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Copyright

Olja Jovanović; Ana Altaras Dimitrijević; Dejana Mutavdžin; Blanka Bogunović;

Published On

2024-06-20

Page Range

pp. 281–304

Language

  • English

Print Length

24 pages

13. The Lived Experience of Radical Acceleration in the Biographical Narratives of Exceptionally Gifted Adult Musicians

Chapter of: Psychological Perspectives on Musical Experiences and Skills: Research in the Western Balkans and Western Europe(pp. 281–304)
Although acceleration is fairly common in the education of musically gifted individuals, it has not been studied as much in this population as in the academically gifted. Little is known about the effects and experience of acceleration from the perspective of the musically gifted adult. Seeking to address this gap in the literature, this chapter explores the lived experience of acceleration of four adult musicians, all of whom (a) originated from Serbia, (b) were judged as exceptionally musically gifted in childhood and (c) underwent radical acceleration, eventually entering the music conservatory three or more years ahead of their study cohort. Conducting semi-structured interviews and employing interpretative phenomenological analysis, we uncover how these individuals experienced two critical developmental transitions―deciding to study music at the university level and starting a career as a professional musician―given that they made these transitions at a very young age. We learn that rather than being merely an ‘educational intervention’, radical acceleration has shaped numerous aspects of our participants’ lives, not limited to their professional careers and artistry, but also affecting their social, emotional and identity development.

Contributors

Olja Jovanović Milanović

(author)
Assistant Professor at University of Belgrade
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8860-6717

Olja Jovanović, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Belgrade, where she teaches courses in educational psychology. Her research and publications focus on the role of education systems in the educational and life trajectories of children and youth requiring additional support. Engaging in diverse contexts and settings has granted her extensive experience in educational research, particularly concerning the implications of this research for social and educational practices.

Ana Altaras Dimitrijević

(author)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8190-0187

Ana Altaras Dimitrijević, PhD, is a Full Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Belgrade. Her teaching and research cover topics from educational and differential psychology, with a special focus on giftedness, emotional intelligence, and cognitive assessment. From 2010 onwards she has repeatedly served as expert consultant in state-initiated projects on gifted education and has supported the implementation of individualised instruction for gifted students in Serbian schools.

Dejana Mutavdžin

(author)
Teaching Assistant at University of Arts in Belgrade
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1824-2943

Dejana Mutavdžin is a PhD psychology candidate at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, where she has completed her BA and MA studies. She is affiliated as a Teaching Assistant of Psychology at the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade. Her research interest is the relationship between different types of abilities, emotional inteligence, giftedness in non-academic domains, and opportunities for their acknowledgement in the educational process. She is a member of the Regional Network Psychology and Music (RNPaM).

Blanka Bogunović

(author)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9235-8389
https://www.fmu.bg.ac.rs/en/

Blanka Bogunović holds a PhD in psychology and a BA in music performance (Flute). She is affiliated as a Full Professor of Psychology and Education Science at the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade and is a guest lecturer at the Department of Psychology, University of Belgrade and Music Academy, University of Sarajevo. Her research interests are the motivation and personality of the musically gifted; specialist music education; music performance skills and expertise; and creative processes in making music. She is (co)author of five books and many articles and chapters related to her research interests. She is an ESCOM EC member, ESCOM representative for Serbia, originator of the PAM-IE Conference, and co-founder and coordinator of the Regional Network Psychology and Music (RNPaM).