Staying afloat: Skills, attributes and passion

[Extract] A recurring theme throughout this book is that a clear self-image and professional identity are essential attributes for graduates seeking to apply their knowledge to the development of a sustainable career. Underpinning this are the core skills and attributes that make graduates career ready. Research has revealed much about the working lives of classically trained musicians, who tend to include both skilled and unskilled work within a portfolio of roles (Burland & Davidson, 2004). From this research we know that the most common activity for musicians is teaching, and that very few people work solely in performance. We know that music work is diverse: for instance, two-thirds of musicians work both within and outside of music. We know that musicians share their expertise, and that less than half are paid for all of their music work. We know that over 80% of musicians teach, 70% perform and 30% run ensembles. And we know that almost all musicians include work that is self-employed (Bennett, 2008; Huhtanen, 2004; Metier, 2001).