Papers by Isabelle Heroux
Frontiers in psychology, Jun 7, 2024
La revue musicale OICRM, 2022
International Journal of Music Education
COVID-19 containment measures brought many changes in our lives and forced teachers all around th... more COVID-19 containment measures brought many changes in our lives and forced teachers all around the world to adopt various new practices. Given its specific education requirements and numerous school boards, the province of Quebec, Canada, was chosen to study the effects of the pandemic on music teaching in schools in the spring and fall of 2020. An electronic survey was distributed, to which 517 elementary and high school music teachers responded. Teachers reported on the transformation of teaching modes from an exclusively in-person practice to an online or bimodal approach. Continuation and interruption of music programs varied greatly from school to school and, for those who were allowed musical activities, different protective health measures were implemented. Teachers working with large ensembles (e.g. band and orchestra) experienced more interruptions in their music programs. Teachers also reported how their planning was affected by the new modes of instruction, but no matter ...
<p>Various studies have been conducted to understand the role of mental representation when... more <p>Various studies have been conducted to understand the role of mental representation when musicians practice or perform music (Lehman and Ericsson, 1997; Sloboda, 2005) and the work steps required for a musician to prepare a concert (Chaffin et al., 2003). More recent studies examine creativity in the shaping of a musical interpretation (Lisboa et al., 2011; Payne, 2016; Barros et al., 2017; Wise et al., 2017). However, none of these studies answers the following questions: Why do expert musicians working from the same score create different musical interpretations? During individual practice sessions, what happens that allows each musician to produce significantly different interpretive results? To answer these questions, we instructed nine expert musicians to record their individual practice sessions, verbalize their actions and thoughts, and answer a self-reflection questionnaire. A third-party observer also described what happened during the practice sessions. We conducted interviews in order to gather additional information about the contents of the individual practice sessions; the musicians' usual work habits; and their beliefs, values, and ideas regarding the role of the musician in the creative process. Based on the methodology of Analyse par théorisation ancrée<sup>1</sup> (Paillé, 1994), we were able to take into account a diverse data set and identify aspects of the creative process that were specific to each individual as well as elements that all musicians shared. We found that the context in which the creative process takes place—the musician (e.g., his or her values and knowledge); the musical work (e.g., style, technical aspects, etc.); and the external constraints (e.g., deadlines, public expectations, etc.)—impacted the strategies used. The participants used reflection, extramusical supports, emotions, body reactions, intuition, and other tools to generate new musical ideas and evaluate the accuracy of their musical interpretations. We identified elements related to those already discussed in the literature, including the creative process as an alternation between divergent and convergent thinking (Guilford, 1950), creative associations (Lubart, 2015), and artistic appropriation (Héroux and Fortier, 2014; Héroux, 2016).</p
Cette intervention, deuxième d'une série « Performance et rituel » (Picard 2008), pourrait aussi ... more Cette intervention, deuxième d'une série « Performance et rituel » (Picard 2008), pourrait aussi s'intituler « Pour en finir avec le fétiche », ou encore « De quoi l'instrument de musique est-il l'instrument ? ». En annonçant « une théorie de l'acteur et de l'action », je ne prétends ni qu'elle n'existe pas déjà, ni que je pourrais la faire, au sens d'une théorie de la physique contemporaine, ou de l'art. Je propose que le « théoricien » ici, comme dans la Grèce antique, est celui qui fait partie de la « députation envoyée par les cités pour assister aux fêtes religieuses ou pour annoncer une fête ou une cérémonie et qui se déplaçait en procession solennelle » (TILF 1). Le théoricien donc participe mais pour assister. Il est spectateur sur scène. Cela s'est vu du temps de Molière, et en Chine aussi, et dans le théâtre d'ombres de Java : le spectateur privilégié assiste au spectacle depuis la scène, ou depuis le derrière du rideau. Mais aussi, c'est nous, professeurs de la Sorbonne, en toge et mortier jaunes, qui, précédés d'un huissier, rentrons solennellement, en file, en « théorie » donc, par la grande porte sur la scène pour y prendre place, assis, sur scène, témoins muets, lors des cérémonies de remise de doctorats honoris causa 2. Et de manière totalement anecdotique, en proclamant « une théorie de l'acteur et de l'action », je me moque des théories de la « performance et du performeur [ou performateur] ». Et je ne prends même pas la peine de réfuter la stupide traduction du mot agentivity dans la version française de Art and agency (Gell 1998 et 2009) : quiconque a fréquenté les agents artistiques sait de quelle agentivité ils sont capables. N'est-ce pas, monsieur l'agent ? Mais revenons à la théorie. De la même racine grecque thea, regarder, contempler, on passe à theoria action de voir ; de là, le théâtre, qui a donc même source que la théorie.
