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Abstract

While the link between practice in general and flow in musical performance has been previously established, little research has been conducted on the specific practice behaviours of pianists. This study examined the practice behaviours of adolescent and young-adult classical pianists at professional or near-professional performance level through the lens of Mihali Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory and the theory of deliberate practice proposed by K. Anders Ericsson, Ralf T. Krampe, and Clemens Tesch-Römer. Through semi-structured interviews conducted over Zoom, seven pianists between the ages of 14 and 22 were interviewed about their practice habits and performance preparation behaviours. Additionally, four of the participating students’ current teachers and one past teacher common to all participating students were interviewed to compile a list of terms used to reference specific practice behaviours across participating pianists. A list of practice methods used commonly by participants in this study was compiled, and participants’ other practice behaviours were categorized into practice approaches and performance preparation techniques. Although the link between deliberate practice and flow has been previously established by researchers including Eduardo Passarotto et al., this study reaffirms the connection between the two, providing insights into specific ways classical pianists engage in deliberate practice—using practice methods, practice approaches, and performance preparation techniques—to achieve optimal performance on stage and help elicit flow experiences.