Lucy Green: How popular musicians learn

Focusing on guitar-based rock and popular music, Green (Institute of Education, U. of London, UK) explores how musicians go about acquiring the skills necessary to play their instrument at a professional level. Based on interviews with 14 popular musicians, her study explores how they progressed from their first contact with an instrument. She discusses learning styles in informal and formal settings. She compares and contrasts the two and examines whether certain methods found in informal settings can be transferred to formal institutions.