Extending flow further: Narrative of a Filipino musician

International Journal ofMusic Education

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DOI: 10.1177/0255761415590366ijm.sagepub.com

Extending flow further: Narrative of a Filipino musician

Rhoda Myra Garces-BacsalNational Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

AbstractThis paper is a preliminary attempt to describe how flow was experienced by an eminent singer-songwriter from the Philippines. Csikszentmihalyi (1990, 1996) has written extensively about the elements of the flow state among creative people and its contributions to positive psychology and optimal level of functioning. Through multiple in-depth interviews (nine hours and 45 minutes of conversation) conducted with the artist-collaborator, it was evident that while flow was indeed experienced and keenly felt, there were cross-cultural variations and nuances that made the experience distinct. This paper explores how the concept of flow can be extended further to reflect the realities of an artist coming from a different sociocultural background. The implications of the research findings for educators and practitioners are discussed.

KeywordsFilipino musician, flow, peak experience

Background of the study and literature review

Csikszentmihalyi started investigating creativity and the arts as early as 1965. He elaborated on this further by exploring the psychology of optimal experience (1982), which he later called flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, 1996). Other theorists have used different terminology to refer to the same state of being “in the zone”—with Maslow (1968, 1971) referring to it as “peak experience” and Piirto (2004) describing this state as the “thorn” that compelled creative people to engage in their art form. Reynolds and Piirto (2007) have described it as both a joy and burden since it pricks and prods the individual until they devote time, attention, and energies to it. Piirto (2004) also went on to note that while Csikszentmihalyi called it “flow”, Jung (1965) referred to it as the passion that engrosses while Hillman (1996) described it as the daimon in creative lives.

Csikszentmihalyi (1990, 1996) aimed to demystify the concept by defining flow as the tenuous yet achievable balance between an individual’s skills and the challenges they faced in their

Corresponding author:Rhoda Myra Garces-Bacsal, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Singapore. Email: [email protected]

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particular art form. There were clear elements to the flow state: (1) clarity of goals and the presence of immediate feedback that informed the artist how well he or she was doing; (2) presence of chal-lenges that matched the personal skills of the individual; (3) merging of action and awareness; (4) absolute focus and concentration on the task at hand; (5) a sense of potential control; (6) loss of self-consciousness and (7) altered sense of time. When most of these seven dimensions were pre-sent in consciousness, the activity undertaken was said to become autotelic, or worth doing for its own sake, as it provided unparalleled enjoyment also known as peak experience.

“Peak experiences” among musicians

In Boyd’s study (1992) of 75 contemporary musicians and their creative process, she did not use Csikszentmihalyi’s “flow” concept, although most of her interview respondents used the term flow (pp. 161, 168) as they described their “peak experiences”, the latter being defined by Maslow as:

… a loss of self or of ego, or sometimes as a transcendence of self…There is universally reported a seeing of formerly hidden truth, a revelation in the strict sense, a stripping away of veils, and finally, almost always, the whole experience is experienced as bliss, ecstasy, rapture, exaltation. (Maslow, 1971, p. 62)

Macdonald, Byrne, and Carlton (2006), on the other hand, used the term flow as they investigated the links between flow, the social and psychological factors that influenced musical creativity, and the quality of compositions produced by 45 first-year music undergraduate students at a Scottish university (also in Byrne, MacDonald, & Calrton, 2003). Research results indicated that increased levels of flow were related to increased levels of creativity among the music students.

O’Neill’s (1999) study adopted flow theory as she investigated the flow experiences among three groups of 12–16-year-old young musicians who were attending two different schools in northern England. Results from administering the Experience Sampling Method to these 60 stu-dents indicated that high achievers at a music school and students at a non-specialist school reported more “flow” experience when they practiced their music as compared to the moderate achievers at the music school. The implications for music educators included the usefulness of incorporating Csikszentmihalyi’s (1993, 1996) flow paradigm into a music school environment.

Gap in the literature

While there appear to be universals in terms of musical acuity, appreciation, and music-making, Elliott (2005) has pointed out that musical works should be perceived as “artistic-cultural construc-tions, and our personal acts of music listening involve complex cognitive-affective construction processes that also operate in relation to our sociocultural beliefs” (p. 8). More than ever, there is an increasing realization of the need to explore these variations in and manifestations of musical development and experience—particularly through research in music education (Barrett, 2011).

