Playing With the Past: An Autoethnography

Abstract

What does it take to become an elite professional performer in the culture of Western Classical music? Successful performers often begin lessons at an extremely early age, and many hours of childhood are given over to practice. The research reveals how an autoethnographic exploration through music, improvisation, composition, and somatic movement enabled the documentation and creation of a new work of artistic expression. This article presents how the research model provided the artist with a range of insights and discoveries that would have otherwise remained uncovered, highlighting the impact and value of autoethnography in producing new knowledge in the field of classical music education.