| dc.description.abstract | Music students are faced with challenges of tomorrow that higher music education does not yet teach them how to handle. The creative hierarchies of institutionalized music have been found to hinder students’ musical autonomy, and are therefore now being challenged by music scholars who argue that the changing job market demands creativities. In tandem with this, there is a trend among music students to experiment with social and musical boundaries through the exploration of contrasting disciplines in higher music education. This thesis has investigated this dual trend, in an attempt to understand the interplay between the rapid changes in music industries, the needs of interdisciplinary music students, and the educational policies that surround them. Why do some students participate in this trend, and what are the implications of this? Twelve students from the Norwegian Academy of Music were interviewed as part of this case study, and while the findings suggest that there are notable misconceptions of creativity present in higher music education, the students were also supported in their creative endeavors — as long as they were resilient. Further, although social expectations are of such strength that it can be dangerous for students to reject the social norms, it was an altered state of mind that liberated the students from their perceived limitations. Despite a lack of creative role models (in particular for female students), they changed directions independently of the social environment, and felt empowered by their actions. It is their transition — with its restrictions, insights, and opportunities — that this thesis presents. | eng |