| This dissertation offers a glimpse of how musical experience, sense of self, and life in general are perceived by those who have chosen the exploration of music to be their life's work. It seeks to explore musicians' life experiences and their relationship to, and perceptions of music. Included is the examination of the lives of 4 musicians, their relationships with society and their own perceptions of their identities, both in absolute terms and in relation to the non-musical worlds (mainstream society) and musical worlds in which they exist.;This ethnographic study involves conducting and analyzing individual interviews in an effort to understand how musicians in highly competitive environments engage with and define music, whether or not musicians relate their musicality to their sense of self, and if so, how. An additional dimension involves musicians' perceptions of self in western society and the non-musical world of which they are a part, and how the perception of self, music, and mainstream society might have changed upon entry into the conservatory culture and/or entry into the role of professional musician. This study further explores the various roles of music in the lives of the participating musicians. Prominent themes addressed include the effect that the overwhelming competition pervasive in the musical world has on the normal functions of music as a mechanism to escape music, on as a source of spiritual comfort, and on music as a method of self-expression. Finally, the implications that musicians concerns have for counseling and future research will be discussed.;Carspecken's (1996) Hermeneutic Reconstructive Analysis, a methodology used in critical qualitative research will be employed in an effort to understand the possible meanings of the narratives shared by study participants. |
