Well-being of music students and music professional -research group

Presentation

The research group working on musicians’ well-being consists of Tuire Kuusi (professor of music research) and four researchers preparing their doctorate. The projects focus on performance psychology of bachelor students (MM, Mental coach Anni Jääskeläinen), on the transition phase between master studies and working life (MM, Solution-focused brief therapist Johanna Engelbarth), on career management of professional musicians (MM Jussi-Pekka Piirainen), and on musician leadership and its impact within orchestra community (MM, M.Soc.Sc. Päivi Rissanen).

The abstracts of the projects are given below.

Researchers and research projects

Tuire Kuusi

Tuire Kuusi has conducted research on the heredity of musicality, the impact of performing on the expression of musician genes, causes of death of professional musicians, the well-being of church musicians and other church workers, the employment of music graduates (masters, doctorates), and the well-being experiences of doctoral students in the arts (see publications).

Johanna Engelbarth

I am a doctoral researcher with a passion for promoting the wellbeing and work-life skills of artists. In my doctoral research, I am developing a coaching programme based on positive and solution-focused psychology interventions to support graduating students’ transition into the profession. The cornerstones of the coaching are growth mindset, character strengths, self-compassion, resilience and body-mind connection, providing concrete tools to strengthen professional and personal well-being. The coaching will be tested on graduating Master’s students and recent graduates at the beginning of their professional life. The aim is to prove how the combination of positive and solution-focused psychology can support musicians’ well-being, employability and resilience.

Music and psychology are central to both my background and my work. I have worked for many years as a professional musician (singer) and music educator, and continue to be active in these roles. My practical experience in the field of arts and education has given me a deep understanding of the everyday life of musicians, the challenges they face and the demands of their professional lives. I am also a solution-focused brief therapist and psychology student, and apply these skills specifically to supporting artists’ wellbeing and work-life skills. Combining art and psychology in my research and work provides a holistic approach to supporting artists at different stages of their careers. I also work as a trainer, coach and therapist, with a particular focus on the needs of creative professionals. I am committed to developing sustainable and effective solutions to help artists flourish in their creative work and personal lives.

Anni Jääskeläinen

My aim is to investigate what kind of working methods support the training of the psychological skills of bachelor students. As part of my doctoral project, I am developing a model of psychological coaching based on research data. The model will support music studies and the career of a musician and can be used in, for example, in educational institutions. The coaching model is based on the identification and practice of psychic skills. These include emotional and interpersonal skills, motivation and goal-setting, skills in concentration and mood regulation, self-confidence and self-talk, and self-compassion skills.

The research question is how a coaching package based on performance psychology supports the development of well-being and performance of music students. In my research, I examine how regular and guided training in basic psychological skills improves student wellbeing, supports learning, and increases work-life skills. The theoretical framework is performance psychology and the theory of self-determination.

Jussi-Pekka Piirainen

My research aims to study and develop self-regulation-based career management training for musicians. Many musicians have a multi-role work life where income, duties, and career paths are divided into several areas. Musicians must actively maintain core musical skills, look for job opportunities, and plan future projects. Many work roles and tasks that need time and effort overlap in time, which requires strong career self-management skills. Goal setting, time management, and adaptability are important self-regulation skills to build a healthy portfolio work life. While self-regulation research shows that deliberate use of these skills enhances learning and performance, no link exists between self-regulation research and career management in music.

The research question is how adapting self-regulation skills to career management can help musicians navigate multi-role work life more fluently.

The study will strongly contribute new knowledge for developing work-life skills in a music industry that still lacks empirical research. With proper career self-management musicians can devote more time and effort to creative work and performance on stage, boosting motivation and work-life satisfaction, and reducing burnout and dropout rates from music careers. The findings may also help multi-role careerists in other performing arts and creative industries, contributing new insights also to the fields of modern career models, career self-management, and self-regulation research.

Päivi Rissanen

In my dissertation, I will study the internal musician leadership of Finnish orchestras and its impact on musicians’ intrinsic motivation and the psychological safety of the orchestra community. Earlier research has shown that these factors are linked to the well-being of employees and work communities, as well as the quality of work.

The main question of my research is what the internal leadership is like in Finnish symphony orchestras.

