Relation of Psychology to Music

that is, if it is first a conception of the soul, then it follows that the study of music has to do primarily with the operations of the soul. Hence music study must begin with the study of mind. All foun- dational work, for example, in piano study, resolves itself essentially into an analysis of those initial mental states which give rise to the various finger movements in technique as well as to the higher things of expression and interpretation. If the history of a given piece of music from its origin in the mind of the composer through all its stages of elaboration to its execution and interpretation by some master artist could be fully written, we should find that such a history is simply a series of correlated mental processes. In matters of technique it is an observed fact that accurate and rapid finger movements can be acquired best by focusing the attention upon the position and condition of the different organs concerned. It is in reality the brain that plays, and not the fingers simply. The rapid and intricate finger movements of the skilful virtuoso are nothing else than brain action originated and directed by thought, and rendered EXPRESSION AND MIND. 2J automatic by habit. The study of technique is thus fundamentally a study of brain and of thought processes. Consequently, if our methods of studying and teaching the piano are to be rational and normal, they must begin with the study of mind. Again, expression in playing is manifestly only the ...