Do Narcissists Play Solo? Differences in Self-Efficacy and Narcissism Among Band and Solo Musicians

The following study focuses on individual differences between musicians who play solo (performing individually or as leaders), and musicians performing as part of a chamber ensemble, band, choir, orchestra, etc. We predicted that soloists would be higher on grandiose narcissism and self-efficacy. The results showed that soloists (n = 59) not only were higher on narcissism, but also had higher self-efficacy scores than musicians who perform in ensembles (n = 65). However, soloist and band players are not different in narcissism and self-efficacy when the other trait is controlled, which indicates that common features of both traits differentiate solo and band musicians. Results raise further questions on what factors affect the development of a musician’s career path.