Getting In: How Indie Rock Workers Gain Access to the Music Industry

• In Event: 256 - Section on Organizations, Occupations and Work Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Organizations, Occupations and Work Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Career Entry, Trajectories, and Patterns

Abstract

This paper examines the beginning of workers’ careers within the Indie rock industry in Chicago. Little is known about how workers transition from subculture participants to industry workers. Expanding upon research on workers in culture industries, I conducted twenty-six qualitative interviews with workers in the industry, asking open-ended questions about their careers and experiences to understand how they establish and maintain careers in the indie rock business. I show how workers' early interest in music goes beyond typical teenage fascination and becomes the focus of their lives. I explore any educational experiences informants may have had, and how they gained access to networks that lead to jobs in the industry. Also discussed here is how internships play into the career process and how informants gain expertise.

Author

• Annmarie S. van Altena, Loyola University-Chicago