ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that such equilibrium is tenuous, especially in the digital age. Building on the work of Tavory and Daniel Winchester on experiential careers, the propose is that record industry personnel undergo 'changes in their ways of experiencing a 'cared about' object of their career'. These shifts in experience can be summarized as an early period of strong excitement followed by routinized behavior on the part of music personnel and, often, disenchantment that leads to exiting the music industry. It is based on evidence from participant observation and semi-structured interviews with music industry interns and employees in New York City. The participants in this study generally tend to be young, live in New York City, and work or intern at major record labels or well-established indie music companies. As described below, these characteristics simultaneously constitute the sample's strengths and its limitations.
