An Australian Study of Transferable Music Skills: The Impact of Instrumental Music Education on Non-Music Employment

Abstract

The value of music to society has been researched in terms of social good and change, positive economic contribution, and the successful educational impact on young people’s cognitive development. Despite this, the government exhibits variable support for music education. An open and closed question survey resulting in 186 mostly Australian musically educated adults pursuing non-music professions enriches the current instrumental music education value discourse. Irrespective of attained music standard, participants identified their instrumental music education developed the foundational transferable skills used and scaffolded within their non-music professions. Through sustained, active, formal and structured learning of complex instruments their transferable music skills cultivated confident, productive, highly focused, team-oriented professional employees representing excellent role models for their peers. Such transferable skills align with current, and future employment skills requirements as recognised by the World Economic Forum. Methods for data interpretation included using the Global Skills Taxonomy revealing there is scope for revision of many international skills frameworks to accurately represent music skill value. Through the lens of transferable music skills, it is possible to communicate the relevance of instrumental music education, contributing to a future-proofed capable workforce building a stronger economy. This study is the largest of its kind and offers a robust foundation for future international studies that may capture the cultural and historical contexts surrounding skill classifications.