This study examines five highly trained musicians who made the life-changing decision to leave their occupations and pursue professions in completely new fields. Portraitures were created to illustrate how these individuals went on to forge successful careers even though their new positions required vastly different skillsets. Through qualitative analysis, it was discovered that numerous skills appear to be transferable from long-term musical training to various career paths. By examining people who have excelled in both domains, common traits were uncovered and grouped into four categories: Cognitive, Expressive, Socio-Behavioral, and Skills Particular to the Craft.The purpose of this research was to identify the skills that musicians can carry over into new professions. Those who may be considering alternative fields of work as well as employers in non-musical arenas may discover that musicians can be desirable candidates for hire because of their numerous transferable skills. Understanding the training process of musicians may also help gather insights for improving curricula which conservatories can employ to prepare graduates for careers. Retrospective feedback from alumni provided this study with a backdrop as to whether coursework offered at their schools aligned with modern industry conditions. After conducting interviews, findings from this study revealed that highly trained musicians do possess many skills that can transfer into new domains, though hard skills should be acquired in the new field. However, the foundation on which a musician's skillset is built provides a formidable bedrock on which a variety of successful careers can be cultivated.

[Truncated abstract] This study extends understanding of the careers of classical instrumental musicians within the cultural industries, and ascertains the extent to which professional practice is reflected within current classical performance-based music education and training. Little is known about the careers of classically trained instrumental musicians in terms of the activities in which they engage and the skills and attributes used to sustain their professional practice, and there is also widespread lack of understanding about the music industry and the wider cultural industries. The extent to which education and training reflects the careers of music performance graduates has gained heightened exposure at the same time as higher education institutions have become increasingly accountable for the employability of graduates, and yet much of the available literature has only tangential relevance and there remains a shortage of literature relating to the complex area of creative practice. The research approach for the study bridges both the interpretive and normative paradigms. Using survey and interview methods, the study employs three distinct but interrelated data collections to investigate sustainable professional practice through analysis of musicians’ careers, performance-based education and training, and the cultural industries. The study identifies the longitudinal characteristics of musicians’ professional practice and presents in a conditional matrix the intrinsic and extrinsic influences that impact upon it. The study proposes a practitioner-focussed Arts Cultural Practice (ACP) framework that consists of four practitioner-focussed, non-hierarchical groups which were determined through analysis of the major foci characterising roles within the cultural industries. As such, the ACP framework represents a new paradigm of sustainable practice that circumvents existing barriers; submitting a non-hierarchical view of cultural practice that clearly indicates the potential for an exciting diversity of holistic practice often not considered by practitioners. The ACP curricular model posits the collaborative delivery of generic skills across artforms. This study substantiates the generic skills used by artists throughout the cultural industries, and confirms the rationale for education and training which considers the sustainability of music graduates’ careers as arts cultural practitioners. Thus, individual strengths and talents should be developed according to the intrinsic and extrinsic influences which drive the passion for arts practice.