Research, A Tool for Training Broad Minded Musical Students : Training by Research at the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music

Abstract

The research process has played an essential role in the development of new styles and aesthetics throughout music history in the West. I demonstrate here that what we now call “classical music” evolved following the template that philosopher Thomas Kuhn describes for scientific research; namely that music evolves through a series of disruptions, from one paradigm to another. In recent years, many music professionals working in the domain of higher education have identified Artistic Research as a potentially fruitful avenue for development, and research-based learning is now being implemented in many conservatories at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Following an overview of the historical importance of the research process within Western musical culture, I discuss the place of music research within higher music education today and specifically the roles that research has played in the development of the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (PGVIM) since its foundation.