Art, Play, Work: The Lifeworlds of Musicians in Modern Times

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Martin Rempe
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2015 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 277714615

The project Art, Play, Work: The Lifeworlds of Musicians in Modern Times investigates the life and work environments of musicians in Germany and, following the leitmotif of professionalization, traces their transformation between about 1870 and 1960. The development, extent and limits of professionalization are discussed with regard to education and training, work conditions, gender relationships and processes of specialization in different musical cultures as well as with respect to transnational and technological influences on the profession. The study aims to present the first densely empirical, genre-transcending social and cultural history of musicians which does not in advance give privilege to a specific musical genre but historicizes the social and aesthetic differentiation of the music profession in a long term perspective. For this, the study draws on concepts from the sociology of professions and cultural sociology. Methodically, procedures of group biography and discourse analysis are employed. This framework of analysis links the project primarily to two fields of research: on the one hand to the social history of music; on the other hand to the new history of work and current debates about the rise and social significance of so-called creative work. Overall, the study sheds new light on the history of Musical life in Germany and promises fresh insights into the lifeworlds of ordinary musicians as well as into individual musical experiences between art, play and work in modern times.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professorin Celia Applegate