Despite the fact that there have been a number of research studies on flow, literature on optimal experience as it is seen among artists in the Southeast-Asian context is scant and has yet to be investigated and explored (Garces-Bacsal, 2014). This paper attempts to address this gap in the literature and seeks to determine how flow could be extended to a different sociocultural context within the musical domain, specifically: would the same conditions apply? Would the same ele-ments of flow be seen?

This study highlights the experience of a respected and highly-esteemed Filipino musician whose musical background departs from the Western classical music tradition and who comes from a different sociocultural environment from those studied by Csikszentmihalyi (1993, 1996). This



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becomes significant given the fact that there are an estimated 8.6 million Filipinos now based overseas—approximately four million are permanent migrants, another four million are temporary migrants (Commission on Filipinos Overseas, 2013) whose young children are subsequently enrolled in foreign schools. This does not include undocumented cases or those who are in contrac-tual work in other countries. There are also outstanding Filipino musicians who are internationally recognized and respected for their talents yet there is limited systematic empirical research con-ducted to document their pathways to eminence and musical recognition. Given that very little is known about the development of musicians from a non-Western cultural environment, findings from this study may be of interest to music educators, practitioners, and education researchers.

Description of the artist-collaborator

Noel Cabangon was initially known and recognized as a protest singer. He performs regularly in small bars and restaurants frequented by academics, intellectuals, journalists, and people from non-governmental organizations who share his advocacies. His music albums consist of songs that speak about human rights, environmental issues, and sociopolitical struggles. He is likewise considered as one of the most respected and highly influential mentors in Philippine songwriting (Madrazo-Sta. Romana, 2012). He has been invited to participate in nationally-organized workshops on songwriting.

He has also received a great deal of recognition for his music. Currently, he is the President of the Filipino Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers (effective 2011). Noel has also been nominated as a recipient of the ToFIL Award—The Outstanding Filipino Award for 2011. One of his greatest achievements and one of the key pivotal moments of his musical career is his perfor-mance during the inauguration of the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III in June 2010, where he was invited to sing a number of songs. This was also one of the reasons that Noel was chosen as the artist-collaborator in this research project.

Noel Cabangon has provided full informed consent for the project. He has also co-presented the research findings at two international music conferences (Garces-Bacsal, Hernandez, & Cabangon, 2010, 2012) further demonstrating his active role as collaborator in the project.

Methodology

The research results reported here were part of a bigger project entitled “Semantics and Soul in Filipino Music”. The objectives of this paper were to answer the following questions: (1) How is flow experienced by Noel Cabangon, the artist-collaborator? (2) What are the similarities and dif-ferences with his experiences of flow as compared to those found in the literature?

Narrative interviews

The narrative form of questioning employed in the research was very similar to Csikszentmihalyi’s (1996) description of his interview process which was “as close to a natural conversation as pos-sible” (p. 16). Csikszentmihalyi further elucidated that: “it would be insulting, and therefore coun-terproductive, to force these respondents to answer a mechanically structured set of questions. Because I hope to get genuine and reflective answers, I let the exchanges develop around the themes I was interested in, instead of forcing them into a mold” (p. 16) leading to a “rich” and “comprehensive” interview transcript (p. 16).

While retrospective studies are prone to limitation, including self-report bias, and truthfulness and reliability issues (Sloboda & Howe, 1991), narratives from eminent creative adults can provide some insight into how we nurture young artists at present (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996).




Data analysis

Narrative interviews consisted of nine hours and 45 minutes in total across ten separate interview sessions. The predominant language used during the interview was Tagalog, although Noel also expressed himself in English. The data were coded using Glaser’s emergent theory approach and the systematic approach in the qualitative framework (Neuman, 2000). While there were certain elements specifically coded in the narrative (elements of the flow state), themes were not prefig-ured but emerged from the data naturally during the conversation. The only coding theme that was determined before the interview was elements of the flow state. Themes of pathways to talent development, family background and early childhood experiences were generated while reading the interview transcripts. For the purpose of this paper, however, only the narratives that pertain to the flow state were specifically highlighted. Special attention was given to Noel’s responses to open-ended questions such as “Describe how you feel when you are performing” as well as to his descriptions of his musical experiences: how he feels as he composes his music and how he devel-oped his musical skills.

