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Musicians and musical genres circulate around the world within the exponentially increasing influence of globalization. This research explores the understandings of six Greek musicians and their engagement with jazz. These musicians have complex cultural and musical identities formed by migration and nationalism that are enacted in different musical genres. The participants either play or appreciate jazz. They also play Greek traditional musical styles and a range of Western musical styles, ranging from 'classical' to rock, blues and pop. The participants are also music educators who work with students in a range of styles. Musical identity is acquired through interaction with others in their cultural group. For these musicians jazz appears to be problematic in their cultural and musical situation. It seems to be less acceptable than other music. Their insights into the tensions that surround their music making can inform others with curricular and cultural impositions on musical engagement. [Author abstract]

“Calista” is a bilingual, bicultural Greek-Australian musician in Melbourne, Victoria who explores and enacts her bicultural identity by musicking (making music). This single case study explores the formation and development of hybridized identity which is a complex lifelong process that may generate tensions for an individual that changes across the lifespan. There are strengths and challenges for those traversing different cultures. This study focuses on a bicultural identity formed by personal, musical and cultural contexts. Calista enacts her bimusicality in different musical genres and in different modes of musical engagement. Data were collected by semi-structured interview and by reference to published materials. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The findings are reported under three themes that reflect different stages in Calista’s life: Becoming a Greek-Australian musician; Mature musicking; and Teaching and community work.

Musicians and musical genres circulate around the world within the exponentially increasing influence of globalization. This research explores the understandings of six Greek musicians and their engagement with jazz. These musicians have complex cultural and musical identities formed by migration and nationalism that are enacted in different musical genres. The participants either play or appreciate jazz. They also play Greek traditional musical styles and a range of Western musical styles, ranging from 'classical' to rock, blues and pop. The participants are also music educators who work with students in a range of styles. Musical identity is acquired through interaction with others in their cultural group. For these musicians jazz appears to be problematic in their cultural and musical situation. It seems to be less acceptable than other music. Their insights into the tensions that surround their music making can inform others with curricular and cultural impositions on musical engagement.

This is a study of the complex multiple musicking by a Greek-Australian musician who performs and teaches in several musical traditions. Musicking, or music making with an emphasis on the process rather than the created object, also encompasses the diverse ways in which people engage with music performance. This article explores engagement with Greek traditional and contemporary music, western ‘classical’ piano from a conservatoire tradition, and singing in both Greek and English languages in popular and jazz styles. The subject of this study is a music educator who teaches in a range of educational contexts in Australia and Greece, including classroom and instrumental instruction. This rich, complex, and entwined musicking has created a life in music that is constantly exploring the possibilities of multiple musical identities. This autoethnographical personal exploration is shared with a fellow musician, educator, and researcher to offer a reflective and hermeneutic stance. Autoethnography is a hybrid that combines ethnographic and autobiographical inquiry, and focuses on reflective exploration of embodied participation and understanding. The main theme that arises from this study is the cross-fertilisation provided by being multilingual, multicultural, and multi-musical. Given the aspirational cultural diversity of Australia, a consideration of this musical life can offer insight into the provision of music and music education opportunities for the wider population.

This research explores the hybrid identities of Australian and Greek popular and traditional musicians and dancers in Melbourne, Australia and in Greece and finds that identity is complex, changing, and influenced by social and cultural context. All participants are bicultural, bi-musical and bilingual and select their music and dance practices according to personal preference, context, time and place. Cultural hybridity is increasingly common in culturally inclusive countries in a globalized world. The research begins with an autoethnographical study. Subsequently there are three individual and group case studies of Greek Australian musickers (musicians and a dancer). There is a study of Greek jazz musicians. In these phenomenological case studies data reveals negotiations and tensions in identity construction both by individuals and shared with others in groups. The final study explores the understandings of identity and culture held by bicultural Greek Australians and the wider community about public celebrations of Greek culture, specifically the annual Antipodes festival held in Melbourne (Victoria). The formation and development of hybridized identity is a complex lifelong process that may generate tensions for the individual. There are both strengths and challenges for those transitioning between cultures. This study focuses on the musical identity formed by personal, musical and cultural contexts.