Research and research education in music – disciplinary or interdisciplinary approach?

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to contribute to a discussion about the future of research and research education in music. The multiple existing traditions of music research constitute a rich resource. Increasingly however, similar topics are researched from different angles, often with watertight bulkheads between such various music disciplines as, e.g. music education, musicology, music therapy and performance studies. Music is a common denominator in these disciplines and interdisciplinarity could inform the various ways that music today is practiced, communicated and researched. Examples from interdisciplinary music studies will be highlighted in the article, particularly with regard to the advantages and challenges of interdisciplinary approaches to research education in music. Basic issues are discussed and characteristics of some research fields are illuminated, with the purpose of addressing trends in research education within music.