Post on 18-Aug-2015
Running head: MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 1
Merging Musician Identities: Personal, Social, and Stage
Skip Spoerke
Southern New Hampshire University
ENG-200-14522 Sophomore Seminar
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 2
Table of Contents
Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 4
Merging Musician Identities: Personal, Social, and Stage ................................................. 5
Self-Destructing Musicians ................................................................................................. 5
Character Sustainability .................................................................................................. 6
Drug and Alcohol Abuse ................................................................................................. 7
A New Music Industry ........................................................................................................ 7
Professional Transparency .............................................................................................. 8
Intentional reduction. .................................................................................................. 9
Unintentional reduction. ............................................................................................. 9
Death of the Character .................................................................................................. 10
Merging Quantifiable Factors ........................................................................................... 10
Five Development Stages of the Musician’s Identity ....................................................... 12
Stage One: Naïve .......................................................................................................... 12
Stage Two: Acceptance ................................................................................................. 13
Stage Three: Resistance ................................................................................................ 13
Stage Four: Redefinition ............................................................................................... 14
Stage Five: Internalization ............................................................................................ 14
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 14
References ......................................................................................................................... 17
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 3
Tables ................................................................................................................................ 20
Figures............................................................................................................................... 21
Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 23
Appendix B ....................................................................................................................... 27
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 4
Abstract
Through personal interviews and surveys, and analysis of scholarly articles, documentaries, and
books on the music industry and identity, research demonstrates that the goal of many musicians
today is to develop one perception of self, both on and off stage, resulting in the musician
merging stage identity and previously defined self. Identity is often researched as two
categories—personal and social. There is, however, an often overlooked third category that may
cause disruption to the previously defined personal and social identities: stage identity. Between
the 1950s and mid-1990s, many musicians developed characters represent self while performing
on stage. Numerous musicians found conflict with these characters in relation to their previously
defined self, which led to self-destructive behavior. The Internet helped pave the way for
musicians to merge identities and redefine self to include their onstage and offstage self, and
there are two ways this may happen: an intentional or unintentional reduction of the separation
between stage identity and the previously defined self. Using Jackson and Hardiman’s “Five
Stages of Racial Identity Development” as a guide, a preliminary model illustrates the five
development stages of the musician’s identity, including naïve, acceptance, resistance,
redefinition, and internalization. The purpose is to demonstrate how merging identities to
establish one perception of self results in musicians becoming less likely to experience conflict
within the defined self.
Keywords: band, identities, music identity, musician, performer, personal identity, social
identity, stage identity.
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 5
Merging Musician Identities: Personal, Social, and Stage
Identity is often divided into two broad categories—personal and social—that are then
dissected to describe the physical characteristics, personality traits, genetic inheritance, cultural
and religious affiliations, gender, sexual orientation, clothing preferences, and other quantifiable
factors of the individual. The resulting labels represent the differences and similarities of the
individual in relation to social norms. With exception to stereotypes, which often have negative
connotations, the contrived labels arguably provide a fair and accurate representation for
identifying self. For musicians, however, a relatively unexplored third category exists that may
cause disruption of the previously defined self: stage identity. A musician’s stage identity is the
public identity developed to represent self while performing. Stage identity could be a developed
character, an extension of the previously defined self, a blend of social and personal identities, or
any combination thereof. Experienced musicians will often strive to collapse the separation
between the previously defined self and the stage identity in order to identify as one self, both on
and off stage. Merging a musician’s identities to develop one perception of self, both on and off
stage, results in the musician being less likely to experience conflict within the defined self.
Self-Destructing Musicians
The music industry was booming between the 1950s and the mid-1990s (Owsinski,
2014). Record labels controlled nearly every aspect of the industry, musicians were eager to sign
recording contracts, and fans rarely knew the musician beyond the stage. Record labels and
musicians were in control to develop a character for stage identity, and by the late 1960s,
character development was a common theme of the music industry. The industry didn’t prepare
for, nor acknowledge that sustaining these characters would likely cause significant conflict for
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 6
identifying self—resulting in identity turmoil that would contribute to the self-destruction of
numerous musicians and bands.
Character Sustainability
The record label typically assumed complete control of a musician’s career after signing a
recording contract, to include managing their day-to-day schedule and creating, or at least
approving the character portrayed by the musician. The musician was required to think and act as
the character when performing, writing and recording, conducting interviews, and meeting fans.
