Creativity, agency, and stability: Perceptions of Canadian musicians working across the cultural domains

Abstract

This research study aims to illuminate Canadian musicians’ portfolio careers across the cultural domains. Previous research has highlighted the career paths of music graduates directly after graduation, and other research has highlighted the experiences of well-known performers or pedagogues. However, little is known about music graduates who persist and establish careers in music. We interviewed twelve musicians working in a variety of Canadian cultural domains to understand their work and career paths. Their stories elucidate how artists balance income stability, artistic agency, creativity, and professional challenges to create impressive and fulfilling portfolios that enable them to use their music-based knowledge and skills in various ways. Findings from this study provide a more nuanced understanding of the scope and nature of music-related work in Canada and how artists integrate artistic and creative abilities with community needs and economic stability. These findings offer insights for emerging musicians and music graduates and have implications for educating and supporting artists who wish (or indeed need) to work across cultural domains.