Musikeres profesjonelle seighet

This chapter discusses musicians’ professional resilience. On the backdrop of several changes that have affected the conditions for musicians’ work, such as increasing competition, relatively low income and the Covid-19 pandemic, one could assume that the music profession is associated with too much risk and is therefore less attractive. In a qualitative interview study of professional musicians in Norway conducted during the pandemic, however, musicians express in different ways that their work and profession is a source of well-being. We identify four strategies and cultural resources that form the basis of musicians’ professional resilience. First, musicians have strong experiences of meaning related to music, experiences that have intellectual, emotional, bodily and social elements. Second, musicians creatively adapt their work to changing conditions. Third, musicians have strategies for reducing their vulnerability in a competitive environment by anchoring their identity in aspects of their work that they feel confident about. Fourth, musicians express resistance against cultural policy expectations on becoming entrepreneurs. A discussion of the potential long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the professional resilience of musicians is also included in this article.