Musical Pathways

Abstract

Abstract Dispositions and identities are not fixed; they are vulnerable to circumstances both professional and personal. This chapter traces how musicians’ experiences engendered changes in life paths, and how both uncontrollable conditions and intentional choices redirected musical lives. Disruption is from the Latin word for “break”: examples of disruption include injuries, lack of teacher-student rapport, or losing an important audition or competition. Renewal refers to restoring, re-establishing, or returning—a making new. It is often an outcome of disruption that moves us to change—leading us to new paths or perspectives. Autobiographers shared stories of connections with others in moments of grief, celebration, and protest. In this way, music itself serves to both disrupt the status quo and renew our sense of unity, mutuality, and belonging.