David Hargreaves & Alexandra Lamont (2017)

Available at:  https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107281868

Paperback RRP:  £36.99

Kindle:  £29.59

RCS access:  eBook

(Can anyone suggest book retailers other than Amazon that I can link to??)

This book is incredible…  There’s zero filler; just 9 chapters of solid facts, info, and critique.

       Preface

1. Introduction
2. Musical Development:  Theoretical Models, Approaches, and Issues
3. Cognition, Perception, and Learning
4. Social Development
5. Environmental Influences on Ability, Achievement, and Motivation
6. Identity, Personality, and Lifestyle
7. Affect and Emotion
8. Wellbeing and Health
9. Afterword

I find the 2nd chapter the most impressive: an overview of how the psychology of musical development has unravelled up until now, and how it’s continuing forward.

They cover both how we develop as musicians and how music plays a part in the development of all humans.

My only (tiny) quibble is that there are occasional typos / minor errors with the citations vs references.

I wouldn’t use this as an introductory text because it gives thorough details rather than superficial overviews.  But if there’s an area you want comprehensive info on, this is your book.

The blurb from the book itself says:

The Psychology of Musical Development provides an up-to-date and comprehensive account of the latest theory, empirical research and applications in the study of musical development, an important and emerging field of musical psychology.  After considering how people now engage with music in the digital world, and reviewing current advances in developmental and music psychology, Hargreaves and Lamont compare ten major theoretical approaches in this field – including cognitive stage models and neuroscientific, ecological and social cognitive approaches – and assess how successfully each of these deals with five critical theoretical issues.  Individual chapters deal next with cognition, perception and learning; social development; environmental influences on ability, achievement and motivation; identity, personality and lifestyle; affect and emotion; and wellbeing and health.  With an emphasis on practical applications throughout, this book will be essential reading for students and scholars of music psychology, developmental psychology, music education and music therapy.