Many musicians ultimately lost a sense of the original self due to the demanding schedule acting
in character—forced to either accept or reject the character as a new definition of self. Both
options led to the musician’s self-destruction, as later realized by many musicians, including
Glenn Frey of the Eagles: “We made it, and it ate us” (Gibney & Ellwood, 2013).
Some musicians took very aggressive approaches to their assigned characters. For
example, Aerosmith’s bassist, Tom Hamilton, said in an interview for VH1 Behind the Music,
“we cultivated the bad boys of Boston thing, so in a way we were rewarded for being
irresponsible” (Castino, 2002), and Joe Walsh from the Eagles caused $28,000 of damage to a
hotel room one night with John Belushi (Gibney & Ellwood, 2013).
Many other musicians took less aggressive, but equally destructive approaches to their
assigned characters. For instance, Elton John attempted suicide in 1975, “claiming he was
overcome by the attention and pressures of fame” (O’Neal, 2014); people closest to Madonna in
1990 described her as “a little girl lost in the storm” (Clawson & Keshishian, 1991); and long
after the Monkees disbanded in 1971, Davy Jones claimed, “I was depressed about not being on
the charts, about not going to the studio every day … I didn't know how to live” (“Tales from a
Monkee,” 1992). There are hundreds of examples of destructive behavior by musicians that
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 7
projected all of their aggression inward at themselves, some of who turned to drugs and alcohol
to ease the pressure.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Drugs and alcohol helped fuel the musicians’ destructive nature and often led to making
choices that resulted in conflict within bands. Joey Kramer of Aerosmith said during an interview
for VH1 Behind the Music, “I was a drug addict dabbling in music [in the 1970s], as opposed to
a musician dabbling in drugs” (Castino, 2002)—a common theme among musicians at that time.
Steven Adler, was fired as the drummer for Guns N’ Roses because of his drug addiction and
later admitted in a VH1 Behind the Music interview, “I did everything I could to try to kill
myself” (Castino & Himmelsbach, 2004).
It would be inaccurate only to find fault with the musicians for their drug and alcohol
addictions, however. As Jack Douglas, producer for Aerosmith, said in the band’s VH1 Behind
the Music episode, “drugs were so acceptable that the labels would bury in their budgets all the
coke we wanted because they wanted the record done” (Castino, 2002). Whether to enhance
productivity, lower inhibitions or increase creativity, drugs and alcohol were a problem for the
entire music industry.
A New Music Industry
In the mid-1990s, the music industry began the transition toward a digital era (Owsinski,
2014). Along with digital music formats, like MP3 and WAV, came a new way for musicians to
reach fans that didn't require the professional connections of a record label. By the early 2000s,
musicians had found themselves capable of selling music, booking performances,
communicating with fans, and recruiting new fans without a recording contract and without
spending a lot of money on publicists, managers, or promoters. The Internet and its do-it-
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 8
yourself solutions made relatively easy work of what had been a difficult and expensive industry
to join. Musicians that harness the digital services available for music distribution, merchandise
sales, fundraising, booking, business management, and marketing, are able to maintain
streamlined operations at significantly lower costs than what was possible twenty years ago.
Likewise, with the success of social media websites like MySpace and YouTube pioneering an
even easier way for musicians to reach fans, the adopters can use those platforms to propel their
careers forward.
There are drawbacks to the digital music industry, however. For example, pirated music
through peer-to-peer file sharing and the option to purchase individual tracks instead of the full
album reduce the amount of money made from music sales; music streaming services like
Spotify and iTunes Radio also limit revenue from music sales; competition for music sale
revenue has been steadily increasing every year; and the digital services available to musicians
are always changing. Musicians must, therefore, remain vigilant to the industry changes and be
creative in their approach to benefit from those changes.
Professional Transparency
Prior to the digital music industry, musicians were able to provide complete separation of
their on-stage identity and their off-stage identity if they chose, and many did. From hobbyist
through the full-time professional musician, it was common to find a different person off-stage
than the character the musician portrayed on-stage. Mia Tyler, daughter of Aerosmith’s Steven
Tyler, even insisted in 2002 "there's two Stevens; there’s Steven Tallarico, the dad, and then
there's Steven Tyler, the worker. It's really hard to get a balance on that" (Castino, 2002).
