“The Connection Itself was the Project”: Capstone Experiences for Emerging Professional Musicians Through WIL

During their studies, musicians transition to work-readiness, develop a professional persona and graduate from skills acquisition in traditional master-mentor relationship towards heterarchical collaboration ensembles. Over the final year of an undergraduate program performance, students, faculty/industry mentors course coordinators worked collaboratively implement music work integrated learning (WIL) project, culminating public performance as capstone experience. This phenomenological case report outlines how student group with diverse formed complex adaptive system through inclusion, connection, support, this practice report. Through process, students obtained broad range well musical competencies within functioning heterarchy. In creative performing arts, WIL can positively produce outcomes that appear indistinguishable industry at large. be model for transformative other disciplines. addition, research was prepared primarily by faculty mentor, providing yet another set seeking portfolio careers arts.