Vocational Research on Jazz Musicians

Vocational research conducted on musicians indicate that jazz musicians are faced with unique occupational challenges including unsteady employment, lack of health and pension benefits and exposure to occupational hazards related to work environment. Research in areas other than music indicate that these challenges directly impact the psychological, emotional Vocational research conducted on musicians indicate that jazz musicians are faced with unique occupational challenges including unsteady employment, lack of health and pension benefits and exposure to occupational hazards related to work environment. Research in areas other than music indicate that these challenges directly impact the psychological, emotional and psychosocial health of individuals. There is increasing evidence that occupational insecurities contribute significantly to psychological and emotional disorders thereby affecting occupational health.

At the Texas Center for Music and Medicine, researchers are initiating projects that are aimed at obtaining increased knowledge and understanding of employee health and occupational concerns. An understanding of these concerns will allow for the development of strategies that counter the psychological and emotional disorders related to occupational health. Current projects being conducted include an investigation of the occupational expectations and perceptions of jazz musicians at the college level. These projects are being conducted to gain greater insight into the occupational concerns of jazz musicians.

The Texas Center for Music and Medicine is ideally situated at the University of North Texas which boasts a strong jazz program. We are also in close proximity to the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex which has an active jazz industry thereby enabling researchers to directly interact with the community of professional jazz musicians and students.

The current projects are being conducted collaboratively between faculty and graduate students in an effort to promote graduate research.