Since the beginning of the digital music industry, however, separating their on-stage
identity from their off-stage identity has become increasingly difficult for musicians. Interactions
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 9
with fans happen in numerous settings every week, whether in-person or online, and the majority
of musicians surveyed early in this research have found it best to reduce the separation between
their on-stage identity and off-stage identity (See Figures 1, 2, and 3 for detailed results of the
survey; see Appendix A for the list of survey questions). Likewise, many of the musicians who
experienced identity turmoil early in their careers, like Steven Tyler and Joe Walsh, have also
changed their identities to diminish the separation between stage identity and self. As Matthew
McDonald of Perpetual Groove and Ghost Owl further described during an interview, “everyone
continues to grow and evolve. What I've learned is to try to blur any lines between [stage identity
and self,] so that there is just me, both on and off stage” (personal communication, February 27,
2015; see Appendix B for complete interview transcript).
Intentional reduction. Musicians that change their identities to reduce the separation
between on-stage and off-stage identities do so because of an intentional strategy like Matthew
McDonald’s. The strategy typically includes reducing stage behavior that doesn’t feel natural and
methodically maximizing transparency with fans. The complete merging of identities might not
be the result, but at a minimum the strategy will end with the musician’s ability to view on and
off stage identities as extensions of each other.
Unintentional reduction. Not all musicians intentionally develop a strategy to reduce the
separation; for them, reducing the separation happens naturally. For instance, Gunther, another
professional musician interviewed, said that although he couldn’t think of any characteristics that
might define his stage identity differently, what he believes might cause stage identity and self to
merge is “the desire to be myself” (personal communication, March 6, 2015; see Appendix B for
complete interview transcript). Christopher Hanson of Helena Handbasket’s response to the same
question was “because music is my life, and they are one in the same" (personal communication,
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 10
March 6, 2015; see Appendix B for complete interview transcript). The unintentional reduction
of separation between stage and self is becoming a common trend with young musicians. There
have not been any studies that specifically indicate a contributing cause for this trend; however,
an educated guess could be that the majority of young musicians were raised in a music industry
that does not create nor support characters for musicians that are separate identities than self.
Death of the Character
The characters that were once created to establish the musician's stage identity as
something other than self have, for the most part, disappeared from the music industry. Whether
decided by the fans, the musicians or the music industry, the disappearance of these characters is
a moot point that only speculations can support. The important thing to know is that the majority
of musicians today have made the effort to view the same self on and off stage—a concept
supported by numerous music business books, music documentaries, and personal
communication with professional musicians. For more information about the role of the Internet
in the music industry transition for musicians to view the same self on and off stage, the book
“Music 4.0: A Survival Guide for Making Music in the Internet Age” by Bobby Owsinski offers
a significant amount of information.
Merging Quantifiable Factors
Through the broad examination of stage, social, and personal identities, the need to
include elements of these three identities in the merged identity of a musician is easily
understood. The quantifiable factors of the musician’s identities like religious and cultural
beliefs, however, also affect the view of self and contribute to shaping the merged identity. An
example of how culture becomes part of the merged identity of a musician comes from Tsonga
music, where in the early twentieth century urban black popular music was divided by specific
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 11
ethnic groups (Madalane, 2014). These ethnic groups were separated by language and location,
which were not to be mixed with music without the risk of offending the ethnic group from the
musician’s home location. “Woza Friday” is a 1976 Tsonga Disco song that mixed the English
language with the Zulu language; subsequently, the song was banned from radio for its insult to
the Zulu language (Madalane). Musicians were often classified as “specific ethnic group”
musicians, rather than musicians of broad music genres like the labels of most cultures, such as
jazz or folk.
In an attempt to revive a sense of cross-cultural ethnic pride modern musicians, like
Shirinda, have incorporated various musical choices in choreography, lyrics, language, and
stories within their songs; however, numerous minority groups are attempting to use the ethnic
language as a “cultural project of self-assertion and self-preservation” (Madalane, 2014). The
indication then is that while musicians, like Shirinda, may have great musical success in other
parts of the world, they are unlikely to achieve the goal of reviving cross-cultural, ethnic pride
through music.
Similar to the influence of culture, religion can impress specific identity behavior on
musicians. Worship bands have replaced traditional religious music in many churches around the
world—primarily of Christian religions. These bands typically perform uplifting music for
church services and other religious events, but it's highly unlikely that a worship band would
perform on a Saturday night at the local bar. The reason is that musicians that only wish to
perform in praise of God comprise the typical worship band, and rarely do people view bars as
the "right place" for praising God. For these musicians, religion overshadows the thought of
building a fan base outside of the church, and their merged identities will reflect that
overshadow.