Revue musicale OICRM, 2021
Cet article présente l’évolution de la place de l’enseignement de la musique dans les programmes ... more Cet article présente l’évolution de la place de l’enseignement de la musique dans les programmes provinciaux des niveaux primaires et secondaires des écoles publiques francophones du Québec. Facultatif de 1904 à 1936, alors qu’il consistait essentiellement à enseigner des chants à l’oreille, l’enseignement musical est devenu obligatoire de 1937 à 1980. Bien qu’il se résumait souvent au départ à des apprentissages théoriques et à de l’écoute musicale, on vit peu à peu s’implanter les pédagogies actives. Depuis 1981, la musique est une option parmi les disciplines de la famille des arts (danse, art dramatique, arts plastiques et musique). Si le chant est toujours enseigné, notamment au primaire, l’enseignement de la musique passe dorénavant par l’expérimentation du jeu instrumental en groupe et fait une plus grande part à la créativité des élèves. Certaines raisons évoquées pour son enseignement n’ont pas traversé les décennies, notamment celles de permettre l’acquisition des valeurs religieuses et patriotiques, d’autres sont toujours d’actualité comme le développement de l’enfant et le plaisir.
musician generates the musical material in real time while being capable of anticipating the sono... more musician generates the musical material in real time while being capable of anticipating the sonoral consequences of his actions on the basis of his past experiences (Dubé & Després, 2013). Integrating improvisation into the pedagogical practices of a music teacher ought to have positive effects on a number of the aspects of the student's development. In fact, learning to improvise ought to promote the acquisition of certain musical concepts (McPherson, 1993), precision in reading music (Azzara, 1992; Montano, 1983), a sharpening of the auditory perceptions (Teixeira dos Santos & Del Ben, 2004; Whitman, 2001; Wilson, 1971), creativity (Koutsoupidou & Hargreaves, 2009) and the quality of interpretation (Azzara 1992), as well as musicians' comfortable stage presence and motivation (Kenny et Gellrich, 2002). Finally, the exploratory nature of improvisation ought to improve the learner's expressivity (Sloboda, 1993), which is an essential component of both musical training and instrumental technique. According to Thompson and Lehmann (2004), the learner's "talent" should not have any influence on her ability to improvise. Indeed, the development of improvisational abilities depends rather upon putting into action applied and creative instrumental work than upon an innate aptitude. Furthermore, several authors maintain that these abilities can be improved by structured, progressive training (Brophy, 2001 ; Kenny et Gellrich, 2002 ; Kratus 1995). In view of the positive effects of improvisation and its interdependence with the other competencies that the apprentice musician needs to develop, it would seem that improvisation ought to form an integral part of the classical music curriculum. Such, however is not the case (McPherson, Bailey, & Sinclair, 1997). In fact, improvisation is almost absent from Western classical instrumental teaching (Azzara 2002; Bitz, 1998; Burrows, 2004). According to Robidas (2010), various reasons could be given for this situation. First, the requirement of Western classical music set the highest value on the formation of interpreters with great technical skills (Biesenbender, 2001; Riveire, 1997), the acquiring of which leaves little time for working on other activities, such as REFLECTIVE CONSERVATOIRE CONFERENCE 2015 Dubé, F., Héroux, I., & Robidas, L., N. 4 improvisation. Then, teachers do not always possess the knowledge that would enable them to teach improvisation to their students (Robidas, 2010), especially since they themselves may never have had experience with improvisation during their own training (Robidas, 2010) or because they associate improvisation with non-classical musical idioms, especially jazz (Riveire, 1997). To counteract this problem, a number of researchers have emphasized the necessity of making available to teachers the kind of pedagogical material that will guide them effectively in their
Perspectives on Learning Assessment in the Arts in Higher Education, 2021
Musicae Scientiae, 2016
This article presents the methodology and partial results of a study on the creative processes un... more This article presents the methodology and partial results of a study on the creative processes underlying nine performers’ interpretations of a single musical work. Data were collected by videotaping rehearsals and soliciting musicians’ verbalizations of the rehearsal process. Musicians also completed a reflexive questionnaire, and an independent third party observed and described the musicians’ actions. The data were first assessed through content analysis. Subsequently, interview techniques borrowed from phenomenology were used: self-confrontation interviews, which enable the verbalization of the action a posteriori; and explicitation interviews, which facilitate access to the preconscious processes and enable a detailed description of the action. Preliminary results for two performers demonstrate the varied strategies that musicians use to create original interpretations. The strategies observed were congruent with the existing literature and include alternation between divergent...
