The role of personality in musicians' information seeking for creativity.

Introduction. This paper explores the relationship between musicians' information seeking behaviour and their personality traits within the context of musical creativity. Although previous research has addressed different sociotechnological and behavioural aspects of music information seeking, the role of personality characteristics around creative activities has been an under-researched area. Method. The research was conducted by means of a questionnaire survey administered to Greek musicians. The survey questions were developed based on theory from the domains of information behaviour (Wilson 1981) and musical creativity (Webster 2002). Different personality characteristics were measured using the Core Self-Evaluations Scale (CSES) (Judge et al., 2003) based on self-efficacy, self-esteem, locus of control and neuroticism. the Core Self-Evaluations Scale (CSES) Analysis. The questionnaire survey provides empirical evidence of the associations between personality traits, music information seeking and musical creativity based on descriptive and inferential nonparametric statistical analysis for group differences. Results. The results indicate that information plays a significant role in different creative activities of musicians. Musicians utilised a variety of information sources but encountered important obstacles in information seeking. A significant connection was also found between musicians' personality characteristics and different types of information seeking aspects, creativity, as well as demographic differences. Conclusions. Overall, musicians' personality and in particular self-efficacy is associated with scholarly information seeking and analysis

Implicit theories of a desire for fame

The aim of the present studies was to generate implicit theories of a desire for fame among the general population. In Study 1, we were able to develop a nine-factor analytic model of conceptions of the desire to be famous that initially comprised nine separate factors; ambition, meaning derived through comparison with others, psychologically vulnerable, attention seeking, conceitedness, social access, altruistic, positive affect, and glamour. Analysis that sought to examine replicability among these factors suggested that three factors (altruistic, positive affect, and glamour) neither display factor congruence nor display adequate internal reliability. A second study examined the validity of these factors in predicting profiles of individuals who may desire fame. The findings from this study suggested that two of the nine factors (positive affect and altruism) could not be considered strong factors within the model. Overall, the findings suggest that implicit theories of a desire for fame comprise six factors. The discussion focuses on how an implicit model of a desire for fame might progress into formal theories of a desire for fame

Theoretical and applied issues on the impact of information on musical creativity: an information seeking behaviour perspective.

This century is an era of information and knowledge intensification. Novel information systems and services are developing through modern online information technologies. The rapid changes in the online information environment have greatly affected the way in which individuals search for music information and engage with musical creativity, within different music domains and for different purposes which involve composition, performance and improvisation, analysis and listening. The aim of this book chapter is to investigate the theoretical and practical issues relating to the impact of music information on musical creativity from an information seeking behavior perspective. Musical creativity is perceived as an intentional process which acts as a motivator for information seeking, leading to the utilization of different information resources and to the development of specific information seeking preferences. The chapter highlights the implications for research in this area and presents a research agenda for the interrelation between music information seeking and musical creativity

Musical Motivation: Towards a model synthesising the research

This article explores motivation to participate in music making activities. It examines historical and current theories of motivation and sets out a model describing the way that the characteristics of the individual including, personality, self-concept and personal goals interact with the environment to influence motivation and subsequent behaviour. The environment may include culture and sub-cultures, society, time, place, institutions, family and peers and the rewards and punishments that these offer. The article then explores research relating to motivation to actively participate in music. This supports the notion that musical motivation is determined by complex interactions between the individual and the environment within which they find themselves. The article concludes with a consideration of directions for future research

How Popular Music Artists Form an Artistic and Professional Identity and Portfolio Career in Emerging Adulthood

This qualitative, phenomenological study sought to understand ways popular music artists experience and make meaning of their transitions from the role of college student to roles as professional artists and independent adults. During lengthy individual interviews, 15 young artists ages 23 to 28 described their transitions into multifaceted portfolio careers after graduation from specialty music colleges. The primary themes revolved around the formation of artistic identity, transitioning from college into professional life, managing financial challenges, and ultimately, becoming and being a creative artist by aligning artistic expression with life balance. While all participants intended careers as working musicians focused primarily on performance, 12 of the 15 began or significantly increased an emphasis on original composition after graduation to enact their artistic identities. A central finding of this study involved balancing this compelling creative drive with personal life balance at an early career stage. A lack of paying work, competition, and self-doubts emerged as key early career challenges. Original composition may not provide significant income, and particularly in the United States, substantial student loan debt may further exacerbate financial challenges. Participants demonstrated effective reflective and proactive approaches to challenges, acknowledging personal temperament and individual circumstances while developing and adjusting artistic and life balance. For some, financial stability initially took precedence, enabling creative freedom, while others expanded musical activities to create sustainable and creative careers. Participants who began professional work prior to graduation demonstrated a clear advantage over those who waited. Four theoretical frameworks provided analytical lenses to examine transition issues of young artists: identity theory, emerging adulthood, self-efficacy, and systems creativity theory

Writing because I want to, not because I have to: Young gifted writers’ perspectives on the factors that “matter” in developing expertise

