So, I was using stumbleUpon the other day and I selected music as one of the categories I wanted to see. I happen to come across this article that describes the musician's personality. Apparently the person who did the study interviewed a bunch of musicians who played Ozzfest and asked them questions about their personality. They divided personality into three categories, of which most non-musicians exhibit one trait on either end of the spectrum (for example, they're introverted or extroverted). The other traits are sensitivity/openness and energy/rest. According to the article, while most normal people display one or the other, musicians can and frequently do exhibit both at the same time. here are some bulletpoints.
Quote:
Introversion/ Extroversion
1 All participants showed interest in physical activities but also reported requiring "alone time."
2 Most participants reported "overthinking everything" and being hypercritical, exhibiting critical attention to detail and a careful method of planning everything.
3 Those familiar only with the subjects' stage persona believed the subjects to be friendly, bold and approachable. The acquaintances who were able to respond to Grimes' interview questionnaire reported that the subjects were not approachable or appeared to hold a condescending view of others until one became better acquainted with the individual. Those closer to the musicians thought they were warm, friendly, calm and pleasant.
4 The introverts in her sample seemed adept at using introversion and extroversion in various facades to manipulate their appearances to the various circles of friends, acquaintances and others. As Grimes puts it, musicians were adept at "juggling multiple faces" (I really like this way of phrasing it!).
5 Many of Grimes's participants felt as though they were often misunderstood or perceived in a negative light, sometimes due to shyness.
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1. I don't enjoy much physical activity, so no.
2. This is me in a nutshell. That's the most frequent thing people comment on about me. Yes.
3. This is also very common for me. A lot of people feel I'm hard to approach, but friends will tell me anything at any time. yes.
4. While I'm inherently introverted, there are times where I flip and become the most outgoing person in a room like this. yes.
5. Very often, yes.
Total score: 4/5
Quote:
Openness / Sensitivity
1 The musicians in Grimes's sample reported being in the zone onstage, and being able to "tune out" external stimuli unrelated to the task. At the same time, Grimes found a lot of the musicians reported a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings and their experience of sound, lighting, scents, etc.
2 All of the musicians reported some degree of unusual perceptions, especially relating to high sensory sensitivity.
All participants described music as a means of self-expression, relating to others, and finding fulfillment. Subjects reported that listening to or creating music allowed them to recharge when overstimulated.
3 Musicians reported that any amount of inhibition hindered creative production. Apparently, this was a conscious decision: artists explained how they learned to work with the process so that they did not unintentionally inhibit their creativity by blocking their own flow.
4 Many of Grimes's subjects showed an appreciation of fantasy; daydreaming was commonly reported.
Grimes concludes that it is her hope that the stereotyping about introversion will cease to pervade introversion literature without unbiased support for those claims.
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1 I've never been on stage, but I do know the feeling of heightened sensitivity in those situations, and of being able to zone out while playing. yes.
2. I've always had unusual perceptions, and music for me is nothing but expression (or catharsis, which I find is self-expression) yes.
3. Yes. My band has agreed that we won't be shy to play when we come up with new parts or attempt to sing when we think we've come up with a new line.
4. I daydream and fantasize a ton. Yes.
Total score: 8/9
If you all would like to try and see what your "musician score" is, that could be fun. I might include a poll if we get a good enough response. Otherwise, I thought that would be a fun read.