Frontiers in Psychology, 2020
Philosophers, composers, and musicians have long argued whether instrumental music finds meaning ... more Philosophers, composers, and musicians have long argued whether instrumental music finds meaning in its formal structure and musical content (Hanslick, 1986) or through reference to extra-musical elements, like narratives, emotions, or memories (Meyer, 1956). While the use of extra-musical elements appears grounded in individual musicians' priorities for performance and teaching (Héroux, 2018), the impact of emotional indications on expressivity has not previously been studied in a large-scale experiment. The aim of this pilot study was to construct the methodology for a larger project to study the impact of the use of extra-musical elements on the sound results of guitarists. We asked guitar students to record one short newly composed piece, Evocation 1, according to the following conditions: (A) in a non-expressive manner, (B) according to the notated musical indications, and (C) with the addition of suggested contextual and emotional extra-musical elements to the musical instructions. We asked two expert guitarists to evaluate the level of expressiveness for conditions B and C and conducted interviews with participants to collect data on the experimental process to refine protocol. To more objectively measure manifestations of objectivity from the recorded performances, we extracted data from each recording about pitch, dynamics, and timing, as well as expressive dynamic deviations. The impact of both recording conditions and the expertise level of performers on the quality of this audio data led us to change the analysis design from a comparative design (with other participants) to a self-comparative design (each participant with himself) for the larger study.
Intersections: Canadian Journal of Music, 2015
Cet article présente une analyse de méthodes de guitare classique pour débutants puisées dans les... more Cet article présente une analyse de méthodes de guitare classique pour débutants puisées dans les programmes d’études pour l’enseignement privé reconnu par le gouvernement du Québec. Pour identifier les principes didactiques sous-jacents à la conception des ouvrages, nous avons analysé les éléments d’apprentissages proposés, leur ordre de présentation ainsi que le type et la quantité d’activités pour chacun. L’apprentissage des notes, de leur lecture et des techniques de jeu dans le but de reproduire le texte musical à l’instrument constitue l’essentiel de ce qui est présenté dans ces méthodes, dans des proportions variables souvent en lien avec l’âge ciblé.
Frontiers in psychology, 2018
Various studies have been conducted to understand the role of mental representation when musician... more Various studies have been conducted to understand the role of mental representation when musicians practice or perform music (Lehman and Ericsson, 1997; Sloboda, 2005) and the work steps required for a musician to prepare a concert (Chaffin et al., 2003). More recent studies examine creativity in the shaping of a musical interpretation (Lisboa et al., 2011; Payne, 2016; Barros et al., 2017; Wise et al., 2017). However, none of these studies answers the following questions: Why do expert musicians working from the same score create different musical interpretations? During individual practice sessions, what happens that allows each musician to produce significantly different interpretive results? To answer these questions, we instructed nine expert musicians to record their individual practice sessions, verbalize their actions and thoughts, and answer a self-reflection questionnaire. A third-party observer also described what happened during the practice sessions. We conducted interv...
Our research aimed to develop a methodology in order to analyze the entire creative process in th... more Our research aimed to develop a methodology in order to analyze the entire creative process in the work of interpreting a musical piece. We conducted a pilot study with a single case. The first step of our study was to collect our data according to the instrumental work validated by different researchers (rehearsal recordings, verbalization of reflexive questionnaires, observations). Then, we conducted a content analysis of the previously gathered data. As a second step, we used an interview technique inspired by the self-confrontation interview method. All of the data collected were then analyzed through a grounded-theory analysis. Although we used work stages previously mentioned in the scientific literature, we have observed a new work stage we described as appropriation artistique or artistic appropriation. In this stage, the subject would associate the abstract sense of musical discourse to his own life experience through the use of analogies and narratives in order to give a more convincing interpretation. The results of our research cannot be generalized, however the methodology developed will lead us, in future research observing several subjects, to study the entire creative process in the work of interpreting an original musical piece.
Quand la musique prend corps
Notre intérêt pour la gestuelle du musicien s’est manifesté de manière inopinée, soit lors d’une ... more Notre intérêt pour la gestuelle du musicien s’est manifesté de manière inopinée, soit lors d’une étude de cas visant à développer une méthodologie pour étudier le processus de création du musicien expert lorsqu’il travaille une pièce musicale. Si l’analyse de la gestuelle du musicien ne figurait pas dans nos objectifs de recherche, nous nous sommes cependant heurtées à sa présence et aux liens potentiels que notre sujet a entretenus avec le processus de création durant la réalisation de l’étu..
