Motivations of Non-tenured Collegiate Professors of Music Performance Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Factors of Motivation On the Desire to Perform Live Music
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2023
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Abstract
This study aimed to understand what motivates non-tenured professors of music to perform. By better understanding what motivates this particular group, it might be more apparent what is at the heart of the various mental and physical health-related issues that are unique to musicians. Methodology and Participants: The study was conducted through an online survey with a total of 76 participants of various backgrounds all working at a university within the United States. The survey questions focused on intrinsic versus extrinsic forms of motivation, items dealing with identity, and opportunities to make a choice given a situation. There were also two short answer questions that provided room to explore missed opportunities in terms of how the participants describe their motivation. The short answer question also provided space for additional or overlooked considerations to contextualize the findings to some degree. The participants were gathered mainly by direct emails based on titles listed on university websites, a total of 2503 emails were sent, to 189 universities, resulting in 76 total participant responses. Results and Implications: The study results highlight several areas that indicate how this population’s motivation to perform could provide insights on the group’s mental health. Of the implications present from the results of this study, it is clear that a personal sense of identity linked to one’s role as a musician is one of the main driving motivations to perform. In turn, it also indicates inherent risk to motivation that stems from identity, in fields like performing arts when a day will inevitably come when the individual is no longer able to perform at the same level as they once did, if at all.
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Mental health, Non-tenured faculty, Musicians, Motivation, Motivation theory, Classical music, Music performance