A Lifespan Perspective on Passion for Music in Musicians

This study examined how passion for music and solitary practice vary across the musical lifespan in a large sample of elite trainee and professional musicians spanning 59 years of age. Drawing on the Dualistic Model of Passion, we investigated age-, experience-, and gender-related variations in harmonious passion (HP) and obsessive passion (OP), and examined how HP and OP related to weekly solitary practice. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 682 elite trainee aged between 15 and professional classical musicians recruited in Canada and the United Kingdom, and analyzed using multivariate regression and structural equation modeling approaches. Results indicated distinct developmental patterns for the two forms of passion and their links to practice. HP varied as a function of age and experience, whereas OP remained largely stable and was higher among men. With respect to practice, OP, but not HP, was positively associated with weekly solitary practice, and this association strengthened with age. An interaction between age and experience further showed that age-related variations in practice depended on accumulated expertise, such that practice increased with age primarily among less experienced musicians while remaining relatively stable among highly experienced musicians. Together, these findings highlight the existence of distinct developmental pathways linking HP, OP and practice behaviour across the musical lifespan.