Dobson, 2010.pdf - University of Sheffield

252 Psychology of Music 39(2)
orchestral musicians (particularly from the brass and percussion sections) who drank during
breaks in rehearsals, before concerts, or during the interval, when describing their own behaviour
the string players only talked of drinking after a rehearsal or concert, presenting alcohol
consumption primarily as a result of pressure rather than availability.
J6’s quotation above demonstrates how, for jazz musicians, boredom and availability can act as
incentives to drink while undertaking function work (providing music at corporate events, parties,
weddings and so on), a view also taken by J3, who described how ‘it’s just too easy’ to drink to
excess in such circumstances. It is plausible that jazz musicians harbour a degree of resentment
at having to undertake function engagements ‘to bring home the bread and butter’ (J8); contrasting
with the classical sphere, the relatively low remuneration for jazz gigs means that it is rare for
musicians to survive financially from playing jazz alone (Cooper & Wills, 1989; MacDonald &
Wilson, 2005; Stebbins, 1969). The professional string participants were sufficiently remunerated
for their concert-based performances and so did not need to undertake function work, while
the jazz musicians presented it as an inevitable part of their performance portfolio (Dobson,
2010). The latter are therefore forced to spend time undertaking less intrinsically rewarding (but
better paying) work, and may compensate by drinking to counteract the effects of boredom.
Discussion
The aim of this study was to explore the challenges facing young student and freelance professional
musicians. Many participants reported particular difficulties while studying at conservatoires.
In some cases, problems experienced at music college seemed to serve as a rite of initiation
that, although unpleasant at the time, equipped the musician effectively for the demands of
their future career, or at least alerted them to the ongoing existence of such demands. In particular,
participants’ uncertainties about their abilities and reputations whilst at music college
served as preparation for a freelance professional culture in which ‘you don’t really ever know
where you stand’ (S9). It is notable, however, that the aspects of the conservatoire experience
that might prepare musicians for the reality of working in the profession were not taught as
part of a formal curriculum, but rather were institutionalized features of the conservatoire
culture itself. This finding therefore contributes to other research suggesting that the conservatoire
curriculum per se does not always adequately prepare students for working professionally
(Corkhill, 2005; Hager & Johnsson, 2009), and especially falls short of requirements in teaching
the extra-musical skills needed for a successful performance career (Bennett, 2007;
MacNamara, Holmes, & Collins, 2006).
The participants stressed an ability to get on well with colleagues and peers as one of the
major extra-musical skills they needed when working. This finding concurs with research by
MacNamara, Holmes, and Collins (2008) in which successful performers identified the possession
of strong interpersonal skills as an important characteristic, especially during the transition
from training to profession. Negotiating the requirement for professional sociability caused
a tension with the culture of competitiveness and back-stabbing that some participants had
experienced at music college. As the majority of data on competition and back-stabbing came
from discourse about experiences at music college, it may be that this tension between camaraderie
and competition is at its worst for conservatoire students, who inhabit an intense environment
in which they work with – and compare themselves to – the same relatively small group
of peers over a number of years (cf. Steptoe, 1989, p. 7).
Although the coexistence of back-stabbing and professional sociability might superficially
seem incongruous, it is plausible that collective back-stabbing at times occurs as a form of
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