> I see the meritocracy working perfectly here, on average the richest students had the best training and equipment, and as such developed into the best musicians
Theres a lot wrong with this analysis, one point being that the "best training and equipment" is hardly the only factor for being a better musician.
Are the best programmers the ones with the best laptops who went to the best schools?
No, of course not- its not an apples-to-apples comparison but great musicianship is not simply a matter of money spent.
In some cases no amount of training or quality of equipment will result in professional success.
Wealthy students/early-career musicians can also better weather career hardships that are intrinsic to pursuing a career in the arts.
Being able to live with family while working or having a fallback if a risky career move doesn't pay off are luxuries that underprivileged musicians often don't have.
This also ignores the value of a wealthy families personal network- being on an advisory board for an arts institution, as many wealthy parents are, usually means you can pull some strings.
These factors have nothing to do with merit.
Theres a lot wrong with this analysis, one point being that the "best training and equipment" is hardly the only factor for being a better musician. Are the best programmers the ones with the best laptops who went to the best schools? No, of course not- its not an apples-to-apples comparison but great musicianship is not simply a matter of money spent. In some cases no amount of training or quality of equipment will result in professional success.
Wealthy students/early-career musicians can also better weather career hardships that are intrinsic to pursuing a career in the arts. Being able to live with family while working or having a fallback if a risky career move doesn't pay off are luxuries that underprivileged musicians often don't have.
This also ignores the value of a wealthy families personal network- being on an advisory board for an arts institution, as many wealthy parents are, usually means you can pull some strings. These factors have nothing to do with merit.