LAB 2

 LAB 3

 LAB 1

i) BACKGROUND

ARTISTIC RESEARCH COLLABORATION 

A significant part of my doctoral research involves creating artistic research laboratories designed to enable composer—performer collaboration. Within such artistic research processes, collaborative musical experimentation can become a means of deeply engaging with the material—what Maharaj describes as getting ”under the skin of things to see how they tick from the inside" (Maharaj, as quoted in Laws, 2019, p. 92). My collaboration with composer Ida Lundén offers insights into the possibilities of artistic experimentation that I sought to develop further in the student-centred laboratory.

In our lab, Lundén and I set out to explore some of the many interrelations between speech and music, with a particular focus on uncovering musical elements embedded in dialectal, oral storytelling. Our goal was twofold: to deepen our understanding of how speech can function musically, and to gather material for the musical composition for flute and objects, grounded in these discoveries. The collaboration was guided by an open-minded, playful experimental state, where artistic thinking may guide the process ”towards a translation into a verbalizable articulation of knowledge” (Östersjö, 2017, p. 90) 

The research process started with extended discussions of the boundaries and overlaps between language and music. We questioned what defines their relationship, and how speech might be perceived and treated as music. We examined an archival recording from 1958 featuring Karin Turesson (Isof, 2025) preserved by the Institute for Language and Folklore, in which she speaks a distinctive dialect from Värmland, a region in western Sweden. Initially, we tried digitally transcribing her voice into music notation, but later let our ears guide us in shaping music inspired by her speech. We found that Karin Turesson's rhythmic, expressive storytelling offered rich material for musical transformation through listening-based analysis rather than traditional notation. Lundén composed the piece, which was premiered in 2024. 

Following the completion of the musical work, I undertook an analysis of the research process, set to be shared in a forthcoming article. Of importance for the present article is that by using the video stimulated recall method, I could revisit the recordings of our discussions and musical experiments. This approach allowed me to step back from the immediacy of the creative moment, observing and commenting on the process with a more reflective and analytical perspective.

METAPHORS AND MUSIC

To understand and experience one thing in terms of another is the essence of a metaphor, as claimed by Lakoff and Johnson in their groundbreaking book Metaphors We Live By (Lakoff, 1981). Their research is frequently cited across various fields, spanning from psychology to AI, and received renewed attention during the COVID-19 pandemic (Benzi, 2022). Several researchers stated that we mishandled the pandemic due to our use of the 'war metaphor' to understand it (Döring, 2022; Clark, 2022). Media spoke in terms of an armed battle, where patients were 'struck with illness', and physicians the “warriors deployed to the front lines” (Clark, 2022, p. 1). As Lakoff and Johnson further argue, metaphors are not just linguistic embellishments but actually structure our understanding of the world (Lakoff, 1981).

Consequently, metaphors also play a part in our understanding of musical knowledge and interpretation (Dyndahl, 2019). Bayley and Heyde (Bayley, 2017) observe that chamber musicians rehearsing find extended metaphors valuable when discussing interpretation issues, to keep ”the potential avenues for exploration open” (Bayley, 2017, p. 89). As a result, a metaphorical language can foster a certain openness. This openness is closely linked to musical imagination, suggesting ideas about its nature and creation (Dyndahl, 2019). 

In musical teaching contexts, skilled teachers give instructions that both ”speak clearly to concrete properties of music while also incorporating imagery and metaphors” (Lehmann, 2007, p. 186). This is particularly common when working on musical expression, where teachers like to offer extramusical metaphors that convey motion and moods. When students receive such metaphors or imagery, they can translate these instructions into explicit plans for their performances, which become  ”powerful tools for evoking concrete images in their minds” (Lehmann, 2007, p. 196). On the other hand, metaphors also have a potential to frustrate students when used too heavily or in a setting that is not clear for the student (Lehmann, 2007, p. 196). Teachers in HME need to give clear and understandable, yet imaginative, instructions that both allow the student to embody invisible aspects of playing and open up for musical expression. 