Open coding was initially used to scan the data for elements of the flow state before eventually moving into axial coding whereby the themes became more evident. NVivo 9.0, a software for qualitative data analysis, was used to track the transition from open coding to subsequent genera-tion of themes related to the flow state. The transcripts were read multiple times to ensure that the emergent themes would be reviewed across all the narratives.

Peer debriefing and member checking were likewise carried out to ensure validity of the research findings. Merrick (1999) has described this as the process of formally and informally checking the accuracy of the interpretation of the researcher as perceived by the participant. For this study, this procedure underwent two different phases. The first phase consisted of sending the interview tran-scripts to Noel for validation before an analysis was conducted. The second phase consisted of sharing the themes that had been generated as a result of open coding and the emergent hierarchy of themes. There were certain sections that had been discussed extensively with Noel and changes were made accordingly after a thorough investigation of the patterns and themes. The English translation of the interview quotes for this paper were sent to Noel for validation to check whether the nuances in language had been captured. An independent researcher who is familiar with quali-tative research, currently finishing his PhD in the social sciences and who has also conducted research studies in Filipino music, collaboratively checked all of the interview transcripts for fur-ther validation of the themes generated. There was only very minor disagreement regarding the generated themes and consensus was reached after subsequent dialogues and discussion.

Another strategy used to increase the likelihood of obtaining credible findings and interpreta-tions was prolonged engagement in the field (Merrick, 1999). Before the study was initiated, I had known Noel for a period of 13 years, having watched him perform live in various venues. What also made this study unique was that it can be likened to what is called the “moral epistemology of knowing subjects” (Gunzenhauser, 2006, p. 621) through an immersion in Noel’s music and per-formance over many years. This relational knowing of research participants is perceived to be instrumental in developing a closer and deeper engagement of the researcher and the artist within the research context (Gunzenhauser, 2006).

Results

This section is divided into two major themes to answer the research questions. The first theme refers to Noel’s experience of flow. Subthemes that were connected to the elements of flow as defined by Csikszentmihalyi (1996) have been teased out of the interview transcripts. These



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elements have been merged together for a more cohesive presentation. The second major theme relates to how Noel’s experience of flow was different from or similar to what was found in the literature with two emergent subthemes: (1) self-imposed challenges and (2) significance of the other.

Noel’s experience of flow

Clarity of goals and the presence of challenges. In this section, Noel talked about how he would set his own goals to improve his skills in singing and songwriting, in the absence of a formal mentor who could set certain leveled musical activities for him to accomplish. He would set his own chal-lenges and would come up with his own indicators of progress. Noel also recalled that he learned to play the guitar because of his desire to know more about the instrument.

I was ten years old when I learned how to play the guitar. I was really challenged to learn because I had a female classmate who also played the guitar. And she was good. So it was like a competition.

Noel recalled that he would listen to songs and follow the melodies on his borrowed guitar, indicat-ing that he learned by ear rather than through musical notation.

I listened to the songs and then transcribed them myself—the chords, even the lyrics. The lyrics, I recalled, were sometimes wrong then, because at the time there was no internet. No free download of lyrics. What we had then was a vinyl record player, so I played the songs over and over again, until the records got scratched. Vinyl records had no pause button at the time, so I raised the needle, then wrote down the lyrics and the chords.

Noel also shared that he would often be asked to sing during the drinking sessions of the older people in the community. He would be asked to sing and play the guitar on demand. In hindsight, he recognized that these sessions were his early performance “training” and served as good oppor-tunities for him to rehearse and practice his craft.

I am only realizing now that these were venues for me to improve my performance and it was my “stage” at the time.

He also shared that he would often be part of within-school choir competitions in secondary school as well as participate in singing contests during his early college years. Noel also related that he started creating his own songs because of something that his neighbor said that struck him deeply.

