Which Myers-Briggs® Types Become Musicians and Composers?

Many people have a creative side. Some use their talents in their avocations, while others practice them as a profession. Musicians and composers are both quite creative and expressive people. Who do you think winds up in these jobs?

The data from one research study show a definite pattern in those who choose these professions.

First, it's important to remember that all types were represented in the sample of 136 people. While it's true some types are far more frequent than others, if your type infrequently chooses a profession YOU can still do it. In other words, avoid letting a small number or percentage keep you away from something you're interested in. If it feels good, do it!

The largest group in this sample was ENFPs, with around 17%. It's not surprising. Many artistic people are Feelers, particularly Intuitive Feelers. The second largest group was ENFJs at 11%, while INFPs made up 9.6% of the sample.

The smallest groups were ISFPs, with about 1.5%, and ESTPs and ISTPs, both with 2.2%.

Some interesting patterns emerge from these data. Surprisingly, Extraverts outnumbered Introverts 60% to 40%. Intuitives were more common than Sensors, 65% to 35%, Feelers over Thinkers 63% to 37%, and Judgers more than Perceivers 52% to 48%. Again, while ENFPs were the largest group, the sample was slightly slanted towards ENFJ.

The subgroups are also interesting. Intuitive Feelers made up 42% of the total, while Sensor Thinkers were about 13%. Extraverted Feelers came in at 43%, while Extraverted Thinkers were 18% of the sample. Extraverted Intuitives were about 38%, and Introverted Sensors close to 12%. In each of these examples, the combinations were the highest and lowest in the pairings.

Each subgroup above has a descriptor. The Intuitive Feelers are called the "intuitive and insightful types." They seem to be attracted to music. Sensor Thinkers are known as "the practical and matter-of-fact types," and tend to be less attracted to music. Extraverted Feelers are "action-oriented cooperators," while Extraverted Thinkers are described as "action-oriented thinkers." It would appear they have less interest in music than the former group. Finally, Extraverted Intuitives are called "action-oriented innovators" and Introverted Sensors "thoughtful realists." Again, the latter group appears to be less attracted to music, although every type is represented.

Remember: if you enjoy music, it doesn't matter what your type is. If you want to be a musician, go for it. Statistics and studies tell us a great deal about how groups behave, but nothing about how any individual will act.