Musicians matter: Exploring conceptualizations of the 21st century music professional

Musicology Colloquium/Musikvidenskabeligt Fagligt Forum

Music matters because it brings value to human lives and society, impacting us in countless ways. Recently, discussions around the value of music have evolved due to increased expectations of music’s potential as a social good. Globally, music is increasingly used as a catalyst for positive change, addressing pressing issues like social justice, migration, climate change, and health and wellbeing. In this context, new conceptualizations of the music professional are emerging. Musicians and music educators are being reimagined as artistic citizens, civic professionals, makers in society, embedded artists, health musicians, and public pedagogues. These evolving identities position music professionals not only as artistic but also as social and political agents, carrying the responsibility—and sometimes the moral obligation—to respond to societal challenges.

This shift profoundly affects our understanding of the roles and functions of music professionals. The landscape of music professionalism is expanding, while the purposes, values, processes, and outcomes of professional music-making are evolving. Musicians and music educators are increasingly collaborating beyond traditional boundaries, partnering with professionals from various fields to engage in practices that intersect education, social issues, health, environmental concerns, and the arts. Moreover, expanded professionalism emphasizes inclusive and participatory approaches to music-making. Traditional activities like performing and teaching are now complemented by novel approaches of co-creation and facilitation, aimed at providing access to diverse populations and engaging a broader public in the (musical) life of society.

In this presentation, I will overview this paradigm shift, explore some of the underlying ideologies, and discuss its implications for our understanding of the music professional.

The talk is open to the public.