I had a neighbor before who was a huge fan of ASIN (local musicians), and he was impressed with a line from their song which says: “it’s such a waste if you’re a musician but unable to create your own music.” So for him, you’re a good musician if you can create your own songs, I was challenged by that. So I started creating my own songs.

He also discussed some of the difficulties that he encountered when he started performing as an entertainer overseas in Sabah Malaysia in the 1980s and in Europe in 2000.

It’s difficult especially if you’re not a famous artist, the challenge is greater. For a star, they just have to stand on stage, and wow. The challenge now is how to draw them to listen to you—it’s really doubled effort—but you just have to be sincere with what you want to do and relax.




When asked about his own indicators of progress, he said:

During that time, one of the indicators that you are a skilled guitarist is if you are able to exactly copy what you listen to—it’s called “plakado”—identical copy of the original song. Another indicator is when I am able to sing an entire song. I listen to the songs and then I transcribe it myself—the chords, even the lyrics.

It was clear as well that one of Noel’s goals was to hone his musical skill, transform it, and make it better.

It’s always the desire to sharpen … To get better … To strive for excellence. Mediocrity is not acceptable, if you consider it art, make it good art. The standards have to be high, artistically and aesthetically.

When Noel was asked to perform during the Philippine Presidential Inauguration, he stated that he perceived this to be the greatest affirmation of his music.

I told myself, this is it! This is my chance! To have all these people around me take an oath. And FVR [Former President Fidel V. Ramos] was there. This is great! This is history! That sealed the deal. That was really the greatest affirmation of my music.

When asked what his goals were as a musician, he noted:

It’s really how I can use my talent to do something more meaningful, because it’s also part of what being an activist gave me: using my talent to promote a better world, a more humane world—it goes with all these principles, all these big ideas that I have embraced as an artist and an activist. It is within the Filipino culture as well … the concept of empowering your neighbor, you want him to be informed about what is going on in society and in the world, and you try to bring this awareness to people through your music and encourage them to do something about it.

External feedback from collaborators and flow-relevant feedback. In this section, Noel highlighted how he valued the feedback that he obtained from his collaborators as he created his own music to further hone his skills as an artist. He also spoke about how immediate feedback was given to him through the actual performance itself, especially when he performed with other musicians in a band.

When you perform as one person, that’s when you know that you have blended and are in-sync, along with all the instruments that you play. And you see that the joy is shared among each and every member of the band. Everyone feels that positive vibe as can be heard in the way you sound: the instrument, the voice, everything blends together as one.

Noel also spoke of how feedback from the audience is keenly felt through their thunderous applause after a performance, indicating that he was able to connect with them on a very personal level.

When they’re really engaged with you, after the performance, it is validated by a strong applause.

There was also external feedback from other artists with whom he collaborated, particularly when he joined the theater.

My artistry, my craft was sharpened when I joined the theater, the way I sing, the way I wrote music, because in theater, I learned about aesthetics—I didn’t know about it then … that really gave me the venue



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to improve my craft … And the theater people since they are also my friends, they really gave me valuable feedback about my work.

A great deal of Noel’s creative energy and motivation is internally driven. He makes it an exercise to always write songs on a regular basis without preliminary judgment as to whether they are good or bad. He spoke about a force that signifies to him that he has created something good.

If it’s not good, you will really feel it, when you listen to it, even the lyrics they’re not fluid, it seems forced. It’s really bad. It’s different when the songs just come to you out of the blue, as if there’s an energy, a force that drives you.

Merging of action and awareness and loss of self-consciousness. Csikszentmihalyi (1993) has described this particular element of flow as a “unified consciousness” (p. 183) whereby one does things spontaneously with little conscious effort.

Noel spoke about the importance of establishing a connection with the audience such that one loses one’s sense of self as it merges with the audience through music. He described it as a singular unified consciousness consisting of a keen sensitivity and awareness of the surroundings and the audience as being merged with one’s musical performance which in turn was also shaped by the audience’s response.

