Meanings of music participation

This book uncovers the multifaceted nature of music participation through a collection of studies in a wide variety of musical contexts across the United States. The contributors combine personal voices and vivid narratives with scholarship to present many potential meanings of music participation, and lay out research-based implications for lifelong music education. Exploring music participation in choral and instrumental ensembles; school music classes and community groups; in-person and virtual spaces; among children, young adults, and older adults; and for native-born citizens and immigrants, the 10 original studies in this volume present a diverse portrait of musical engagement. The chapters draw out themes including enjoyment, identity development, learner autonomy, social interaction, motivation, commitment, and quality of life, and draw connections between musical meanings and philosophical principles from both Western and Eastern traditions.

Linked by interludes that connect the empirical studies with philosophical interpretations, this volume brings together multiple methodologies and perspectives to consider the social, cultural, and psychological meanings of lifelong music participation. It offers a valuable resource for scholars, professionals, and students working in school and community music or music education research, as well as readers interested in general education, social psychology, lifelong learning, and aging studies.

C. Victor Fung is Professor of Music Education and Director of the Center for Music Education Research at the University of South Florida. His books include Music for Life: Music Participation and Quality of Life of Senior Citizens (2016, co-authored with Lisa J. Lehmberg) and A Way of Music Education: Classic Chinese Wisdoms (2018). He was a Fulbright Researcher in Japan (2018) and served as a board member for the College Music Society, Florida Music Education Association, and International Society for Music Education.

Lisa J. Lehmberg is Professor of Music Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and has extensive experience as a PreK-12 school music specialist. She serves on the International Society for Music Education Publications Committee and the editorial board of the Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction. Most recently, she co-authored (with C. Victor Fung) the book Music for Life: Music Participation and Quality of Life of Senior Citizens (2016).