“You Start Feeling Old”

Abstract

Using interview data from 38 musicians, this study examines the ways in which the transition to adulthood is complicated by aspirations to a nonstandard line of work. Musicians face a recurring set of obstacles as they move into adulthood and respond by enacting various tactics to reconcile these dilemmas. The “on-time” musicians do so by framing emerging adulthood as a time for exploration, while musicians in young adulthood regarded as “off-time” feel more pressure to disengage from musical careers. Those who persist are able to do so by successfully reframing the musician identity as congruent with adulthood. This research illustrates the challenges of attaining adulthood for those on nonstandard paths as well as the ways in which adulthood is achieved by contemporary young adults.

Öznel Yaşlanma ve Yaş Kimliği: Bir Derleme

“…In a qualitative study conducted with young individuals in Denmark, participants stated that individuals who have left their homes feel older than their peers due to factors such as insufficient social support (Mølholt, 2019). In another study conducted with musicians, it was observed that musicians who passed from youth to adulthood stated that they were "old" and not "on time" to make music, taking into account the social group characteristics and expectations of the society (Ramirez, 2013) In China, the relationship between feeling old and types of social participation has been examined. Participation in political activities, older age, large parenting roles or being at work make one feel old at an earlier age (Liu Et al., 2019).…”