ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book expresses that the fragmentation identified in professional identities was only exacerbated by the dissolution of clear-cut boundaries between professional and amateur activity. While in many ways the Union provided a centralised system of recognition for music graduates, its problems are a reminder of the difficulties that still faced music, the fragility of its professional and academic identities, and the disjuncture that remained between music as practice and music as academic subject. 'Professionalism' retained a social meaning, deeply important to musicians of all types. Music also contributed towards shaping or developing an institution's identity. This was particularly true in London, where the close proximity of university, conservatoires and private music tuition meant careful management of a 'market' for tuition and accreditation. The rival claims of access and assimilation to university standards produced a circular problem.