According to research on orchestral musicians and my master’s thesis (2019), orchestral work is not only physically but also mentally very demanding. Musicians at the bottom level of the orchestra hierarchy feel a lack of appreciation and artistic autonomy. In general,

musicians working in a highly hierarchical and demanding environment have no influence over the content of their tasks, working conditions, or job requirements. Additionally, musicians’ opportunities to discuss work-related matters during working hours are practically non-existent due to their job roles and the organization’s structure. The internal vulnerability of orchestras became apparent during the coronavirus pandemic, and it is undeniable that more investment is needed in developing the work environment for orchestral musicians.

In my research, I aim to identify the factors related to the work culture of orchestras, especially internal leadership, which can be concretely influenced to improve orchestra practices and enhance musicians’ well-being at work.

Publications

• Kuusi, T. & Lähteenmäki J. (arvioitavana). Positive veteran teacher. Case example of a lecturer in piano. International Journal of Music Education.
• Kuusi, T., Ojala, J. & Pyhältö K. (arvioitavana). Taidealan tohtoroituvien tutkijoiden kokemukset hyvinvoinnista ja siihen vaikuttavista tekijöistä. Helsinki: DocMus Research Publications.
• Kuusi, T., Tervo-Niemelä, K. & Viertiö, S. (2024). Factors influencing psychological distress of workers in the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church. BMC Public Health. Doi 10.1186/s12889-024-18165-x. Also available at https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2024032212622
• Kuusi, T., Viertiö, S., Helenius, A., Tervo-Niemelä, K. (2022). Health and Well-Being of Church Musicians during the COVID-19 Pandemic – Experiences of Health and Work-Related Distress from Musicians of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Finland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, 9866. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169866
• Pohjannoro, U., Kuusi, T. & Ojala, J. (2020). Vuosina 2012–2019 valmistuneet musiikin tohtorit työelämässä. Akateeminen urapolku vai ”mukava lisä”. Sibelius-Akatemian selvityksiä ja raportteja 22. Helsinki: Sibelius-Akatemia.
• Nair, P. S., Kuusi, T., Ahvenainen, M., Philips, A.K. & Järvelä, I. (2019). Music-performance regulates microRNAs in professional musicians. PeerJ7:e6660 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6660
• Kuusi, T., Haukka, J., Myllykangas, L. & Järvelä, I. (2019). The causes of death of professional musicians in the classical genre. Medical Problems of Performing Artists 34, 92–97.  https://doi.org/10.21091/mppa.2019.2016
• Rissanen, P. (2019). Taiteilija vai työläinen? Sinfoniaorkesterin rivimuusikoiden identiteettien rakentuminen haastattelupuheessa. Julkaisematon pro gradu -tutkielma, Helsingin yliopisto. http://hdl.handle.net/10138/302929
• Oikkonen, J., Kuusi, T., Peltonen, P., Raijas, P., Ukkola-Vuoti, L., Karma, K., Onkamo, P. & Järvelä, I. (2016) Creative activities in music – A genome-wide linkage analysis. PlosONE 11.  DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0148679
• Kanduri, C., Kuusi, T., Ahvenainen, M., Philips, A.K., Lähdesmäki, H. & Järvelä, I. (2015). The effect of music performance on the transcriptiome of professional musicians. Scientific Reports, 5: 9506. DOI: 10.1038/srep09506
• Kuusi, T. (2015). Musical training and musical ability: Effect on chord discrimination. Psychology of Music 43 (2) 291–301. DOI: 10.1177/0305735613511504
• Järvelä, I. & Kuusi, T. (2014). Geenitutkimukset, musiikki ja musikaalisuus. Trio 3 (1), 6–16.
• Kuusi, T. (2012). Musiikin tohtori työelämässä. Kysely Sibelius-Akatemian Solistiselta osastolta ja DocMus-yksiköstä valmistuneille tohtoreille. Sibelius-Akatemian selvityksiä ja raportteja 15. Helsinki: Sibelius-Akatemia.
• Kuusi, T. & Valkeila, R. (2008). Intohimona musiikki. Työllistymiskysely Sävellyksen ja musiikinteorian osastolta valmistuneille. Helsinki: Sibelius-Akatemia.