METAPHORS AND FLUTE TEACHING

When playing the flute—as with any musical instrument—mastery requires precise control over multiple muscle groups. While finger dexterity is an obvious necessity, even more critical is the ability to support and regulate the airstream, maintain an open and relaxed throat, and engage the embouchure muscles with flexibility. As previously noted, these muscular activities are particularly challenging to teach and learn because they are largely invisible to both the student and the teacher. Flute instructors have developed various strategies to address this invisibility. Some prefer, for instance, not to teach vibrato at all, stating that it just should come naturally. Others turn to imagery and metaphors to describe these internal bodily activities (Lehmann, 2007). In my experience, metaphorical explanations can be a very powerful teaching method, that can facilitate the student’s direct understanding and translation of the instruction to the right physical action. However, the use of such metaphors has in my flute teaching always been something invented in the moment and based on intuition. I see the need to find out more in detail how these metaphors work.

Moreover, since teaching in HME often adheres to the master-apprentice model (Holmgren, 2022) the teacher’s personal interpretations, explanations, and visualisations of flute playing are frequently transmitted to students.  Encouraging students to experiment with how they visualise and talk about flute playing - as well as finding their own metaphors that guide that process - may serve as a valuable strategy for fostering critical thinking, greater autonomy and engagement in their learning process.

METHODS, DESIGN AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 

VIDEO STIMULATED RECALL

The educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom used sound recordings to capture university students’ thought processes, pioneering a research method that reveals cognitive processes in social, pedagogical, and artistic contexts. James Calderhead (1981) expanded this method to include video recordings for studying teaching situations. Linguists Mackey and Gass describe stimulated recall as an introspective research method where researchers access participants’ interpretations of their mental processes (Mackey, 2005). Violinist Peter Spissky’s dissertation highlights stimulated recall as a way to ”participate without forgetting, or observe without assuming” (Spissky, 2017). In this lab, video stimulated recall brought possibilities to participate and analyse. 

RESEARCH DESIGN

Five flute students were invited to participate in the lab sessions. The students were enrolled in the Music Teacher Programme or the one-year preparatory course, at Ingesund School of Music, Karlstad University. Over the course of two months, we held five lab sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. Since one of the aims of this lab was to work on our airstream, it was important to ensure a good airflow and hence, we always started each lab session by doing breathing exercises together. I prepared a booklet that contained the breathing exercises, some vocalise exercises by Philippe Bernold, sheet music for a few cantabile flute solos, and a simple logbook. During our sessions, we worked from the booklet, taking turns playing, and offering suggestions to each other. We searched for metaphors that could help us use our airstream better, to develop both the technical and interpretational aspects of flute playing. All participants were instructed to continue practising using the metaphors and to maintain a diary of their practice and reflections in a logbook. In the following lab session, these reflections served as the new starting point. During their individual flute lessons, we used video stimulated recall to review and discuss their playing. 

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The experimental lab underwent an ethical review according to the guideline established by Karlstad University. Informed consent was collected from the participants. One possible ethical issue is my dual role as both the students’ teacher and a research leader in the lab sessions. It may also be difficult to demonstrate the benefits of the specific exercises and experiments conducted during our lab sessions, as these students would likely have developed as instrumentalists over a semester in their studies regardless of our research project. By primarily viewing the lab as a vehicle for developing self-directed learning strategies and method development in HME, I believe these relatively minor ethical concerns can be managed. 

