The Solo Performer’s Identity

Abstract

Abstract The previous chapter explored how self-identity is formed and how young people come to define themselves as musicians. The current chapter moves on from where the previous chapter concluded, accepting the definition of the musician’s identity which emerged. The central topic for consideration here is the notion of ‘being a performer’, in particular the question: ‘what makes a performer?’ The chapter concentrates on the soloist, for it is well documented that soloists typically are more exposed to performance pressures —they do not have co-performers with whom to collaborate. Furthermore, in popular, folk and classical Western traditions, the soloist is often regarded as a person who needs to possess very high-level communicative abilities in order to engage the audience’s attention and foster a sense of participation (see Davidson, 1997, for more discussion of solo versus co-performance). The discussion in this chapter reflects on the environmental circumstances, patterns of behaviour and personality traits that might influence the development of an individual’s performance abilities. In particular, what makes a ‘good’ solo performance is considered.

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