From the work of sociocultural theorists like Rogoff (1990), Vygotsky (1978) and Wenger (1998), it is widely understood that learning is an act of the individual resulting from experience in a sociocultural context. Within this context, following Dewey (1998), learners need to take an active role, engaging and constructing their own understanding. For learners to take this active role, they need to feel a sense of personal agency which Bruner (1996) describes as a "sense that one can initiate and carry out activities on one's own" linked to aspiration, confidence, optimism, skill and know-how. Since learning involves venturing into the unknown or less known, risk-taking is intrinsic to the process. Taking risks places learners in a vulnerable position, which is why a safe and supportive learning environment is so essential for empowering learners. In this paper, the author explores the interaction between vulnerability and agency in experiences of being and becoming a musician. She focuses on the "vulnerability" involved in being and becoming a Western musician and how that vulnerability interacts with the "agency" necessary for being and becoming a Western musician. (Contains 2 notes.)