Dilemmas of the Professional Identity of Amateur Rock Musicians of the Metropolis

Based on a conceptual model using the developments of neo-Weberian, critical and socio-anthropological approaches that have developed in the sociology of professions, the author explores amateur musicians in the metropolis space, using the methods of a qualitative paradigm - namely, semi-formalized interviews with subsequent open, axial and cross-coding. The main goal is to identify models of building a professional identity for amateur rock musicians. Determination of the internal and external boundaries of the group, as well as value differences, due to which differentiation occurs, allows us to draw conclusions about the features of the internal structure of the group under study. Analyzing the availability of professional resources and day-to-day professional practices of musicians provides insight into interactions with the market, large organizations and representatives of other professions. The results of this study are one of the steps towards understanding the structure of the modern musical sphere in the space of a metropolis. Public display of the research results to the public can help to increase common knowledge about rock musicians, and, presumably, reduce the influx of amateurs into this area. Also, this research can help beginners and other musicians to see the practices of their “colleagues”, and, possibly, to realize themselves as a part of a large community that does not stop developing and growing.