The arrival of digital technology in the music industry has been nothing short of transformational. Over the past decade, music workers have had to adapt to the emergence of digital technology to continue performing their art. One way of adapting to the digital transition would be to encourage initial and ongoing training for workers in the sector. Indeed, there is a perception of under-training among musical artists in Quebec (a finding that would likely hold up in all provinces/territories). And yet, a quick look at the educational resources available in the province to train professionals in the field reveals that they exist – and that they are abundant. How, then, can we explain this gap between the observed under-training and the vast training offer? Is this curriculum relevant? Where are the music professionals being trained? And above all, how can CDPs support them?
To find answers to these questions, a research team aimed to understand the relationship of music workers to the Quebec training landscape and, more broadly, the effects of digital technology on music careers. Martet, Lussier, and Bélanger conducted long-term interviews with 10 participants, half of whom declared themselves to be self-taught (i.e., with no initial music training).
A recurring theme raised by all participants was the need to question the initial training offered by institutions. The participants did not believe that the traditional training courses could keep up with the needs of the field. This doubt is based on three arguments raised by the participants, which are linked to the complexity of their profession:
- the perceived impossibility of teaching the concrete tasks of their profession,
- the preference for exchanges within peer communities, and
- the speed with which digital tools for creation, management, and social networking change, or even become obsolete.
Self-training is often seen as the preferred option to overcome the complexities of their profession and the shortcomings of initial music training identified by the participants. It is often given priority over initial training, even by people with longer academic careers. The researchers observe three paths of self-training taken by music workers:
- experience and trial-and-error self-training,
- communities of practice and knowledge-sharing with peers, and
- use of online resources.
In this context, music training is no longer seen as a preparation for the job. Rather, it becomes an ongoing part of the job that is carried out on an ad hoc basis according to the needs of ongoing projects (e.g. technical training in creative tools, teamwork training, administration training, social network management training). The “crisis” experienced by the music industry due to the digital shift therefore seems to be linked to the need to orient oneself in all possible training choices, both formal and informal – a need that CDPs can meet to support music workers.
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