MARIA MANTURZEWSKA AND HER STUDIES ON MUSICIANS’ PERSONALITIES

Abstract

The structure and nature of professional musicians’ personalities have been examined by numerous scholars. The issue of musicians’ personalities and the role of personality traits in their music activities is the subject of both reflective considerations and systematic research. The studies in the field of psychology of music analysed those personality traits that had a direct influence on the process of learning, creating, or performing music. When choosing a music profession, it is hard to be guided only by personality factors, without considering perception-related, technical, and intellectual aptitude. Being a musician is a combination of genetic and biological “package”, personality traits, as well as social and emotional support given during childhood and adolescence. Research on the personalities of professional musicians, conductors and composers started in the 19th century first attempted by Strumpf and then they were continued in the 20th century by Seashore, Teplov, Manturzewska, and later on by Bell and Cresswell, Kemp and Woody. It was conducted using musical aptitude tests, intelligence tests, and personality tests (by Castell, Eysenck, or the Big Five by Costa and McCrae). Maria Manturzewska’s research (also using the tests mentioned earlier) from 1960s and 1970s contributed to the popularization of knowledge about a professional musician’s personality. This article presents the most important results of these studies, which cast new light on the personality structure and the features (competencies, skills) which are necessary to become a successful musician.