The study reported on here sought to better understand the development of writing talent from the perspectives of a group of gifted adolescent female writers. Recent shifts in how giftedness and talent are conceptualized has led to an increased focus on domain-specific abilities and the importance of understanding how specific talents can be identified and supported. Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) (see Gagné, 2000; 2003; 2007; 2008) distinguishes between gifts and talents. Gifts represent the potential for outstanding achievement, while talents are the manifestation of this potential. Of particular interest to teachers and parents are the conditions that are influential in gifts being realised as talents – what Gagné refers to as catalysts. The participants in this study were asked to reflect on the development of their interest and ability in writing over time. Emerging from their feedback were two categories of catalysts: the intrapersonal and the environmental. For this group of students, intrapersonal catalysts were more influential to the realisation of their writing talent than environmental catalysts. This intrinsic motivation to write, and from an early age, is consistent with studies of eminent adult writers. Parents and teachers featured as important environmental catalysts. The participants in this study valued the input and support of teachers, particularly during the early years of their schooling. However, as they moved through the school system, these students felt the nature of the curriculum, and assessment practices increasingly threatened their intrinsic motivation for writing and diminished the satisfaction gained from writing at school. An unexpected outcome of this research was the important influence of music on their current writing

Narcotics Addiction and Its Treatment

The ongoing mythologizing of the poet in both criticism and, as recently in a play produced by Wasa teater (Vasa), is reductive, and needs to be confronted.

Music plega : towards an understanding of play within professional chamber ensemble music rehearsals

This thesis explores the phenomenon of play within professional chamber ensemble music rehearsals of the Western art tradition. It sets out to provide a critical examination of existing literature on play, especially to consider relevant ideas within music performance and artistic research. The objective of this thesis was to conduct an empirical case study to investigate the perspectives of professional musicians on “play” in the chamber ensemble rehearsal context. Three studies were carried out: a focus group with practising musicians; video-recall interviews with ensemble members following rehearsal; and reflections following rehearsal by myself and independent researchers. All focus group and interview sessions were transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to gain an understanding of the musicians’ social constructionist experiences and perspectives on play within an ensemble rehearsal setting. The data provided insight into how play was initiated as well as the different types of play experienced within the music rehearsals, some more visible than others. An interpretation of the data revealed four key perspectives: play with the self; playing with the ensemble; playful musical interpretation; and playfulness of the rehearsal dynamic. It was noted that different types of play operated across these perspectives, including functional play, adaptive (animal) play and object play, while different kinds of play behaviours emerged, such as exploratory, spontaneous, experimental and anticipatory. There was engagement in “the game” that yielded fun and jokes along with positive emotional states and interactions. Play itself was underpinned by shared motivations, goals and knowledge of the cultural parameters of the Western art rehearsal tradition

BOUNDARY SPANNING AND LEADERSHIP PERCEPTIONS IN CREATIVE ORGANIZATIONS: EVIDENCE FROM FOUR ORCHESTRAS

My research examines the importance of a particular form of cross-group brokerage in social networks wherein a person represents a bridge between his or her group and people belonging to a different group. Prior research on network brokerage and leadership emergence has failed to distinguish between brokerage in general and the kind of boundary-spanning between groups that is the focus of my research. Moreover, what we currently know about social network brokerage and leadership emergence comes either from highly abstracted laboratory-based work, or it comes research in relatively traditional work organizations with clear formal structures. It is unclear whether prior research from traditional organizational settings can be applied to nontraditional organizations in the so-called “creative industries,” which are the focus of my research. The core hypotheses my research examines are: (1) Do individuals whose friendship networks help them bridge between groups emerge as leaders in the eyes of others? And (2) Are people who are socially perceptive and socially skilled better at leveraging such boundary-spanning positions to win nominations of leadership from others? Data from the study come from interview and survey data from four different musical orchestras based in Korea

Correlation between Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Personality, Fear of Success, and Self-Defeating Behaviors of Performing Artists

There is substantial evidence that self-defeating behaviors appear regularly among populations considered psychologically stable. While there has been abundant research on self-esteem, self-efficacy, personality traits, and fear of success as independent constructs, little is known regarding the combined effect of these constructs on the self-defeating behaviors of performing artists. Examining self-defeating behaviors among performing artists is significant because this population is susceptible to self-sabotaging behaviors, underscoring the need to understand their behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine whether self-esteem, self-efficacy, personality, and fear of success predicted self-defeating behaviors among performing artists. Bandura\u27s self-efficacy theory and the Baumeister self-esteem theory were used as the theoretical foundations for the study. A cross-sectional self-administered survey was used to collect data about how self-esteem, self-efficacy, personality, and fear of success affected the self-defeating behavior of performing artists from a convenience sample of 100 performing artists in New York City. The following assessment tools were used: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale, Big Five Inventory, Fear of Success Scale, and the Lay Procrastination Scale. Results indicated a significant relationship between the self-efficacy, self-esteem, personality, and fear of success on self-defeating behavior in performance artists. The implications for positive social change include the potential to help current and future performing artists recognize and manage their self-defeating behaviors, thus preventing disengagement at work, depression, and frustration