The purpose of this study was to determine which of the following variables best predict the performance achievement of young piano students ranging from ages 8-13: (a) self-assessment from recall immediately following a live piano performance (recall group), (b) self-assessment while watching a video recording immediately following a live piano performance (video group), (c) age, (d) gender, and (e) years of piano study. Participants (N = 184) were piano students from Iowa and Oklahoma, ranging in age from eight to thirteen who were divided into a recall group (n = 92) and a video group (n = 92). During the 2015-2016 academic year, student participants and a panel of experts completed assessments on the researcher designed Bronson Piano Performance Achievement Rubric (BPPAR). The BPPAR included the following criteria: (a) notes, (b) rhythm and timing, (c) articulation, (d) dynamics, and (e) style and mood.
Results of the simultaneous multiple regression analyses indicated the variable of self-assessment (p < .001) was found to be a statistically significant predictor of piano performance achievement within both the recall and video groups. Furthermore, gender (p < .05) was found to be a statistically significant predictor of piano performance achievement within the video group.
The findings of this study contribute to the current music education literature by (a) providing young pianists, piano teachers, and future researchers with a rubric that effectively measures piano performance achievement, (b) supporting the inclusion of self-assessment practices within private piano studios, and (c) supporting the practice of video recording musical performances to more accurately self-assess performance achievement.