My feeling is that you are able to put on a great performance when you are able to connect with the audience, and you feel that … when you have this connection. You become one with the audience and the song during that performance. That’s the ultimate high … I have developed a wisdom through the years that each time you perform, you should not shortchange your audience, you should always give your best when you perform. When the performer, the song, and the audience become one in that singular experience … that’s where you sense the connection. The artist feels that and the audience feels that also and you hear that in their applause. That’s also how you validate that you’ve connected with the audience … an artist knows that and senses that. It’s a different experience in a larger venue, compared to a smaller venue. With the smaller venue, it’s more intimate, it’s easier to get across. With a larger venue, it’s harder to get across, but once you get them, you will see the reaction from the audience.

Noel mentioned that he also learned from his involvement with theater.

After my involvement in theater, I realized that you have to be able to connect yourself with your audience, even when you have your eyes closed, even the way you perform, the way you sing, the way you strum your guitar, there has to be that dynamics.

Concentration on the task at hand and altered sense of time. Noel shared that he would spend a mini-mum of four hours a day practicing his music: “I was just unmindful of everything”. He even noted that there were times when his fingers would take on a greenish hue from too much practice.

I spent a lot of time practicing, so long as I could borrow the neighbor’s guitar.

He also shared that he was able to focus more in the early morning while everyone else in his family was asleep, as time seemed to have lost its essence during those moments.

I used to wake up early in the morning, when you wake up, your mind is fresh, your eyes are unclouded from the events of the day. It’s like pure imagination and I can immerse myself in that entire process of making music. I also think that it’s important that you really make time for it, sit down, and try to finish




the song. Sometimes, even when you’re not doing the song, you’re just writing it, and you leave it for a while, it’s like you hear something in your head, and you go back and revisit that song, and revise it again. I get my mind focused on it, it doesn’t have to be done in one sitting—but sometimes it really gets into you, until you finish it, and sometimes you really lose track of time.

An autotelic activity that goes beyond the self and sense of euphoria and joy. According to Csikszent-mihalyi (1993), when all of the aforementioned elements were present, the activity became autotelic—worth doing for its own sake. Conversations with Noel revealed that his desire to engage in his music—while originally stemming from his innate love for what he does—was also per-ceived by him as a social responsibility; a calling that goes beyond one’s self.

I love singing in folk houses, I love what I am doing and I really love singing, I love performing … Then I see its value in society. It adds on greater meaning to what I do … When Ninoy Aquino died, you see the fervor of the Filipino people, even in folk houses, when we sing Bayan Ko [Our Nation], people would stand up with clenched fists, then there would be confetti thrown. It was great … The mobilizations were great, it galvanizes the people. And I embraced that kind of principle, the dream of bringing a more democratic government … It’s a call. It’s an action. It’s something that I have to do. A recognition of my responsibility as an artist. Embracing also that idea of bringing a significant change.

This “autotelic activity” was likewise described by Noel as a euphoric sensation when the musi-cal performance itself seemed to galvanize people (both audience and performers) into action.

When I sing in rallies as an activist, the feeling is different. It’s like tomorrow, success is ours. There’s a triumphant feeling! A feeling of “Let’s go, Let’s charge!”

Noel would also frequently invite the audience to sing along with him in most of his songs. When asked why he does this “community singing” in most of his performances, he noted:

I want them to enjoy the same thing that I do … for them to really enjoy the performance and allow them to participate in the joy of making music, and another way of connecting with them, immediately, when you see them respond, then you captured their attention, and there is joy in that.

Divergences of Noel’s experience from the literature on flow

Noel’s description of how he feels when he performs and creates music showed very clear parallels to the elements of the flow state as described in the literature. Yet, there were also aspects that departed from the traditional Western-centric view of flow.

Self-imposed challenges. In the absence of formal training in a music institution, Noel relied largely on an evolving set of challenges that he created for himself and on his own indicators of progress, rather than on a graduated set of skills developed for him by a mentor. In Macdonald et al.’s (2006) study with music undergraduate students from a Scottish university, the authors noted that “musical activities must provide players and composers with continually demanding challenges in such a way as to keep the individual interested, stimulated, and in flow” (p. 295). Interview transcripts with Noel revealed the importance of the learner setting continually evolv-ing challenges through each stage of development. Self-imposed indicators of progress are also necessary. These self-imposed challenges stemmed from Noel’s intrinsic motivation to be a bet-ter musician. He continually imposed high standards on himself, refusing to settle for medioc-rity. For talented people coming from socioeconomically disadvantaged and different cultural



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backgrounds who may lack the resources for formal training and whose musical interests are distinct from the classical tradition, a different pathway to talent development may emerge that also deserves further investigation.

