Professional careers and meanings of work in times of pandemic Covid-19: what do musicians say?

Abstract

The flexibilization of work, informality and precariousness that have been affecting the artistic sector, especially the music sector, are reflected in the way musicians manage their professional careers. This precarious context puts workers in vulnerabilities, touching the meanings they attribute to their professional activities: it is through work that the act of giving meaning to nature is materialized, that the subject-object relationship is measured, with the disruption in the circuit of meanings a generator of suffering, compromising mental health. This study analyzes the career models developed and their consequences in the meanings attributed by musicians to their work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which intensified their obstacles. As results, musicians understand their professional careers related to the financial aspect, providing income, as well as enjoying what they do – professionals in organizations recognize themselves in the career anchors model, while the autonomous in the entrepreneurial career model. They attributed importance to the work they develop, with it meaning “everything” in their lives, in the foreground when evaluated against other dimensions of their lives. They face the intensification of precariousness at work during the pandemic, looking for parallel jobs to support themselves and continue their musical career.