ii) OUTCOMES OF ENGAGING STUDENTS IN A COLLABORATIVE LAB

THE BENEFIT OF THE MUSICAL LAB

Self-regulated and student-centred learning are central concepts in contemporary HME (Dyndahl, 2019), and have been emphasised in curricula since the Bologna Process (Georgii-Hemming, 2020). As educators, we wish to empower students to take ownership of their musical development. However, supporting this process can be challenging, particularly when lesson formats and content are often rigidly predetermined (Holmgren, 2022). In response, this lab fostered an open-minded and collaborative atmosphere, transforming our practice into a more creative space for exploring and enhancing our flute playing. One such example is the way we used mutual feedback in the lab sessions.The students were highly engaged and frequently offered suggestions to one another. As I participated equally in the experiments—taking turns playing as much as the students did—I experienced the novel and rewarding dynamic of receiving feedback on my own playing from my students. For example, during one session, I was preparing to play one of Philippe Bernold’s Vocalises and invited the students to come up with suggestions:

Me: What should I do now then? I was thinking about the metaphor…
Student: Your favorite metaphor?
Me: Yes, I like both the glow... the glow has been really good, I think.
[plays – slowly, emphasising the legato line]
Me: I tried to create a very small glowing... glow. Could I do something differently?
Student: Okay, you could think of a different kind of glow. You could imagine a very warm and cozy glow?
Me: Right! Coming up – a warm, cozy glow.
[plays again, this time with a different timbre]
Me: Was there any difference?
Student: Mmm, I think so – a bit gentler?!
(Group lab discussions, 2023)

Upon reviewing the video documentation from these sessions, I observed a shift not only in teacher-student dynamics but also in peer relationships. A common critique of the conservatory tradition is its hierarchical structure, often rooted in the master-apprentice model (Holmgren, 2022). In my experience, such hierarchies can also influence student interactions, where unspoken rankings—such as who is perceived as the ’best’ flute player—may persist. The lab, however, facilitated new forms of discussions where qualities like musical imagination were more important. Immersing ourselves in this shared experimental space—“getting under the skin of things to see how they tick from the inside […] in the thinking and doing mode” (Maharaj, as cited in Östersjö 2019, p. 92)—enabled us to transcend traditional hierarchies. This had a direct impact on inclusivity and equity within our small group.

Focusing on experimentation and “understanding art also as process” (Östersjö 2017, p. 90) proved to be a powerful approach for challenging and expanding our artistic practice. For me, this was one of my first genuine attempts to invite students into an artistic research process. While instrument lessons in HME often involve artistic thinking and imagination, what was new here was the systematic approach: recording sessions, maintaining logbooks, and conducting stimulated recall interviews. These are all examples of the multimodal experimentality that underpins much of artistic research.

By inviting students into this lab, artistic research methods could shape our collective practice. This experience also prompted me to consider how I might more systematically integrate artistic research into my own teaching methods.

DEVELOPING FLUTE PLAYING IN THE LAB 

One of the more striking experiences from the lab sessions was that the participants developed a deeper understanding and experience of a well-working airflow. All five students, as well as myself, developed our flute sound during the experiments. Partly, I would say this development was due to the breathing exercises that always started each lab session. The benefit of doing breathing exercises is that it seems to bring more air to distribute – and with more air comes a better flute sound. This was also something one of the students commented upon, in the video stimulated recall of their own playing after a lab session:

It sounds free! Both in terms of the air and the phrasing. It sounds like I know it, but step outside the rhythmic boundaries. I was thinking about the air: Here, it sounds like I'm just going with the flow of the air, without struggling. Kind of 'effortless', and you can do that when you've done the breathing exercises. Then you have more air to use.

(Group lab discussions, 2023)

Moreover, the advantages of group learning, as explored also in Lab 3, proved to be highly effective. While working on the airstream together, we consistently identified what strategies were successful and discovered the most fitting metaphors for each situation. In this context, the collective feedback from the group was highly influential.

DEVELOPING EXPRESSIVITY 

While the lab was introduced as a means of developing a better airflow, our discussions often came to centre around interpretational matters, such as how to ’include more drama’, and how to ’exaggerate more’. This shift of perspectives came through the combination of focusing on the airstream, while using our imagination to come up with new metaphors to try out. Consequently, I can see that the students realised that the airstream is one of the levers for playing expressively, and found the words to verbalise it:

Me: We’ve already talked about this, that it’s a lot about the inner drama. That you need to get used to playing dramatic? But maybe the metaphors help with that?

