Thank You Dr. Kemp

Last night, out of boredom, I was browsing articles dealing with the social psychology of music. I was attempting to find out if there are reasons as to why certain people are drawn to particular composers. I didn't find much that I didn't already know. (Unstable people tend to prefer Wagner. Well, duh.) But, I did come across an article entitled "Individual Differences in Musical Behavior" by a guy named Anthony Kemp. I think that the idea of a prevailing personality type for musicians is intriguing. I'm a bit skeptical, but this guy certainly understands *me*. Here are a few excerpts.

“It is well documented that musicians tend to be introverted, although within this generalization considerable variation amongst different types of musician has been found. This research shows that musicians’ introversion takes a different form to that of the general population; whilst displaying the primary traits of detachment and self-sufficiency, musicians do not exhibit those traits related to seriousness and shyness. This tends to suggest that musicians are indeed self-contained people but that this is a self-imposed result of their work patterns which have been instilled from the earliest stages of music tuition. The extended period of isolation spent in practice rooms require the young musician to be comfortable in that kind of environment. In other words, music, and especially the playing of complex and demanding instruments, attracts self-sufficient and more socially aloof types; and frequent engagement in extended periods of solitary practice is likely to accentuate these traits.”

“All these approaches stress the essential nature of this feature of musicians’ temperament which encapsulates the notion of their inner strength and resolve to master and bring order to their internal lives.”

“Drevdahl and Cattell coined the term ‘bold introvert’ to describe the temperaments of creative types, and this appears to accord with Storr’s more recent view that the capacity to be alone can be interpreted as emotional maturity rather than a manifestation of fear.”