Expert Memory

Longitudinal Case Studies of Memorization for Performance

Performances by concert soloists are typically from memory, but there is little agreement between them about how music can be most reliably and efficiently memorized. This project examines musicians' memorization of new works by combining self-reports and objective records of what they do in practice and performance, providing a window into their problem solving strategies.

Results suggest that performers access mental maps of pieces as they perform, which tell them where they are and what comes next. These are bolstered by musical landmarks, or performance cues, that are hierarchically organized by sections and subsections of the music. Musicians attend to these performance cues to ensure that the performance unfolds as planned.

Performance cues themselves are established by thinking of particular features of the music during practice, so that they later come to mind automatically. Cues help performers monitor and control the rapid, automatic actions of playing, while adjusting to the needs of the moment.

For further information, including details of published reports, navigate via the right-hand menu, visit the website of the University of Connecticut's Music Psychology Lab, or email Roger Chaffin (roger.chaffin@uconn.edu) or Tânia Lisboa (tlisboa@rcm.ac.uk).