Sustaining the assemblage: How migrant musicians cultivate and negotiate their musicianship

Abstract

ABSTRACT - Musicians who migrate to another country often make sizeable and interesting contributions to the music scene(s) of their new host country. However, little attention has been paid to their individual strategies for developing a sustainable music career in the new country. The present paper explores what types of actions that migrant musicians in Norway undertake in order to sustain a career in music. Data were collected throughout a study of over one year in duration that involved interviews with musicians and organisers, participant observation of relevant events, as well as a complimentary ethnographic study of the wider music world of migrant musicians in the Oslo area. In this paper, I will discuss two cases that highlight a fairly common use of musical collaborations for acquiring additional resources in different musical fields. The discussion will demonstrate how these resources were assembled together with existing resources, into the overall musicianship of my research participants. Two core categories of actions that appear to be important for sustaining the careers of migrant musicians are defined, namely, cultivation and negotiation activities. This paper draws primarily on sociological theoretical frameworks such as aesthetic flexibility, expanded notions of musicianship, and crafting of the self. In applying these frameworks, this paper explores why these types of actions seem to be necessary for musicians with a migrant background. Are these frameworks crucial to gain new opportunities in new musical fields? Do such opportunities help migrant musicians to build and sustain their music careers? Keywords: migrant musicians, musicianship, collaboration, assemblage