Teaching class-based music performance at tertiary level : focusing theory on practice

This paper emerges from class-based music performance teaching undertaken at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) where music performance lectures play a substantial role in the teaching delivery and student learning process of what is essentially a practice-based activity. Lectures across six levels of music performance include guest talks by practitioners, lectures illustrating different aspects of performance including improvising, electro-acoustic music and Australian repertoire, topics drawn from music psychology and social psychology, plus musicological topics on performance including historical, cultural, popular music, analytical, ethno-musicological and philosophical approaches. All lectures are designed to be applicable to some aspect of the music student performer's practice.