Student 4: Yes, I think so.

Student 2: Yeah, it feels [less] pretentious then, kind of. If you think of a springboard or a glow or something like that, and not think “oh - now I have to play this very dramatic thing just because…” 

Student 1: But maybe it can be good to exaggerate, so you can pull back later?

Me: Yes, exactly. Also, just so that you understand how to exaggerate. What is more and what is less, kind of? Like finding the control for the dramatic….

(Group lab discussions, 2023)

The understanding of the airstream as a dynamic, alterable element – something we can actually ’play with’ – was a new concept for the participants. There are also comments from the students about courage, and daring to play with the air in this way. This highlights the need to keep incorporating elements in my teaching, that emphasise both the core role and the expressive side of the airstream. 

iii) OUTCOMES OF EXPERIMENTING WITH METAPHORS 

The explorations of how metaphors can aid flute playing proved fruitful. During the lab sessions, I found that metaphors were particularly effective in keeping ”the potential avenues for exploration open” (Bayley, 2017, p. 89). Often, the initial metaphor emerged spontaneously from a participant and was then collaboratively examined by the group. Some metaphors recurred frequently, while others appeared only occasionally. A common thread among them was the theme of motion, aligning with Lehmann et al. (2007). These metaphors often involved dynamic and powerful imagery—such as a river, a fire, or a panther. In this instance, a student introduced the metaphor of a roller coaster:

Student 1: I’m thinking maybe… uh… a bit as like with rubber, and how you think of the texture of a long phrase? […]

Student 2: If you think of a roller coaster: If you’ve gone fast on a roller 

coaster, you don’t want it to stop really abruptly, right?

[Everyone laughs]

Student 2: Then maybe you want to slow down gradually. So, when 

you stop, it’s like... Aah!

[Student 1 plays again, and this time with a better legato playing]

(Group lab discussions, 2023)

I interpret the laughter that followed Student 2's suggestion of using the roller coaster metaphor as a sign of recognition and agreement. Further, it seemed that the very idea of controlling a giant roller coaster inspired Student 1 to use more air, and more support to control that air. In this way, the metaphor lab contributed to the participants’ process of making flute playing deeply embodied. This applies to all muscle activities involved in controlling the airstream, but also other muscular activities, such as the tongue and mouth cavities. Here illustrated in a quote from one of the students:

Yes, I've also started visualising much more. Like the airflow... 

Because I can...I do quite a lot... with my tongue and the roof of 

my mouth, and like when I... just to open up in different ways. 

And then you get a different sound when playing. I think it's so fun 

because you can like...instead of just focusing down here in the 

diaphragm and up in the lips, it's like...you get the whole...

(Group lab discussions, 2023)

The comment above also exemplifies the various muscle activities a young wind player must both understand and execute. For instance, producing a good sound in fast staccato notes requires a very active and engaged support of the air, while simultaneously moving the tongue in light movements. A well-chosen metaphor can be very helpful in this context. It not only translates one concept into another (Lakoff, 1981) but also allows for the simultaneous translation of multiple layers of concepts. Additionally, a well-chosen metaphor does not disrupt students' concentration, as noted by one of them:

If you have a simple image, like a glow that can symbolise a lot, it can 

remain there as an image all the time. You don't really need to actively 

think about it; it's just there.

(Group lab discussions, 2023)

This insight is valuable for me as a flute teacher, but also for others teaching music students, that likely have experienced that instructions sometimes disturb students more than they help. Choosing the right metaphor can avoid this disruption.

The metaphors suggested during our lab sessions often stemmed from personal experiences. For instance, the student who frequently mentioned the 'gymnastic band' had trained in gymnastics for many years during their childhood. Other examples drawn from personal experiences included 'paddling on a stand-up paddleboard', or, as in this case, 'chopping up snow':

Student: I'm thinking of an ocean. But with snow. And then it's like "chop chop chop chop". To activate my core support.
Me: An ocean? With snow? And what is the "chop-chop"?
Student: Yeah, I haven't really figured that out yet. But I think it's motivating to imagine the air chopping through the snow. Because if you think about it... you've stood somewhere as a child, where there's snow on a railing...

