Opus (May 2013)
Motivation for the Study of Music Based on the Interactionist Theories of Piaget
Abstract
This article investigates the psychology of education and psychology of music through the study of the motivation for music learning. The theoretical framework is based on certain points of the interactionist theory of Jean Piaget. The main objective was to analyze in which way family and members of the school environment motivate the study of music. A case study of two individuals--a student and a professional musician--was conducted by interviewing them on the affective issues in social relations during the musical training process. The findings shed light on the role of the mother and father as the main motivators for learning music. In the absence of such family support, the student can be motivated at school since teachers or classmates may represent or symbolize the family figure. In this way, the study and mastering of music may be motivated by means of creating social ties.
