A Survey of Attitudes Towards Burnout Among Music Students at The University of South Carolina School of Music

The purpose of this study was to define burnout specific to musicians. The study explored the attitudes towards burnout of student musicians at the University of South Carolina School of Music. A survey was created based on models in the research literature, and was administered to music students with the permission of the School of Music administration. Internal review board approval was obtained. The survey was available via the Internet. Participation was voluntary and student anonymity guaranteed. The population of the survey consisted of 416 undergraduate and graduate music students enrolled in the 2016 spring semester. Of the 416 total students enrolled, 156 students were graduate students and the remaining 260 were undergraduates. The entire population of 416 music students was asked to participate in the Internet-based survey. A total of 102 responses were submitted online for a 24.5% response rate. The research instrument revealed that the majority of music majors at the University of South Carolina are experiencing average to low levels of burnout. Even though the majority have high levels of emotional exhaustion, low levels of depersonalization and high levels of personal accomplishment indicate low levels of burnout. The survey results suggest that music students are experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety caused by music studies