(Group lab discussions, 2023)

These metaphors, which participants had an embodied understanding of, were often significantly helpful—not just for the individual who suggested them, but for the entire group. It seems that this embodied understanding could be transferred to the whole group. Additionally, as one student noted, a metaphor ”must be adaptable”, able to be twisted and turned, allowing us to add layers of complexity in our instructions to each other. This is illustrated by one of the participants experimenting with the metaphor of a rubber band to play expressively and with a good legato (see Video 1). They are then suggested to think of a ”larger rubber band” and ”stretch the rubber band all the way”, that gives this participant's flute playing a fuller airstream (see Video 1), which makes their flute tone rich and adds to their legato playing. 

Summarising the metaphors that were brought up, the metaphors relating to 'fire' were the most common and seemed to enhance breathing techniques, create a more flowing airstream, and aid in interpretation. Metaphors involving 'wind' and 'water' were also frequently used and proved helpful for breathing and airflow, though they were less effective for interpretation. However, as said earlier, the link between the metaphors brought up was 'motion', often in combination with some kind of resistance in that movement. As for instance, illustrated when we all play the Swan by Saint-Saëns (see Video 2), and employ the metaphor 'drizzling on syrup'. Experimenting with these metaphorical translations of flute playing really helped transform abstract ideas into concrete action, thus serving as ”powerful tools for evoking concrete images” (Lehmann, 2007, p. 196) in our minds. Additionally, there were also instances where a metaphor did not work well; as when one of the students imagined 'a swan', or 'honey' (see Table 1). In these cases, I belive that the metaphor failed to encourage movement sufficiently, or just became too vague in that moment. This also draws on Lehmann’s suggestion that some metaphors are not clear enough for the student (Lehmann, 2007). I see this as another benefit of the project and for my future teaching instructions–knowing what to avoid saying during lessons. 

Participant reflections from the workshops suggest that these metaphors are beneficial and influence how we play. They bring a clear visualising component that aids important flute playing aspects, such as airflow, support and breathing technique. 

In summary, an overarching outcome is how the collaborative process enabled both my students and me to explore and adopt new roles—roles that I believe will continue to shape our future approaches to learning and teaching. By focusing our work on how to use musical imagination, and how to give and receive feedback among peers, the participants developed greater independence and a stronger sense of authority in their musical expression. Further, the shared focus on the use of the airstream, as well as the deepened understanding of how metaphors function in flute playing proved beneficial for all involved.

For me as a teacher, the experience of integrating artistic research practices into the flute studio, enriched my pedagogical approach to flute teaching in HME. Most significantly, I developed a stronger trust in the students’ capacity to articulate, interpret, and engage in meaningful discussions about flute playing and music more broadly—encompassing both expressive and technical dimensions.

iv) OVERVIEW OF ALL METAPHORS ELABORATED UPON 

This section provides an overview of all the metaphors (Table 1) discussed during the labs. Each subgroup shows (from left to right) the metaphor explored, the idea that guided the participant’s playing, the resulting effect on the participant’s flute playing, followed by my analysis of the outcome. The overview will serve as a foundation for my future flute-related research projects.

Video 1: One of the participants is experimenting with their flute playing by visualising the airstream and diaphragmatic support as a 'rubber band'. The video is blurred and the students' voices are muted for anonymity purposes; instead, subtitles have been added. However, the flute playing remains unchanged from the original lab session.

Video 2:  This video shows us creating a 'relay race' version of the Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns. First, we agree on using the  metaphor of 'drizzling on syrup' to improve our legato playing. The video is blurred and the students' voices are muted for anonymity purposes; instead, subtitles have been added. However, the flute playing remains unchanged from the original lab session.