Greetings everyone
I got the most interesting email this week from a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania named “Micky” (birth name is Emmanuel Angel). This guy is starting to conduct what he says is a wide-ranging study about the real lives of musicians. He’s an active player himself and is doing the research at Penn with support from Down Beat Magazine and the local Philly chapter of the AFofM (to which I was once a dues-paying member). Through an inquiry of mine, I decided the thing is both legit and fascinating. So I’m posting his letter (with his permission) here both for your information and for the opportunity to contribute information. From the looks of it, it should be pretty innerestin. Here’s the letter. Enjoy it and if you have the time send in your info. (Micky is going to have one killer mailing list if it’s as “extensive” as he says). More comments at the end by me:
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From: angel2@upenn.edu [mailto:angel2@upenn.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 11:22 PM
To: Henricksen, Clifford
Subject: Musician Study
Dear fellow musician,
Do people really know what it’s like to be a professional musician? Do musicians themselves even know what their peers think and do? A large-scale groundbreaking new study from a University of Pennsylvania researcher (and musician) is attempting to find out.
This study is different from all prior studies on musicians in that it is collecting information from diverse geographic areas and many types of musicians. Although the media churns out a continuous stream of images depicting musicians, there is a profound lack of systematically gathered information about musicians’ lives; their occupations, attitudes, and behaviors.
Here is an opportunity to weigh in as a musician on issues of importance to all musicians by taking an online survey. The survey is easy to take as nearly all the items are multiple-choice and are responded to with mouse clicks.
Additionally, you don’t have to provide any personal information as survey responses are anonymous.
There is never a link between an e-mail address and a survey response.
The Philadelphia Local of the American Federation of Musicians http://www.local77afm.org is supporting this study by providing a link to the survey from its website. The study has also been promoted by Downbeat Magazine (http://www.downbeat.com/), Polyphonic.org (http://polyphonic.org/), and the College Music Society (http://www.music.org/).
No matter what your style of music or musical occupation, get counted by participating. Results will be published and posted so all can benefit.
Please visit my homepage http://musicianstudy.gse.upenn.edu/ at the University of Pennsylvania to learn more.
Or go directly to the survey site: http://www.musicianstudy.org.
If you have already participated you have my sincere thanks. You can still help by forwarding this message to other musicians.
If you are not a musician and this letter has reached you by accident, your help is appreciated in forwarding this to any professional musicians you may know.
Thanks for your help!
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Here’s part of a reply to my questions that Micky sent:
I have compiled musician e-mails from many sources on the Web and from musician referrals, many of them from anonymous sources, and are used only for the study. So no one will get your e-mail.
Feel free to post the letter to your forum; much appreciated.
I will begin the analysis phase soon and it should take some months, but I will be posting results on my web site and perhaps submit for publication in other places to be determined.
As to the “Why?” question, I’m from a family of musicians and I have been active musically my whole life, with an interest in many styles of music and diverse musicians. I’m a grad student at Penn and this is a doctoral dissertation in measurement psychology, so this study combines two areas of interest. The study will be looking at many things concurrently, including challenges like the ones you mention. Yes, I have many friends who play full time and am aware of the struggles as well as the fulfillment that comes with the territory.
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I’ll try to get Micky to post here.
Cliffie,
I got that letter too - filled out the survey yesterday. I think he must have gotten our contacts here at the forum or at the wiki.
I encourage anyone to participate.
Tom
It seems they are only interested in musicians from US or Canada.
That was an interesting survey. I think it dealt more with a touring pro then a local working musician. It did have some questions that made you think and wish there was another option for answers. All in all it was a good thing.