Leisure or work? Amateur and professional musicians' perception of rehearsal and performance

This investigation examined amateur and professional musicians' perceptions of rehearsal and performance as either work or leisure along the dimensions of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and perception of choice. Seventy-four subjects participated in this study. Thirty-four were professional musicians and 40 were amateur musicians. The results showed a relationship between the type of musician and the perception of rehearsal and performance as either leisure, leisure/work, or work. Significant differences were found between the subgroups' (leisure, leisure/work, and work) intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and perception of choice during rehearsal. Amateur and professional musicians differed on the variables intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and perception of choice during rehearsal. During performance, differences were found in the musicians' extrinsic motivation. These results suggested that amateur musicians viewed rehearsal and performance as leisure, motivated by intrinsic factors, while professional musicians perceived the activities as work, motivated primarily by the pay-off.