Musician Identity Formation

Abstract

This chapter shows in the case of classical music exposure, experiences during mid to late adolescence seems to shape the career decisions made by Western classical musicians. From the data discussed, it seems that the development of a close relationship with music - personal emotional expression through listening and making music - is common to all musicians, and this seems critical to making music a key part of their future lives. However, extra-musical factors such as coping strategies connected with social forces such as peer pressure, parents, and teachers, and how this connects to an individual's self-esteem seem to affect whether or not a musician feels able to pursue music performanc..