Self-disclosure Beyond ‘Vulnerability’: Young people, musical biographies, technology and music-making Michael Everitt Hartup A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Institute for Culture and Society Western Sydney University 2018 Acknowledgements. To Amanda Third, my primary supervisor, thank you for sitting alongside me, as I struggled with what it was I was actually thinking. It is with your guidance that these complexities came to life. To my secondary supervisor too, Philippa Colin. The practical guidance you offered and the excellent writing support you provided meant that alongside Amanda’s guidance, this work became something I am proud of. The Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre – thank you for the opportunity to do this PhD. The impact you have had on the lives of young people around Australia and the world continues to be remarkable. To my Sydney family, both literally and figuratively. Greg, Matt and Ash – you all welcomed me and helped make my journey up to Sydney feasible. To Kev and Jen too – thank you for welcoming me into ICS life. You’re both friends for life now, sorry. To those other PhD students and those external to the PhD experience too, you all helped make the move up to Sydney fruitful and valuable. To my Melbourne family, again both literally and figuratively, thank you for welcoming me back with open arms. To Zan especially, thank you for letting me slip back in as if life hadn’t changed. To Harriette too, for knowing and supporting and accompanying the writing journey – thank you. Milovan, Paula and Garrity – thank you for the understanding and support and helping to make the move back down incredibly rewarding. And to Mum, Dad, and Giles – when big decisions needed to be made, you were there to support and guide. Thank you. To the countless writing venues I managed to make home both in Sydney and Melbourne, thanks for the space, wifi and patience. Coffee has often been a constant (strong) accompaniment during these writing sessions and without it, I know the motivation would have been somewhat lacking. To live music – this is where I, amongst the company of both friends and strangers, fully came to realise the importance of this strange cultural form called music. To the venues, both still existing and sadly departed, that housed these experiences, you offer(ed) so much more than you could have and will ever know. To Ali, for the seven or eight times I’ve seen you over the past five or so years, each time has been an excellent reminder of strength, and the importance of just getting on with it. Thank you for offering support and respite during this PhD journey. You’ve reminded me of the constancy of life outside of the PhD. And finally, to the incredible group of young musicians who took part in this rather lofty project, thank you. It is because of you all that this is here, done. You all opened my eyes (and ears) to the remarkable sets of experiences that are so often missing from discourse. Because of you, this work now exists. ‘I want it. I need it. Because all of these records, they give me a language to decipher just how fucked I am. Because there is a void in my guts which can only be filled by songs’ (Hopper 2015, p. 13). Statement of Authentication The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. ……………… ………………….. (Signature) Contents Contents Contents .................................................................................................................................................................. i List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................................iv Abstract.................................................................................................................................................................... v PREFACE ................................................................................................................................. 1 Mythologies and Impossibilities ........................................................................................................................... 3 Methods ................................................................................................................................................................... 6 The Problem of Music ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Tensions of Self and Self-Disclosure ................................................................................................................... 10 Thesis Outline....................................................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER ONE - ON YOUTH ARTS DISCOURSE AND THE TRANSFORMATION NARRATIVE ................................................................................. 18 1.1 The Youth Arts Framework ............................................................................................................................ 24 1.1.1 Youth Arts Framings of Vulnerability ....................................................................................................................29 1.1.2 Youth Arts Framings of Resilience .........................................................................................................................32 1.1.3 Youth Arts and Governance ....................................................................................................................................34 1.1.4 Through the Neo-liberal Frame: How Vulnerability and Resilience are Inscribed onto Young People .........40 1.2 Narrating Vulnerability ................................................................................................................................... 43 1.3 Towards a New Youth Arts Frame ................................................................................................................ 47 1.3.1 Social Resiliency.........................................................................................................................................................53 1.3.2 Temporality ................................................................................................................................................................55 Conclusion............................................................................................................................................................. 59 CHAPTER TWO - METHODOLOGY ............................................................................... 61 2.1 Employing a ‘Version of Friendship as Method’ .......................................................................................... 64 2.1.1 Self-Disclosure ...........................................................................................................................................................69 2.1.2 Expertise.....................................................................................................................................................................72 2.1.3 Making Sense of Experience ....................................................................................................................................77 2.2 The Method ..................................................................................................................................................... 81 2.2.1 Recruitment ................................................................................................................................................................82 2.2.2 The Two Stages .........................................................................................................................................................84 Stage One .......................................................................................................................................................................84 Stage Two .......................................................................................................................................................................88 2.3 Considerations and Challenges ..................................................................................................................... 95 2.3.1 Blurring the Lines ......................................................................................................................................................95 2.3.2 Ensuring Participants’ Safety and Wellbeing ..........................................................................................................97 Conclusion........................................................................................................................................................... 100 i Contents PARTICIPANT PROFILES: MUSICAL TRAJECTORIES ........................................... 102 Dani’s Profile....................................................................................................................................................... 103 Dani ....................................................................................................................................................................................104