"Practice makes perfect!" : A survey study of musical practice of vocal students in upper secondary school

Abstract: Vocal teachers’ task is to give students a foundation for their personal practice. When the student leaves the classroom, it is their responsibility to direct their own learning. This essay examines vocal students from upper secondary school's perspective about their personal vocal practice and their practice in relation to the support and help from their vocal teachers. Five schools were contacted where a total of 120 students had access to an online survey via email, to which 56 students responded. The variables in the survey were partially analyzed and processed in the software SPSS. In this study, it was clear that students have a positive attitude towards their personal practice and generally have good practice habits. The student’s level of motivation plays a role in the number of hours that are devoted to practice and having goals with one’s practice, such as vocal lessons, are important for practice motivation, as lessons are occasions where students are assessed. The vocal teacher is important for the student's continued development but not in relation to the student’s weekly practice hours.