(Se) Former à et par l’écriture du qualitatif, 2021
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Papers by Isabelle Heroux
Several research led among expert musicians helped define what constitutes effective rehearsals (Parncuttt & McPherson, 2002; Jørgensen & Lehmann, 1997), identified the elements constituting the expression and its role (Friberg & Battel, 2002; Juslin & Sloboda, 2010), and described the work steps of a piece of music (Chaffin & al, 2003; Sloboda, 2005) by identifying learning (rather than creative) strategies and processes. If creativity underlying the interpretation of a musical work has nevertheless been studied, it is in the manner of a “creative product”. Indeed, the authors have been primarily interested in creativity in the form of musical performances or recordings (Rink, Spiro & Gold, 2011; Rink, 1995, 2002). Although several studies on creativity in music relate to the process of improvisation (Press, 1998; Gellrich & Kenny, 2002) or composition (Theureau & Donin, 2005; Collins, 2005), little research has been done to uncover the creative process in situ, underlying the interpretation of a piece of music by professional musicians. However, a case study by Héroux and Fortier (in press) uncovered aspects of the creative work that do not appear in the literature. Furthermore, these authors have identified a stage of artistic appropriation consisting of different cognitive processes.
The main questions supporting this research are “How and in what form does the creative process appear in expert musicians’ work of the interpretation of a musical piece?” and “What are the strategies used by expert musicians to create an original interpretation?”. The aim of this research was to investigate how eight professional musicians work on the interpretation of a same, never heard before, piece of music. Through this study, we aimed to uncover the creative process underlying the interpretation of a piece of music by professional musicians.
This paper presents the methodology and partial results of a research intending to understand the creative process underlying the interpretation of a musical work by performers. Data collection was conducted by videotaping the musicians’ rehearsals and verbalization of their actions. They were also asked to fill a reflexive questionnaire. The data collection was completed with the description of the musicians’ actions by a third-party observer. Then, the data was first analyzed through a content analysis. In a second step, interview techniques borrowed from phenomenology were used, i.e. self-confrontation interviews which enable the verbalization of the action a posteriori, and explicitation interviews (Vermersch, 1994), which facilitate access to the preconscious processes and a detailed description of the action. Preliminary results show various strategies used by eight expert musicians to create an original interpretation. The strategies observed were congruent with the existing literature, e.g. alternation between divergent and convergent thinking (Guilford, 1950) and creative associations (Lubart, 2011; Schubert, 2011). However, our results also suggest the existence of a step of artistic appropriation (Héroux & Fortier, in press), proper to each musician.
This research will contribute to the development of knowledge in creativity studies and in music pedagogy. Indeed, we hope that a better understanding of the creative process underlying the work of performers will lead to new grounds for the teaching of musical interpretation.
Several research led among expert musicians helped define what constitutes effective rehearsals (Parncuttt & McPherson, 2002; Jørgensen & Lehmann, 1997), identified the elements constituting the expression as well as its role (Friberg & Battel, 2002; Juslin & Sloboda, 2010) and described the work steps of a piece of music (Chaffin & al, 2003; Sloboda, 2005). However, none have analyzed the entire creative process in the work of interpretation of a piece of music. While models were developed to explain the creative process of an improvisation (Press, 1998; Kenny & Gellrich, 2002) and a composition (Collins, 2005) through observation of expert musicians, no model was developed for the creation of a musical performance. However, the musical interpretation is often at the center of music teaching, whether in private or group lessons.
This paper presents part of the results from a research aiming to understand the entire creative process of a musical interpretation of eight expert soloists and teachers. Thus, from these eight expert soloists, we present their conception of creativity underlying the work of interpretation and how they transmit it in their teaching. Data collection was conducted in two steps: first, through semi-structured interviews, and then through self-confrontation interviews (Theureau, 2010/12) and explicitation interviews (Vermersch, 1994). The results were analyzed through a grounded theory analysis (Paille 1994).
Results and Conclusion
The results highlight the difficulty for musicians to spontaneously verbalize their creative process underlying their interpretation work. The results also suggest that musicians do not explicitly address the creative process in their teaching. However, the various interview techniques borrowed from phenomenology (i.e. self-confrontation interviews (Theureau, 2010/12) which enables the verbalization of the action a posteriori, and explicitation interviews (Vermersch, 1994), which facilitates access to the nonconscious processes and a detailed description of the action) led us to identify creative processes. Thus, for the musician experts participating to our study, their lack of knowledge of their own creative process might explain their difficulty to teach how to develop creativity underlying the work of interpretation.