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 12
As demonstrated, the quantifiable factors of identities are influential to the final product
of the musician’s merged identity. These quantifiable factors may include considerations such as
culture, location, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, clothing preferences, ethnicity,
race, political beliefs, and numerous other factors. Musicians may choose to classify themselves
or society may classify them based on these quantifiable factors; however, the merged identity of
the musician will automatically reflect any quantifiable factor that is of substantial importance to
the musician.
Five Development Stages of the Musician’s Identity
In comparison, identity development for musicians is not very different than racial
identity development in that there are specific stages to both, ranging from naïve through
internalization. “The transition from one stage to another usually occurs when an individual
recognizes that his or her current worldview is either illogical or contradicted by new experience
and information, detrimental to a healthy self-concept or no longer serving some important self-
interest” (Hardiman & Jackson, 2006). Bear in mind that this model is a preliminary developed
using Jackson and Hardiman’s “Five Stages of Racial Identity Development” as a guide. See
Table 1 for a condensed version of the “Five Development Stages of the Musician’s Identity.”
Stage One: Naïve
Stage One musicians typically have very limited experience with music and are unsure
about what to expect from the music industry. Most students fall into this stage by default
because their experience is limited to school and other supportive ensemble performances. Many
garage bands fall into this category also because they attempt to imitate their idols, rather than
develop their identities.
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 13
Musicians at this stage become aware of the differences between their musical abilities
and the musical abilities of others. They may not feel completely comfortable performing;
however, “they generally do not feel fearful, hostile, or either inferior or superior” (Hardiman &
Jackson, 2006) to other musicians. They are curious about the music industry and eager to learn.
The musician enters Stage Two usually after having performed for compensation several times,
although some musicians may enter Stage Two sooner.
Stage Two: Acceptance
In this stage, musicians tend to keep a significant separation between their stage identity
and the previously defined self. The musician likely has some compensation-based performance
experience as a freelance musician or as a member of a local band.
A musician at this stage has accepted their rank in the music industry. They have also
accepted the “superiority of the dominant [musicians] and the [culture of the music industry]”
(Hardiman & Jackson, 2006). These musicians will begin recruiting fans, which will lead to the
early stages of the merging of identities. As the separation between stage identity and the
previously defined self begins to collapse, the musician will progress to Stage Three.
Stage Three: Resistance
Musicians that reach Stage Three typically experience some discomfort regarding how
narrow the separation between their stage and previously defined self has become. Some
musicians attempt to alter their stage identity to retain separation of identities; others accept the
discomfort as part of the development process. Stage Three is the cap for most hobbyists and
part-time musicians, who willingly drop back to Stage Two and remain there for as long as
possible. The musicians that wish to proceed to Stage Four will likely do so quickly by becoming
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 14
increasingly transparent in communications with fans, in an effort to avoid the discomfort of
resistance.
Stage Four: Redefinition
“Having experienced a period of conflict at the resistance stage, [musicians] are now
beginning to move beyond this conflict toward a resolution and a new [merged] identity. They
begin to refocus or redirect their energy in order to define [self] in a way that is not dependent on
[separate identities]” (Hardiman & Jackson, 2006). At this stage, musicians include some of their
previously defined self on stage and lose some stage behavior that doesn't feel natural. Often,
they will also have genuine interactions with fans. Many semi-professional and professional
musicians are perfectly content being at Stage Four.
Stage Five: Internalization
“The transition from the redefinition stage to the internalization stage occurs when an
individual begins to integrate some of the newly defined values, beliefs, and behaviors into all
aspects of life” (Hardiman & Jackson, 2006). Musicians at Stage Five have completely
developed their stage and previously defined self into one identity. Maintaining the developed
identity feels completely natural because it is natural. While it may be possible for a musician to
reach Stage Five without fully recognizing that they have, it would become easily recognizable if
any piece of the identity is abandoned or significantly altered.
Conclusion
The music industry is always changing, but the most notable change in recent history in
relation to identity has been the near impossibility for musicians to retain separation between
stage identity and the previously defined self. The Internet is largely responsible for this change
in the music industry, and while there are drawbacks to the digital era for the music industry, the
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 15
benefits of this era are significant. The inability to establish the musician’s stage identity as
something other than self is one of the most significant benefits to the new music industry.
