Practicing without playing : a phenomenological study of mental practice
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The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study was to describe the experiences of professional musicians who are practitioners of mental practice (MP) strategies. I aimed to understand and better define the phenomenon of MP, recognizing the individuality of this technique. Twelve participants were interviewed separately in a one-on-one setting using Zoom. Each initial interview was about 45 minutes, and each second interview was approximately 60 minutes. The third interview was a follow-up interview that occurred via email to gain extra information or clarity about their responses during the first two interviews. There was one main research question: What is the lived experience of music professionals using mental practice? And five sub-questions: (1) How do participants define MP? (2) What are the MP strategies experienced by professional musicians? (3) How do participants who use MP describe the benefits/difficulties? (4) How/from whom did the participants learn to use the technique, and how did they teach others? (5) Do the participants also use MP in other aspects of their lives? After my analysis, I found six themes: (1) Personal Realization of MP during School Time, (2) Collective Strategies for MP, (3) Personal Beliefs of MP, (4) The Need for MP, (5) Strategies for Implementing MP, and (6) Benefits Related to MP. These findings suggest that MP is effective and positive in music because it can be easily accessed as, for example, in a hotel room or on an airplane, and it is a transferable skill for other situations in life once learned properly. Participants emphasized the importance of teachers in presenting and teaching the technique, which is essential for student development with MP. They also indicated their beliefs that MP allowed them to feel more calm, confident, less anxious, and with a better provided mental health.
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Ph. D.