ABSTRACT

One of the common themes in standard educational psychology is metacognition (Woolfolk, 2004). Those familiar with metacognition often describe it as “thinking about thinking.” A skill, such as decoding words on a page, becomes automatic as the unconscious mind takes over the experience or performance of that task. The conscious is thus left to engage in a second degree of discursive processing. If musicians are technically proficient, for example, they can put the majority of their thought effort into the expression and delivery of the performance. The higher order of conscious thought in metacognition allows for deeper and greater control over one’s mental activity.