Changing Tunes: Musical Experience and Self-Perception Amongst School and University Music Students

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Academic research and popular discussion generally assume a common definition of the term “musician”, despite the complex social, cultural and critical meanings that emerge under closer scrutiny. On the one hand, inclusive approaches have recognised the importance of music to all individuals, yet the status afforded to professional performers still leads many active players and attentive listeners to be self-deprecating about their own skills, perpetuating the notion of the “non-musician” in Western culture. This paper considers the changing perceptions of music students undergoing the transition from school to university, using their implicit and explicit understandings of what it means to be a musician to explore the consequences for their self-identity. Qualitative questionnaire and interview data are reported from twenty participants, as a precursor to replicating and extending the study within a wider variety of musical communities. Clear differences between the expectations and experiences of school and university students are revealed, and self-identification as a musician is shown to depend on quantity and level of musical behaviour, as well as being affected by comparisons with peers. The role of school and university music education in shaping perceptions and opportunities is discussed, and conclusions are drawn about the importance of musical participation to these young people.

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