What is it about?
Most classical music performance students aspire to an international performance career. Given that so few musicians achieve this ambition, should this ideal be redefined? This paper explores the realities of professional practice. Findings reveal the multiplicity of roles in which most musicians engage in order to sustain their careers, and question the concept of a musician as a performer: positing that a musician is rather someone who practises within the profession of music within one or more specialist fields.
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Why is it important?
The diversity of roles pursued by practising musicians is not reflected in the majority of conservatorium curricula, thus the enormous potential for the transfer of music graduate skills into the broad cultural industries setting remains largely unrealised. Acceptance of, and preparation for a more holistic career will enable many more graduates to define success for themselves.
Perspectives
Very few performers, composers and conductors work in full-time roles with a single employer. This isn't new - it has been the norm for centuries. Music students can be encouraged to explore the diversity of options and to prepare for managing their work and careers as graduates.
Professor Dawn Bennett
Curtin University
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This page is a summary of: Utopia for music performance graduates. Is it achievable, and how should it be defined?, British Journal of Music Education, July 2007, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0265051707007383.
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