ABSTRACT
“Authoritative instruction” has negative connotations for scholars and practitioners of music studio teaching, and often the twin terms authority and instruction are associated with their close relatives—the first with authoritarianism and the second with teacher-centeredness. At the same time, however, authority has been described as an essential resource for studio teachers, and professional sources have described direct instruction as the method of choice for the cultivation of musical skill. It seems ironic therefore that neither authority nor direct instruction has been salient in the research literature focused on studio teaching. The aim of this chapter is to explore authoritative instruction from several perspectives. The first, theoretical perspective characterizes authoritative instruction, in general terms and in relation to studio teaching; the second, empirical perspective draws on two recent case studies investigating authoritative instruction in the music studio, through a microethnographic examination of undergraduate lesson observations. In the spirit of the book as a whole, which seeks to connect scholarship and research with the professional concerns of studio practitioners, the final sections offer some practice-oriented reflections, considering the problems associated with authoritative instruction, balancing those against some of the advantages, and concluding with thoughts about how we might interrogate our own studio practices. If both authority and instruction are essential to the fabric of studio teaching, the most fruitful way to investigate them may be to ask not whether but how and when they are appropriate. A more nuanced understanding of authoritative instruction may help us to identify its limits and dangers, while appreciating and optimizing its benefits.