Without the creation of characters that represent something other than self, musicians are
less likely to experience identity conflict within their perception of self. The modern day music
industry rewards musicians for being genuine with fans, both on and off stage, and many
musicians have developed strategies to reduce the separation between the identity they portray
on stage and the previously defined self. Other musicians do not develop a strategy, but rather
experience a natural reduction in the separation.
Musicians that created or were assigned characters to portray on stage between the 1950s
and mid-1990s often struggled with identity due to the demands on the musician to frequently act
in character—bands broke up, drugs and alcohol were prevalent in the industry, and musicians
were on a path to self-destruction. While there have not been any studies that specifically
indicate a contributing cause, the unintentional reduction of separation between stage and self is
becoming a common trend with young musicians. It is this observation that explains why
merging a musician’s identities to develop one perception of self, both on and off stage, results in
the musician being less likely to experience conflict within the defined self.
To help illustrate the development process of a musician’s identity, a preliminary model
based on Jackson and Hardiman’s “Five Stages of Racial Identity Development” has been
created. Through these five stages, a musician becomes more comfortable with the merging of
identities and ultimately develops a single identity that defines self, both on and off stage. The
preliminary development stages are, of course, subject to change based on future musician
identity studies. As this research shows, the reinstatement of a character-driven music industry is
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 16
not likely; instead a continued development of single identities that define self for musicians
should be expected.
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 17
References
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TED Convention, Palm Springs, CA.
Ake, D. A. (2010a). Negotiating National Identity Among American Jazz Musicians in Paris.
Jazz Matters: Sound, Place, and Time Since Bebop. Berkeley: University of California
Press. pp. 17-73.
Ake, D. A. (2010b). Negotiating National Identity Among American Jazz Musicians in Paris.
Jazz Matters: Sound, Place, and Time Since Bebop. Berkeley: University of California
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Brody, R. (2014, October 13). Getting Jazz Right in the Movies. The New Yorker. Retrieved from
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Cannon, J., & Thomas, T. (2014). How Do I Get More People To Hear My Music & Make Fans?
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(Executive Producer), VH1 Behind the Music. New York, NY: VH1 Television.
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episode]. In G. Moll (Executive Producer), VH1 Behind the Music. New York, NY: VH1
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Clawson, T. (Producer), & Keshishian, A. (Director). (1991). Madonna: Truth or Dare [Motion
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MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 18
Eastman, J. T. (2010). Authenticating Identity Work: Accounts of Underground Country
Musicians. Studies in Symbolic Interaction, 35, 51-67.
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Arts & Sciences, 4(14), 147.
Fitz-Gerald, S. (2014, October 17). Ask a Juilliard Professor: How Real Is Whiplash. Vulture.
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whiplash.html
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Madalane, I. (2014). Tsonga popular music: negotiating ethnic identity in ‘global’
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MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 20
Tables
Table 1
Five Development Stages of the Musician’s Identity
Stage Description Stage 1: Naïve Typically have very limited experience and don’t know what to
expect. Attempt to imitate their idols, rather than develop their identities.
Stage 2: Acceptance Recognize stage identity, but maintain separation between their stage and personal identities. Likely to have some part-‐time experience working as a musician.
Stage 3: Resistance Typically experience some discomfort regarding how narrow the separation between their stage and personal identities has become. Most hobbyists and part-‐time musicians will drop back to Stage 2.
Stage 4: Redefinition Deliberately adopt a strategy to include more of their personal identity on stage and lose some stage behavior that doesn’t feel natural. Most common stage for professional musicians.
Stage 5: Internalization Fully developed identity from merging stage and personal identities. Maintaining the developed identity feels completely natural because it is natural.
Note: Table 1 illustrates the five development stages of the musician’s identity, modeled after
Jackson and Hardiman’s Five Stages of Racial Identity Development.
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 21
Figures
Figure 1. Musician identity survey results –
career level. This figure illustrates the career
level of 35 surveyed musicians, ranging
from hobbyists to full-time professional
musicians.
Figure 2. Musician identity survey results –
perceived identity. This figure illustrates the
perceived identity of 35 surveyed musicians,
ranging from hobbyists to full-time
professional musicians, as they see
themselves on and off stage.
27%
26%
47%
Music is my...
Full-Time Job
Part-Time Job
Hobby
Strongly Agree22%
Agree39%
Disagree39%
Strongly Disagree0%
I see myself as the same person on stage as I am off stage.
