Music Income, Self Authoring and the Digitally Mediated Career
Boon, H. 2022. Music Income, Self Authoring and the Digitally Mediated Career. Music and the University - History, Models, Prospects. City University 07 - 09 Jul 2022
Boon, H. 2022. Music Income, Self Authoring and the Digitally Mediated Career. Music and the University - History, Models, Prospects. City University 07 - 09 Jul 2022
| Title | Music Income, Self Authoring and the Digitally Mediated Career |
|---|---|
| Authors | Boon, H. |
| Type | Conference paper |
| Abstract | Music students, especially post-COVID 19, face increasing levels of job precarity, uncertainty and difficulty earning a 'good' income. Recent reports of music employment falling by 35% and live revenue decline by 46% (UK Music 2021), with 43% of musicians reporting pre-pandemic music income of £20,000 or less per annum (Sun et al. 2021) and, post-pandemic, 83% of professional musicians reporting not being able to find work (Help Musicians 2021). This presentation will discuss these challenges from two relevant perspectives. The first uses a combination of Hesmondhalgh and Baker's overall research question 'to what extent is it possible to do good work in the cultural industries' (2010) and Canham's (2021) more recent publication to 'shift' (classical) music careers counselling focus. In essence, how to improve the quality of the subjective experience whilst counselling students to take risks within uncertain conditions to self-author their careers. The second perspective reviews ongoing research of music creator economies of less well known practitioners, typical of the middle tier, their approaches to creating an economy of self and digital portfolio career development. Whilst the data will be approximate, it will allow for sufficient comparison between income sources across various online revenue systems. These various reports and research highlight the critical need for music courses and universities to proactively work alongside their students to address issues of contemporary cultural market work, of over saturated markets, job precarity and winner take all economies. |
| Keywords | music freelance working |
| music professions | |
| career destinations | |
| job precarity | |
| well being | |
| self authored careers | |
| digitally mediated careers | |
| social challenges | |
| creativity | |
| cultural work | |
| technology | |
| platform artist | |
| music education | |
| Year | 2022 |
| Conference | Music and the University - History, Models, Prospects |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | 09 Jul 2022 |
| Web address (URL) of conference proceedings | https://musicandtheuniversity.wordpress.com/schedule/ |