Description
Book SynopsisDriven by a passion for music, for excellence, and for fame, violin soloists are immersed from early childhood in high-pressure competitions, regular public appearances, and arduous daily practice. An in-depth study of nearly one hundred such children,
Producing Excellence illuminates the process these young violinists undergo to become elite international soloists.
Trade Review"To all those kids out there dreaming of reaching the highest levels of classical music fame, this book whispers be careful what you wish for." 5-star review * Foreword Reviews *
"Employing ethnographic evidence that is breathtaking in scope, professor Wagner combines illuminating analysis with compelling and often poignant narrative. Soundly organized and lucidly written,
Producing Excellence presents an intimate and insightful view of a fascinating art world." -- Paul DiMaggio * A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University *
"Wagner's
Producing Excellence is a first-rate piece of ethnographic observation, a solid work of sociological analysis, and a fascinating story of the complex and at times cruel world that produces the violin virtuosi we read about in the newspapers." -- Howard Becker * author of Art Worlds *
"The narrative of the child prodigy bewitches parents, and not just when it comes to music. We’re taught that the cost of genius is instability or underdevelopment in other areas, but we rarely hear about the people who finish third through tenth. Also-rans make up the vast majority in every race, but in any field of elite competition the losers have to subject themselves to the same work, same costs, same instability, same underdevelopment, but without the glory or affirmation that come with making it. We like to believe that the winners were that much better or tried that much harder, but the difference between the two is often an arbitrary twist of fate or a powerful person’s whim."
Read the full article
here (http://bit.ly/1NroPNt) * New Republic *
"As several sociologists writing about music worlds, Wagner is herself deeply embedded within the field studied … She reports with rare intellectual honest the methodological
pros and
cons deriving from this 'embedded researcher' condition … Hopefully her book will help in proving artistic careers as a significant research field not only for sociologists of arts and culture, but also of education and work." * Sociologica *
"A keen-eyed participant-observer study of the career training of violin virtuosi." * London Review of Books *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction: Prelude—Scandal on the Stage
1 A Short History of the Virtuoso Profession
2 Before Entering Soloist Class: Early Socialization of Soloist Students
3 Triad Collaboration: First Stage of Soloist Education
4 Crisis and Career Coupling: The Second Stage of Soloist Education
5 Entrance into Adult Career: The Third Stage of Soloist Education
6 The Soloist Class Students’ Careers
Conclusion: Career Coupling and Nothing New in the Soloist World
Appendix Difficulties and Limits: Some Methodological Aspects about Attachment and Distance within Ethnographic Work
Notes
References
Index
