Creating Career Pathways in Contemporary Art Music: FutureMakers

Margaret S. Barrett is Professor and Head of School at Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance at Monash University, Australia. Her research investigates: music learning and engagement in early childhood; the pedagogies of creativity, collaboration, and expertise; ecopolitics of music education; and creative citizenship.Karlin G. Love is an Independent Composer, Performer, and Curator in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, whose research practice investigates creative expertise development in Western art music.

“This volume fills a critical gap in career development resources for contemporary art music practitioners. By centring the lived experiences of artists, mentors, and industry partners within Musica Viva Australia’s FutureMakers program, it offers valuable insight into what it takes to build sustainable artistic lives in this niche field. This is a volume that is rich with reflection, relational wisdom, and sector-level vision, and is a deeply practical contribution to how we might imagine and navigate collaborative career pathways in contemporary art music.”Professor Andrea Creech, McGill University, Canada“FutureMakers is an exceptional and visionary work, illuminating Musica Viva’s trailblazing program with academic rigour and lived experience. Through its innovative, collaborative research and vivid voices from participants, mentors, and industry leaders, this groundbreaking volume tackles the real challenges of contemporary chamber music while charting bold, practical pathways to artistic excellence and enduring careers. Brimming with fresh perspectives, wisdom, and inspiration, this indispensable book offers an essential resource for anyone passionate about shaping the future of music.”Gary E. McPherson, Ormond Professor of Music, University of Melbourne, Australia“FutureMakers is a compelling and timely contribution to career education in practice. With rich, diverse voices and a clear commitment to artistic leadership, it offers fresh insights into professional learning and community-building in action. A must read for emerging contemporary art musicians and those who mentor and support them.”Professor Susan O’Neill, UCL Institute of Education, UK; Head of Department of Learning and Leadership and Past President, International Society for Music Education, UK“Margaret Barrett and Karlin Love have curated a fascinating array of chapters which offer diverse perspectives on creating and sustaining career pathways in today’s musical ecosystem. Their focus on a professional learning program developed within the contemporary art music industry grounds the highly engaging insights that emerge throughout the volume. The material on offer will be especially valuable to professionals in the field as they seek to devise new forms of artistic leadership and overcome the unprecedented challenges of an increasingly hostile global environment.”Professor John Rink, University of Cambridge, UK“For young musicians, one of the most challenging aspects of their career is finding their own path in the cultural sector. While the professional field for orchestra musicians and music educators is clearly defined, the freelance world of chamber music can seem quite confusing. In this book Margaret S. Barrett and Karlin Love open up the rich practical knowledge of professionals and the valuable experience of young musicians at the beginning of their careers. They provide essential reading for young musicians and for teachers at music universities who want to equip their students with necessary skills in entrepreneurship and creative citizenship.”Professor Constanze Wimmer, Rector, Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg, Austria

• Section 1: Mapping the landscape for career pathways1.1 FutureMakers: Creating career pathways in contemporary art music,1.2 FutureMakers: Structuring a program of professional learningSection 2: Developing career pathways through the FutureMakers Program2.1 Realms of change: An artist’s perspective on developing music futures in Australian art music,2.2 Visions for new ways of developing music futures in Australian contemporary classical music-making: The organisational perspective,2.3 Lessons from the FutureMakers Program: Bridging the gap to contemporary practice by forging artistic independence and building a sustainable ensemble,2.4 Venturing into the unknown: Eight lessons in creative collaboration,2.5 Artist conversations: Learning from stories of career pathways, past, present, futureSection 3: Enabling career pathways: Industry leaders sharing the way3.1 Mentoring through shared storying and listening of experience,3.2 Career enablers: Questions for making good decisions,3.3 Projects as career development,3.4 “From the seed of an idea”: A producer’s work in developing music performanceSection 4: Epilogue4.1 Joyous obsession: Developing artistic leadership in contemporary art music