Reimagining Music Education-Industry Pathways: Cultural Capital Conversion Through Merit-Based Systems

Abstract

The global creative economy faces a persistent disconnect between educational credentials and professional opportunities, particularly acute in developing countries where formal qualifications often fail to translate into sustainable careers. This study empirically investigated how technology-mediated merit-based systems facilitate cultural capital conversion among professional musicians in Nairobi, Kenya. Through in-depth interviews with five professional musicians representing traditional, digital-first, and hybrid pathways, using interpretive phenomenological analysis, we examined lived experiences of navigating education-industry transitions. The study revealed four interconnected cultural capital conversion pathways: direct embodied capital demonstration through digital portfolios, accelerated social capital formation via WhatsApp networks, reputational capital accumulation through platform metrics, and algorithmic capital conversion requiring platform-specific literacy. Key findings demonstrated that successful musicians develop hybrid competency portfolios integrating traditional skills with digital platform knowledge rather than relying on single pathways. All participants maintained multiple income streams due to economic necessity, with digital platforms serving as discovery mechanisms that ultimately connected to offline professional relationships. The research validated theoretical frameworks while revealing important contextual nuances, including platform dependency vulnerabilities and infrastructure challenges. Implications include curriculum reform integrating business skills and platform literacy, policy investments in digital infrastructure, and recognition that merit-based systems complement rather than replace traditional educational pathways in developing-country contexts.