BY JASMINE MIDDLETON
It’s late at night. You’ve just finished a concert after a day full of back-to-back rehearsals. As much as you enjoyed performing with your fellow colleagues, you start fantasizing about that delicious alone time you’re about to have when you get home.
Then, you hear the dreaded words pipe up in the green room:
“So, where are we heading for afters?”
You’re presented with a dilemma. Do you throw yourself into the Danger Zone of approaching new people and forcing an unnatural sense of vivaciousness – perhaps with the assistance of Faux-Confidence Juice™ — and the risk of slipping up?
Or, do you avoid the entire situation and indeed go home, your not-so-wonderful alone time now plagued with thoughts of how this might impact your networking cred?
Sound all too familiar?
You may be an introvert, too.
However, let’s not get too carried away with stereotypes. Introverts aren’t always the shy, tea-drinking, book-reading, cat-parenting, starry-eyed hermits they’re often depicted. We just need time to recharge our social batteries. And as for extroverts, they supposedly simply gain energy from those around them.
This duality of extroversion and introversion has existed as the basis for almost all personality theories to date, yet has too often been simplified into easily consumable yet problematic Buzzfeed-style quizzes that play off common misconceptions – thank you Classic FM. The most popular of these is that the existence of a shy extrovert or an outgoing introvert is pure fiction.
For example, many people I know outside classical music are shocked when they hear I’m an introvert: “But, you’re so confident on stage! You can play in front of so many people and not be nervous!”
Did I spend hours practising so I could perform this repertoire with conviction and effectively mask the inner performance anxiety I’m feeling? Yes.
Would I feel completely comfortable and energised talking to every audience member at-length after my performance? No.
For a career highly dependent on networking, being an introverted musician can pose some initial barriers – especially with classical music being such a close-knit community.
If you want to delve into your own range of introversion, and how it relates to your other personality functions, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is making somewhat of a comeback in social media. (See: TwoSet Violin’s take on the 16 Personality Types. Any fellow INFJs out there grappling with their sense of purpose in this world?)
But, how does this all relate to being a musician?
For a career highly dependent on networking, being an introverted musician can pose some initial barriers – especially with classical music being such a close-knit community.
In her book QUIET, Susan Cain describes this obstacle as the Extrovert Ideal: “The omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight.”
“We think that we value individuality, but all too often we admire the one type of individual – the kind who’s comfortable ‘putting [themselves] out there’.”
Much like in the corporate world, being an introvert means the accepted ways to get ahead – and get a job – can often go directly against your own nature. If you easily get intimidated by big crowds, or wince at the thought of talking about yourself, fear not! Harness the power of introversion and make it your own.
I might not speak up a lot in a meeting or rehearsal, but when I do, I make sure it counts.
After years of trying to fit the extrovert mould, I’ve finally realised these pained attempts to be more bubbly and outgoing were causing me to ignore the other useful traits I’ve had all along.
Sure, I might end up scrolling through the Settings app on my phone, head down and avoiding participation at a large event, but I’ll comfortably talk at length about my passions over brunch with a handful of friends or colleagues. I might not speak up a lot in a meeting or rehearsal, but when I do, I make sure it counts.
And as much as I enjoy the self-sufficiency of my social energy, I’ve learnt to consciously reach out to someone new every so often.
While we can’t change who we fundamentally are – whether it be introverted or extroverted – we can embrace what we’ve got and offer our own unique perspective.
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READ NEXT: Susan Eldridge gives some useful advice on how to feel confident when you have to engage in networking!
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Featured photo by Molly Belle on Unsplash
