Centre for Jazz Studies UK

IMP: comparative studies in advanced musical learning (funded by ERSC)

The Investigating Musical Performance (IMP): Comparative Studies in Advanced Musical Learning research project is a two year comparative study of advanced musical performance.

It was devised to investigate how classical, popular, jazz and Scottish traditional musicians deepen and develop their learning about performance in undergraduate, postgraduate and wider music community contexts. The project is conceived as a multi-site, multi-methods research project that draws equally on the strengths and expertise of the four higher education partners (the Institute of Education, University of London; University of York; Leeds College of Music; and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow).

Dr Christophe de Bezenac, IMP Research Officer is responsible for facilitating the project at Leeds College of Music.

Included in the research methodology is a specially-devised questionnaire, linked electronically to a 624 field database, that will provide a comprehensive, short-term, longitudinal comparison of participants’ (n= 250+) backgrounds, attitudes and approaches to advanced performance learning over a twelve month period. This data will be complimented by interviews, individual case studies, focus groups and digital video analyses of studio-based instrumental lessons.