Assessing Music Performance: Issues and Influences

Assessing musical performance is common across many types of music education practice, yet research clarifying the range of factors which impact on a judge's assessment is relatively scarce. This article attempts to provide focus to the current literature, by proposing a process model of assessing musical performance that identifies some of the main elements that affect a judge's assessment in formal performance settings such as competitions, auditions, recitals, Eisteddfods and graded examinations. The article includes a review of the literature according to the categories defined in the model and suggestions which are intended to form the basis for further research in the area.