which visitors understand museum content as curators hope. It also allows assessment of which museum materials (display text, audio, video, tour script) contribute to visitors’ commentary and how differently different kinds of visitors experience the museum. Expanded versions of this method could inform iterative exhibit development, and interactive representations of data sets like that collected here could allow exhibit designers and curators to gain insight into visitor experience from alternate perspectives

Competitiveness and performance anxiety as predictors of performance success and intent to quit playing: deliberate practice as mediator and moderator

This study examined how music performance anxiety (MPA) and competitiveness were associated with intent to quit playing one’s musical instrument and perceived performance success in a sample of 281 aspiring professional musicians. Most importantly, both the mediating and moderating role of DP were explored with these outcomes. The hypotheses were partially supported: MPA predicted intent to quit playing positively, and performance success negatively. Competitiveness did not significantly relate to either of the outcomes. Notably, the results revealed that the more involvement in DP the less MPA, which in turn predicted lower intent to quit playing and greater performance success among the participants. Indirect effects indicated that DP partially mediated the relationship between MPA and both outcomes. Competitiveness was not related to DP, and indirect effects via DP were not significant. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that DP accounted for additional variance beyond MPA and was strongly associated with greater performance success and lower turnover intention. The interaction term (DP × MPA) did not predict outcomes, providing no clear evidence for a buffering role of DP. These findings highlight the direct association of DP with positive outcomes in aspiring professional musicians, rather than any moderating effect on the negative consequences of MPA

Teaching Notes podcast episode 123

Dr Kirsty Devaney and Dr Ed McKeon talk to Patrick Johns about the Time Loops project. This was run by the Science Museum Group, using old music technology in new and innovative ways, with Key Stage 3 resources to bring it into the classroom. ***** This podcast is created by the Music Teachers' Association and is available open access at the 'Official URL' link below. ****