From music student to professional: the process of transition

From music student to professional:
the process of transition

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of whether higher education music courses
adequately prepare young musicians for the critical transition from music
undergraduate to professional. Thematic analyses of interviews with twenty-
seven undergraduate and portfolio career musicians representing four musical
genres were compared. The evidence suggests that the process of transition into
professional life for musicians across the four focus genres may be facilitated
when higher education experiences include mentoring that continues after
graduation, the development of strong multi-genre peer networks, the provision
of many and varied performance opportunities and support for developing self-
discipline and autonomy in relation to the acquisition of musical expertise.
Implications for higher education curricula are discussed.

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