The informal musical education that Noel experienced is likewise evident in the narratives of non-classically-trained American jazz musicians, whereby there was an exposure to musical fami-lies, participation in jam sessions and through access to live performances and recordings that “offered a highly charged creative environment for experimentation” (May, 2005, p. 22). Green (2001) noted that this communal learning was evident among popular musicians who were said to acquire their skills through the actual process of making music, discussion, demonstration, and elaboration.

Significance of the other. Another aspect that also differed markedly from the literature was the strik-ing importance of the other or one’s kapwa, as evident in Noel’s emphasis in connecting with the audience and getting them involved in his performance. He spoke of a oneness with the music and one’s self or with one’s instrument and how it extended to that union with each member of the audi-ence, which then served to transform and move each one into a different state of being.

He noted that while the lyrics to his song Ako ay Isang Mabuting Pilipino [I am a good Filipino Citizen] may appear simple and straightforward, he felt that it spoke clearly about the Filipino culture and the valuing of others or one’s kapwa.

If you see the lyrics and you listen to it, parang simple lang [it seems simple enough]. But if you’re going to analyze it, it’s really cultural—the essence of the song has something to do with changing one’s self as crucial in changing the society. The challenge that I posed in the end of the song asks questions like: how do you fight for the dignity of not just yourself, but of other Filipinos? That’s why the end of the song references that desire to fight for my country’s honor. And this can happen from an ordinary Filipino citizen all the way to the person who’s holding the highest position or having the highest authority in the country … that there is that possibility to exercise that capacity to be a good Filipino citizen … from the simple act of using the pedestrian lane when crossing the street to the act itself of fighting for one’s country and freedom, the dignity and honor of other Filipinos, and not just one’s self.

He also found it important to give voice to the masses and to share the struggles of ordinary Filipino citizens through his music: “to give voice to the voiceless, the disenfranchised, and the silenced”.

The autotelic aspect of finding enjoyment in the art form was likewise more nuanced with the knowledge of doing something significant not just for one’s own pleasure, but also the inner joy that comes from knowing that one’s art is purposeful, socially meaningful and relevant.

Conclusion and recommendations

Maslow’s (1968, 1971) description of the hierarchy of needs (culminating in self-actualization) and peak experiences, as well as Csikszentmihalyi’s (1993, 1996) state of flow, have indicated the cen-trality of the self as the culminating point in one’s transformative state of being. In Filipino culture, the concept of the kapwa is salient—this refers to the union of oneself with others in a shared rather than separate identity (Enriquez, 1982). The value pakikipagkapwa-tao (roughly translated as “establishing good interpersonal relationships”) is believed to be among the most important virtues in Filipino culture, enabling even third-degree levels of kinship to be as close as first-degree ones (Enriquez, 1982). This was also a deeply-felt truth in Noel’s sharing of what he perceived to be the significance of his music-making as he empowered and inspired people to be positive agents of social change. The lyrics of his songs highlighted various social and environmental issues such as




climate change, a call for justice for the desaparecidos (activists and revolutionaries who have dis-appeared and are presumed dead), the valuing of human rights, the daily struggles encountered by working-class Filipinos and those in diaspora, and a connectedness with one’s kapwa or pakikipag-ugnayan [solidarity].

