An Analysis of the Metaphorical Perceptions About the Piano by Fine Arts High School Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine, as expressed in metaphors, the attitudes of the students of music department in the Fine Arts High School (FAHS) in the 2019-2020 academic year. The study was carried out with 37 music students in 9th and 12th grades of Mersin Adıyaman Fine Arts High School. In line with the phenomenological research design, a form including the statement “The piano lesson is like… Because...” was used to collect the data for the study. Determining the attitudes of the students of the music department towards the piano is critical in terms of increasing the quality of piano learning and music education. Since metaphors are crucial in determining the student's attitude towards a musical instrument, the metaphors that are used by the student are extremely important. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the metaphorical meanings assigned to the piano by FAHS music students. The data were categorized by using content and frequency analysis techniques, which revealed 34 positive and three negative metaphorical definitions about the piano instrument. The findings indicate that most of the participants have positive metaphoric definitions of the piano.