Running head: MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 22
Figure 3. Musician identity survey results - traits. This figure illustrates the traits chosen by 35
surveyed musicians, ranging from hobbyists to full-time professional musicians. The musicians
were asked to choose three traits from identical lists in two areas of the survey to identify how
musicians generally think of themselves compared to how they think of themselves while on
stage.
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Aggressive
Bold
Caring
Charming
Energetic
Friendly
Imaginative
Innovative
Inspiring
Intelligent
Perceptive
Practical
Quiet
Sociable
Spontaneous
Survey Results - Traits
I generally think of myself as... While on stage, I am...
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 23
Appendix A
This appendix contains the thirty-four survey questions from the musician identity survey used to
establish the current state of how musicians view self in relation to their stage identity. This
survey was completed between February 15, 2015 and March 18, 2015 by thirty-five musicians
at different career stages, ranging from hobbyist to full-time musician. Figures 1, 2, and 3 display
the results from this survey that were used.
I think of myself as... Select three (3) traits
Aggressive Bold Caring Charming Energetic Friendly Imaginative Innovative Inspiring Intelligent Perceptive Practical Quiet Sociable Spontaneous
Music is my... Hobby Part-Time Job Full-Time Job
I perform live shows Yes No
I typically perform live... 0-1 times per month 2-3 times per month 4-5 times per month 6-7 times per month 8 or more times per month
I see myself as the same person on stage as I am off stage. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
I perform live only so my original music can be heard.
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
While on stage, I am... Select three (3) traits
Aggressive Bold Caring Charming Energetic Friendly Imaginative Innovative Inspiring Intelligent Perceptive Practical Quiet Sociable Spontaneous
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 24
I compose music Yes No
I typically compose... 0-1 song per week 2-3 songs per week 4-5 songs per week 6-7 songs per week 8 or more songs per week
I would rather compose music than perform live.
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
I compose music strictly so that I may perform it live.
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
I want my compositions to be... Select three (3) traits
Aggressive Bold Caring Charming Energetic Friendly Imaginative Innovative Inspiring Intelligent Perceptive Practical Quiet Sociable Spontaneous
I record music. Yes No
I typically spend _____________ recording. 0-9 hours per week
10-19 hours per week 20-29 hours per week
30-39 hours per week 40 or more hours per week
I would rather record music than perform live.
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
I record music strictly to give to my fans at live shows.
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
I want my recordings to sound... Select three (3) traits
Aggressive Bold Caring Charming Energetic Friendly Imaginative Innovative Inspiring Intelligent Perceptive Practical Quiet Sociable Spontaneous
I teach music. Yes
No
I primarily teach... as a music educator for a school as a private instructor
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 25
I typically spend ______________ teaching music. 0-9 hours per week
10-19 hours per week 20-29 hours per week
30-39 hours per week 40 or more hours per week
Overall, my lessons are designed to encourage...
enrichment through experience future careers in music the mastery of music skills cultural and social growth
I try to keep my personal life private. Strongly Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
My students likely see me as... Select three (3) traits
Aggressive Bold Caring Charming Energetic Friendly Imaginative Innovative Inspiring Intelligent Perceptive Practical Quiet Sociable Spontaneous
I have fans. Yes
No
I have about... 0-200 fans 201-400 fans
401-600 fans 601-800 fans 801 or more fans
I try to keep my personal life private. Strongly Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
I personally know each of my fans. Strongly Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Some of my fans live outside my local area. Strongly Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
Most of my fans come to all of my shows in their area.
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
My fans likely see me as... Select three (3) traits
Aggressive Bold Caring Charming Energetic Friendly Imaginative Innovative Inspiring Intelligent Perceptive Practical Quiet Sociable Spontaneous
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 26
I use social media to communicate with my fans. Yes
No
I share personal stories with fans through social media.
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
I encourage public feedback from fans. Strongly Agree
Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
On social media I am... Select three (3) traits
Aggressive Bold Caring Charming Energetic Friendly Imaginative Innovative Inspiring Intelligent Perceptive Practical Quiet Sociable Spontaneous
Running head: MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 27
Appendix B
This appendix contains the online interviews of three musicians to help establish the
connection or separation between stage and personal identities of today’s professional musician.
