Blowing My Own Tuba

This article explores my personal journey as a researcher, from complete novice (newly recruited from a business background) to an established researcher and professor. As an amateur musician in brass bands for over half a century, I draw on my recent experience as a novice learner at a prestigious summer school for brass players as a metaphor for my first ever academic conference. I reflect on what it means to become a researcher yet remain true to oneself and highlight some of the challenges facing researchers both established and new. The article aims to encourage newer researchers to develop their authentic researcher ‘voice’ and also urges academics to reflect on some of the less attractive aspects of behaviour that is prevalent in some quarters of academia in the hope of boosting collegiality and esprit de corps among researchers.