Abstract
This book sets out to examine the nature and importance of “aural” particularly for the university music undergraduate, combining a literature review (Chapters 1–4) and four empirical research projects (Chapters 5–9) to address this topic. In unpacking the meaning of “aural”, Wright gives emphasis to inner musical thought processes; he sees these as forming the basis both of “aural ability”, an integral component of musical ability, and of “aural skills”, specific competencies that can be seen as “evidence” of aural ability. “Aural” thus encompasses aspects both of inner processing, which may progress both deliberately and automatically, and of external application, which derives from attentive listening and responding to music and its elements. The author proposes a diagram which synopsises these aspects and identifies five phases of aural processing: passive hearing; active listening; assimilating and interpreting; accessing; and, practising and developing. Pedagogical literature on “aural training” typically treats the subject in applicational terms, despite repeated calls for the need of pedagogical approaches to be informed by psychological principles (e.g. Butler & Lochstampfor, 1993; Karpinski, 2000; Klonoski, 2000; Musumeci, 2000). Wright’s diagram, encapsulating understandings of “aural” in terms both of music psychological operations and of practical/educational applications, offers a useful tool in bridging these different perspectives on “aural” and organizing its understanding into one continuous function.
Stemming from Wright’s wide definition of “aural” as described in the previous paragraph, the exploration of its various components, undertaken in Chapters 2 through to 4, is of necessity wide: it encompasses a number of different topics, pertaining to psychological, pedagogical and historical aspects of “aural”. These include the many uses of inner hearing; various types of musical imagery; the nature of musical ability (inherent versus learnable); the importance of motivation for music learning and particularly for the developing of aural skills; the role of singing in developing the “inner ear” and musicianship; uses of information technology in relevant courses; the operations of musical memory within activities such as improvisation, playing by ear and sight-reading; issues pertaining to possessing absolute versus relative pitch; and the relationship between music and language processing. Other subjects discussed include the historical development of British music education and the resulting socio-cultural contexts or “aural” teaching, the relationship between aural ability and musical notation, as well as the highly problematic character of aural skills assessment, resulting in tension between assessability and relevance.
Treatment of all these topics in the course of only three chapters means that certain separate issues which are in themselves complex but also critical, such as the benefits versus the possible detriment to aural ability of learning notation early, are only mentioned in passing. In other cases, discussion of a topic may lead to a distinct contribution to the relevant field. For example, in discussing assessment, Wright suggests an alternative system to the standard written and sung format, one which will involve a combination of notated, practical (through singing, conducting and playing) and verbal responses. As assessment seems to be of one of the most intricate and open-ended issues pertaining to aural development within formal music education, this proposal seems well worth investigating further.
Although all discussed topics have a direct bearing on aural ability and aural skills, there is perhaps a sense that, as the literature review section is brought to completion, these could be more effectively woven back together. Certainly however, the wide spectrum of relevant topics included in Wright’s discussion of “aural” highlights for the reader the highly complex nature, and the crucial importance for the musician, of aural ability and its varied applications in numerous musical skills. Indeed the author repeatedly underlines the centrality of “aural” as the psychological operation that underlies a great variety of musical competencies, contending that “aural ability and associated skills lie at the heart of musical practice at every level”, thus “without their perseverance from early stages to a level of proficiency, the pursuit of music to the point of expertise would not be possible” (p. 100). At the same time, he notes the growing neglect of “ear training” and even discontinuation of relevant classes in UK universities. To address this tension, Wright presents four empirical studies which explore different possible understandings and the perceived relevance of “aural” within the university and the professional arenas.
More specifically, the studies (Chapters 5–9) examine the correlation between aural ability and overall success in the undergraduate music-degree programme, music students’ perspectives on aural and its significance, as well as professional musicians’ views on the importance of aural skills for achieving fulfilling musical careers. As with the theoretical section, the breadth of the research means that the data material presented is rich and varied: it mixes together definitions of “aural”, attitudes towards aural skills and related issues (e.g. genre differences; learnability; role of singing, keyboard skills, notation, and assessment; and, importance of playing by ear and improvisation), and factual information about students’ grades and the personal profiles of musician participants. Although this diverse material demands sustained attention from the reader, Wright draws some central conclusions which are significant for the ongoing discussion on “aural”. Some of these confirm recurring themes in the literature, such as the negative attitude of some students towards aural skills training (cf. McNeil, 2000; Pratt & Henson, 1998; Reitan, 2009), the central role that emphasis on assessment and fear of examinations appears to play in this negativity, and the question of whether current types of assessment are efficient (cf. McNeil, 2000). Others offer a fresh insight into how aural ability and aural skills are perceived by musicians of different levels. For example, Wright notes how students, and especially professional musicians participating in his research, consistently attributed high importance to “aural skills” as the vital foundations supporting a wide range of musical activities and roles; at the same time, there was a great variety of understandings as to exactly what this term signifies, uncertainty about how such skills can best be trained and assessed, and unwillingness on the part of students to practise them explicitly within specially designated modules at tertiary level. These apparent contradictions comprise perhaps one of the most striking elements emerging from Wright’s empirical research, highlighting the need for, and value of continuing to pursue answers to the persistent question of how aural development can best be supported at tertiary level. Although Wright leaves the questions of the need for separate “training” and of appropriate methods open, he stresses the importance of nurturing aural skills at earlier stages of learning, and summarizes recommendations for effective contemporary methods of instruction.
This book is prompted by “an underlying personal anxiety” (p. 320) on the part of the author that music students are adequately prepared for their studies and later professional work, since it is the author’s belief, born of his personal experience, that a good musical ear is learnable, underpins all musical activity and is vital in the professional life. Noting a gap in the literature regarding “the manner in which aural skills relate specifically to . . . professional work” (p. 265), Wright succeeds in highlighting the permeating role of aural ability and aural skills in all types of musical activity, and the essentiality of fostering these “as a prerequisite for a fulfilling career as a musician” (p. 309). The question of whether and how such fostering should and could effectively take place within formal music education, and particularly Higher Education, remains the subject of an ongoing dialogue, to which this book makes a valuable contribution.