Callaway Centre Research Seminar

Callaway Centre Research Seminar Series

The Conservatorium of Music is a vibrant centre for research in music and music education, where a thriving community of scholars is engaged in exploring the frontiers of knowledge, working on a wide range of research projects with diverse outputs.

Our free weekly seminar series showcases presenters from within UWA and from the wider community.

Michael Battersby: Lecture Recital | Making sense of performance behaviours: How a jazz musician employed self-determination theory to explore the underlying motivations of their musical journey

Abstract: This research uses a motivational psychological paradigm to explain the performance behaviours of a professional jazz musician. Drawing from the tenets of self-determination theory (SDT), (Deci and Ryan, 2002), I investigate:

i) how psychological needs act as motivational agents in a career musician’s life ;
ii) the impact of met and unmet needs on my musical career direction, satisfaction, stress, motivation and sense of well-being.

An autoethnographic study was employed to provide a longitudinal narrative and exposition of 40 years of performance experiences. The research includes reflective practice, storytelling methods and detailed annotation of vignettes from my most memorable musical experiences. The study utilised analytic coding techniques to consider ways in which performance behaviours and environments were approached and modified to satisfy the three basic psychological needs of competence, relatedness and autonomy.
Each of the elements in this multi-modal research project provides an authentic rendering of a performer’s perspectives on their musical career. The artist thereby elicits a renewed sense of meaning and insight regarding their artistic choices and pathways.

Bio: Michael Battersby is a performer (jazz vocalist and pianist), educator and pastor. After many years in both pastoral ministry and the entertainment industry, he now focuses his efforts towards raising up the next generation of musicians and singers through his work as Director of Music at The King’s College. Michael and Sarah Brittenden also lead the UWA Staff Community Choir.

He presents this lecture recital as part of the requirements of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. 

Please note that as this lecture is being recorded for examination, late-comers will not be admitted.

Free entry - no bookings required

Contact details: [email protected]