From Elitism to Collective Wisdom

An examination of how a normalised culture of elitism harms musical development, the true purpose of music for the human psyche, and its implications for leadership and society.

The Harm of Normalised Elitist Culture

My experience at the Royal Academy of Music fifty years ago felt like a musical death sentence. The RAM and its sister conservatoires had a normalised toxic pedagogy which is still mirrored in the present day across institutions including music education in schools.  

I argue that learning an instrument is severely harmed by this overarching culture that prioritises the following toxic elements:

• The "Isolated Genius" Myth: The institution operated on a "sink or swim" philosophy, believing that isolation was a "test" of independent stamina. This led to a profound psychological shock and abandonment, where we as students were denied the basic communal lifelines of peer camaraderie or pastoral support.

• The Tyranny of Exams: I view the ABRSM grade exam structure as a "meat grinder" that treats students like machines designed to jump through bureaucratic hoops. This narrow focus on mechanical perfection erases the student's voice and curiosity, leaving no room for improvisation, creativity, or personal choice.

• Normalised Abuse: Tutors, lacking formal pedagogical training, often used shouting and withholding praise as "artistic rigour" meant to keep us "hungry." This created a "culture of fear" where we internalised the institution's failures as our own defects.

The True Purpose of Music for the Human Psyche

I posit that the true purpose of playing an instrument is not to "win" or achieve technical perfection, but to serve as a portal for personal and communal growth.

• Psychological Sovereignty: Music allows an individual to move from mere external validation to achieving psychological sovereignty and resilience.

• The "Grounded Space": It provides a "Grounded Space*" or a "Beacon of Hope*" where we can develop stability and composure by balancing reason and emotion.

• Rewiring the Brain: Playing an instrument serves to "rewire" the brain, particularly by training the Prefrontal Cortex (the Rational Conductor*) to manage the emotional signals of the amygdala.

• Pure Enjoyment: Fundamentally, we play for the "pure fun and enjoyment" and to connect with others to create something greater than ourselves.

Transferable Skills and Global Society

What music teaches extends far beyond the stage and serves as a "collaboration software" for human survival.

• Transferable "Superpowers": The discipline of musical practice builds high-quality human characteristics, such as deep listening, peripheral awareness, and emotional intelligence.

• Collective Wisdom: Music demonstrates that our success as a species is rooted in innate cooperation. By "sounding together," we access "Collective Wisdom," which helps teams solve complex, "out-of-the-box" problems that rigid, technical processes cannot.

• Solving Global Gridlock: I suggest music is a lens to examine how humans might collaborate better to solve existential crises like climate change, moving away from a "win-lose" paradigm toward an "Infinite Game" where the goal is simply to "keep on playing."

Leadership and the Accountability of "Followers"

In the field of music, different styles serve as a visible laboratory for leadership.

• Leadership Styles: Classical music reflects a Structured state (formal and reasoned); Romantic music reflects a Passionate state; Jazz is a Challenging state of protest; and Free Improvisation represents the Spontaneous state. Integrated, these states combine to offer a practical process to access Carl Jung’s notion of Self Realisation through Individuation.

• Holding Leaders Accountable: I emphasise that "we are all leaders" and, by extension, active participants who can hold leaders to account.

• Followers as Correctives: Ordinary people can act as a "vital corrective force" by subtly reintroducing missing states into a group. For instance, if a leader is too authoritarian (the Structured state), a follower can subtly challenge rigidity by asking for the rationale behind decisions or proposing more flexible approaches.

• Valuing the Whistle-blower: Just as jazz "bends" notes to challenge the established order, society must "love your whistle-blower." Organisations must learn to "play the new riff" introduced by a challenger rather than blocking it.

• Demanding Versatility: Followers should expect leaders to be versatile and receptive to feedback, rather than retreating into a "preferred" (and often regressive) authoritarian style under pressure.

*Ref: Hodges, Andrew “Mastering Chaos: A Musician’s Guide To Navigating Complexity” (Amazon, 2025)