The interview with Matthew McDonald (MM) from Perpetual Groove and Ghost Owl took place
on February 27, 2015; the interview with Christopher Hanson (CH) from Helena Handbasket
took place on March 6, 2015; and the interview with Gunther (G), whose name has been changed
at his request to protect his identity, also took place on March 6, 2015.
SS: What motivated you to choose a career in music?
MM: I feel like it chose me. There was really nothing else that ever was on my radar as
far as a career is concerned.
CH: The ability to be employed doing something that I love to do, the chance to
educate others about the wonderful effects music has on our lives, and the opportunity to provide
the means to channel emotions and feelings through an art of communication.
G: It's fun.
SS: What other types of work had you tried before deciding on music?
MM: I was a musician in the Army so that was a mixed bag. I did work at an
Orthopedic Clinic for a bit as the Work Comp Coordinator when I took a break from the road. It
was a nice distraction for a bit, but ultimately unfulfilling.
CH: Everything has always been tied to music in one shape or form with the exception
of college work to support my education in music.
G: Just a few part time jobs in the early days. Been doing music more or less full
time since high school.
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 28
SS: Do you feel qualified to work in any other industry today?
MM: Yes
CH: Yes
G: Yes
SS: Which other industry are you most qualified for?
MM: Mass media (other than music)
CH: Mass media (other than music)
G: Financial services
SS: Have you ever had a backup plan in case music suddenly stops being profitable?
MM: No
CH: No
G: Yes
SS: Why do you think musicians should or should not have a backup plan?
MM: They definitely should. Music doesn't pay well nowadays. However, it depends on
what your needs or responsibilities are.
CH: Obviously music work is not a guarantee at all times and there are slow times and
busy times with no regard generally to consistency with the exception of seasonal work. If
performing is your primary focus, having a backup plan is a good idea. If one combines teaching
and performing, a backup plan is not as critical, but still not a bad idea.
G: It's very hard to maintain a career in music.
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 29
SS: My stage identity is best described as...
MM: an extension of my personal identity.
CH: an extension of my personal identity.
G: an extension of my personal identity.
SS: My personal identity is best described as...
MM: something I protect from the public.
CH: the foundation from which I built my stage identity.
G: the foundation from which I built my stage identity.
SS: What characteristics (traits) define your stage identity differently than your
personal identity?
MM: More outgoing and daring. It translates directly to my performance and being
influenced by the others on stage and especially the audience.
CH: I am much more reserved personally than I am on stage - my energy comes alive
through a live stage show. For instance, I hate dancing when I'm not performing. But on stage, a
whole new energy drives me to dance around and move during the show.
G: None really.
SS: What might you do to prevent certain personal identity traits from being portrayed
to fans?
MM: I tend to be pretty outside of myself by being completely tuned into the moment.
If that makes any sense at all.
CH: I don't know if I have any answers for that, I don't have any controls that I put in
place to protect anything on stage. I just kind of let it all happen and what happens that night
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 30
happens that night. I have never felt embarrassed after a show nor have I ever felt like I did or
said anything to reveal anything I didn't wish for people know about me.
G: Can't think of anything.
SS: What influences helped you create your stage identity?
MM: Becoming more aware of the moment and always working to improve my own
sense of self.
CH: The examples of others in how the music moved them. James Brown is the first
example that comes to mind. Chris LeDoux and Garth Brooks as well. Bruno Mars and his crew.
G: Certain musicians I admire, but otherwise, just try to be myself.
SS: Does it require effort to maintain separation between your personal and stage
identities?
MM: No
CH: No
G: No
SS: Can you provide an example of a time that a personal decision was influenced by
your stage identity?
MM: Many times, especially early on, I would let my own frustrations with my playing,
general frustrations with attendance, or just a bad day on the road interfere with the overall
experience with others on stage.
CH: No response recorded.
G: Haven't had one.
MERGING MUSICIAN IDENTITIES 31
SS: How have your stage and personal identities evolved over the years?
MM: I think personally everyone continues to grow and evolve. What I've learned is to
try to blur any lines between the two. So that there is just me both on and off stage.
CH: The funny part about this is that I feel as I've gotten older moving on towards
being 40 in a few years, I think I've gotten more emotional and perhaps even rowdy on stage
with age. I was much more reserved as a younger man.
G: They have evolved together. Mainly a maturity.
SS: What do you think might cause your personal and stage identities to eventually
become one identity?
MM: It's a constant journey towards that oneness.
CH: Because music is my life and they are one in the same.
G: The desire to be myself.