Transcending one’s self: Extending flow furtherOne might say that, as a species, we are addicted to flow. It is that condition that has enabled us to evolve to the point at which we are now, and it is why we may change into even more complex beings in the future. Ideally, we can derive such deeply satisfying experiences from the real challenges of everyday life, from work, from creative expression, from family relationships, and from friendship. If we can’t, then we will continue to invent substitutes such as chemicals or rituals that will project phantasms of flow onto our consciousness. (Csikszentmihalyi, 1993, pp. 198–199)

One may postulate that this need to invent substitutes may also be linked with the notion of flow as tied only to one’s self. While deeply immersed in one’s discipline or art form, it remained sepa-rate from humanity as a whole, apart from the universe and one’s place in it. Conversations with Noel indicated his view of himself as a “social commentator” and he referred to this as his “call-ing”. He believed that his music was a reflection of the stories of the common people whose voices could not be heard in a larger community or social sphere. Hillman (1996) has also made reference to the importance of heeding such a call:

For centuries we have searched for the right term for this ‘call.’ The Romans named it your genius; the Greeks, your daimon; and the Christians your guardian angel. The Romantics, like Keats, said the call came from the heart, and Michelangelo’s intuitive eye saw an image in the heart of the person he was sculpting … Among the people we refer to as Eskimos and others who follow shamanistic practices, it is your spirit, your free-soul, your animal-soul, your breath-soul. (Hillman, 1996, p. 9)

While there was an autotelic state of being as Noel flowed with his music, there was also that deep communion with others as one perceived one’s place in the cosmos and a social responsibility that went beyond moral obligations, but one that was internally driven and desired for its own sake. There was a sense of purpose that went beyond a satisfaction of one’s own individual pursuits.

Implications for music education

Conversations with Noel revealed the importance of the learner setting continually evolving chal-lenges, and creating their own indicators of progress, throughout their development as an artist. Mentors who actively collaborate with such learners demonstrate this respect for emerging young musicians’ voices. This will also empower the learner to become more aware of and sensitive to their own development and their environment, providing that level of self-directed learning to the artist-in-training. This informal way of musical learning happens when students are able to tell their instructors what they need, as has been pointed out by Elliott (1995).

Riggs (2006) has also found that a more personalized curriculum that centers on individual strengths and weaknesses through a mentoring approach would develop the intellectual, physical, and emotional faculties that would eventually lead to optimal experience.

From creative flow and the peak experiences of self-actualization comes intrinsic motivation for students to pursue creativity as a way of life, with further motivation to find moments for artistic expression and personal satisfaction in all aspects of their being. (Riggs, 2006, p. 176)



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The importance of music as naturally occurring through regular jamming and musical gigs around neighborhoods and communities cannot be understated. Elliott’s (1995) reflections on music instruction also include this conception of what is referred to as community music (CM) that occurs outside the classroom setting. While CM is not a new concept, Veblen (2005) has pointed out that:

What is new and notable is educators’ growing awareness and professional recognition of the connections between CMians, music making, and education. International trends and research support the thesis that what is happening in CM constitutes a paradigm shift in music education. (p. 312)

Aspiring young musicians should also be encouraged to create music that comes from their own realities, reflective of an authenticity that radiates from somewhere true, and not contrived. Elliott has described the development of musicianship as intimately connected to “the authenticity of the musical situation in which it is taught, learned, and used: that is, musical action and musical con-text work together to co-produce musical understanding” (1995, p. 161).

A balance between the heart/passion for the music and the sharpening of skills, knowledge and technical know-how should also be achieved. Veblen (2005) has differentiated between formal music knowledge—that includes notational skills, facts about theory, history of music and verbal terms—and informal knowledge that has to do with the intuitive and feeling moments “where the musician chooses one course over another because it ‘feels right’ musically” (p. 319). Noel made reference to the latter when he talked about how he was able to tell whether his musical creation was bad as opposed to feel-ing “right” in his gut as he listened to it. While formal musical knowledge was most often seen inside the classroom, intuitive knowledge was passed on through musical contexts and communities.

One of the goals of this research was to decentralize the understanding of talent development, particularly in music. The findings from this research study were meant to provide greater cross-cultural awareness of peak experiences and the flow state that go beyond the individual’s enjoy-ment and development, but that are deeply rooted in one’s involvement in the community and an awareness of the societal realities that serve to shape and enhance one’s musical understanding and artistic creations. It is hoped that this will be the beginning of more research studies in this area.

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the contribution of the Filipino Society for Composers Authors and Publishers Inc. (FILSCAP) as well as the NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) for their invaluable support to this project.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Extending flow further: Narrative of a Filipino musician

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