‘Getting back to my old self’: women and gender non-conforming people restarting DIY careers in music

How do women and gender non-conforming people experience career breaks and restart their careers in music? Understanding this question requires an analysis of how careers are reactively constructed through experiences, rather than current, idealised career models. This article draws on a study of 56 music industry workers from Victoria, Australia, to explore what challenges women and gender non-conforming people face when taking a ‘career break’, and how they attempt to re-engage with work. Participants found that navigating their career interruptions was significantly constrained, as the idealised notions of a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) music career stand in direct opposition to maternity demands and self-care necessities. Currently, the policy that exists in Australia around music workers reinforces economic considerations at the expense of non-economic and structural issues, as well as self-responsibilising, individualised career development strategies. Understanding how music workers manage their careers is needed for the development of inclusive policies in the future.