Music for life
Investigator
Sue Hallam, University of London
Team
Andrea Creech, University of London
Anita Pincas, University of London
Helena Gaunt, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Maria Varvarigou, Institute of Education
Hilary McQueen, Institute of Education
Partners and collaborators
Guildhall Connect, Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Silver Programme, The Sage, Gateshead
Music Department, Westminster Adult Education Service
Background
Although there is evidence that music can provide a source of enhanced social cohesion, enjoyment, personal development and empowerment, there has been little research exploring the potential for music-making to make a significant contribution to the quality of life of older people.
Prior to the project, studies had been limited in scope with investigations of musical participation involving very small samples that were not representative of the ethnic and socio-cultural diversity found amongst the UK population of older people, and the research was been restricted to a few types of musical activities (eg choir).
Little of the research was directly concerned with the learning and teaching processes involved in the music-making nor did it investigate the potential impact the relationship between older music participants and their teachers or facilitators may have on outcomes.
Aims and objectives
The overall aim of this project was to investigate the role that participation in creative musical activities had in the lives of older people, the extent to which this may impact upon their social, emotional and cognitive wellbeing, and the particular processes through which this occurs.
The specific research questions were:
What is the role of music-making in the lives of older people?
Does participation in musical activities enhance the wellbeing of older people? If so, what are the particular processes which facilitate this?
Are there wider benefits to families and/or residential communities when older people engage in music-making?
Sub-questions:
What individual factors (gender, age, musical background, educational history, ethnicity, socio-economic status) determine decisions to engage in musical activities and what are the obstacles to attendance?
What contextual factors impact on the quality and outcomes of active musical engagement (intergenerational participation, qualifications and experience of the musician teachers/facilitators, the nature and quality of the teaching/facilitating strategies adopted, nature of the interpersonal interactions)?
What musical factors impact on the quality and outcomes of active musical engagement (genre, instrumental/vocal, creative/reproductive, small/large group, music technology/acoustic instruments, performance context)?
Beneficiaries of the research
Effective dissemination of the research findings amongst the practitioner community, agencies working with older people, the wider research community and policy-makers ensured that the benefits of this research are wide-ranging and sustained.
The research identified how the potential benefits of participating in active music making can be enhanced to improve the outcomes in terms of wellbeing and increased personal engagement for those participating. The research also identified barriers to participation and how these might be overcome. This, in the long term should lead to wider participation.
The impact of participation in music for those in residential care was also explored, including the benefits for the whole residential community. This informed practice relating to musical activities in residential care homes.
The evidence base provided by the research enabled policy makers to make informed decisions about the best and most effective ways to provide older people with access to musical activities and how to better focus investment in such services.
Music providers, including community musicians, community music programmes, music departments in the adult and community learning sector and music organisations with a commitment to outreach activities benefitted from the enhanced knowledge this research generated. This enabled the design of programmes which would have a greater impact.
Charitable organisations and other agencies whose remit is to promote initiatives that contribute to sustained quality of life for older people, will benefit from the enhanced knowledge this research generated.
Researchers in the disciplines of arts and humanities, education and psychology will benefit from this research.
Design
The research adopted a multi-methods approach through three community case studies. Each included repeated and between-groups designs with in-depth studies of the individual experiences of those participating.
Observations of various types of musical activity focussed on the processes involved in these that generate change. Where possible, control groups were set up of individuals involved in activities other than music making.
Case study sites
The Sage, Gateshead, where the weekly ‘Silver Programme’ actively involved 500 people over the age of 50 in an eclectic spread of music activities including singing of all kinds, steel pans, African drumming, guitars, recorder, folk ensemble, music theory, and samba.
Connect project, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which ran community music projects with people of all ages in East London. ‘Connect’ music projects were distinctive in that their focus was on activities where participants create and perform music together, linking story-telling and reminiscing to creative music-making.
Music Department of the Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) which offered a range of community music activities for older people. The WAES music programme catered for students at all levels of expertise. Courses in a range of musical genres were offered, specialising in singing, playing instruments, sound engineering and using sequencers, music theory and composing.
Outcomes
The outcomes were as follows:
Conferences at the Institute of Education and the Sage, Gateshead, included live performances of some of the London-based musical groups participating in the project, workshops illustrating the most successful activities, and dissemination of the research findings.
Information about the project was handed out at performances of any of the groups participating in the research.
The findings were disseminated through a website including podcasts, leaflets, the media (press, radio and TV).
In addition to the report to the ESRC, outputs included academic and practitioner journal articles, and presentations at academic and professional conferences. The findings were also included in chapters in edited books relating to active ageing and to the psychology of music.
The research had considerable practical value for the development of policy and practice in relation to the provision of musical activities for older people at local and national level.
Policy implications
Key policy and/or practice implications of the research
The research had considerable practical value for the development of policy and practice in relation to the provision of musical activities for older people at local and national level.
Policy and practice implications focussed on promoting social engagement and wellbeing amongst people through participation in creative musical activities.
Implications included:
Developing understanding of how musical opportunities for older people can be delivered in such a way as to optimise the outcomes in terms of wellbeing and increased personal engagement for those participating.
Identifying barriers to participation and how these might be overcome. This, in the long term contributed to wider participation.
Informing practice relating to musical activities in residential care homes.
Informing policy decisions about the best and most effective ways to provide older people with access to musical activities and how to better focus investment in such services.
Providing music providers (including community musicians, community music programmes, music departments in the adult and community learning sector and music organisations with a commitment to outreach activities) with enhanced knowledge that enabled the design of high impact programmes.
Informing charitable organisations and other agencies whose remit is to promote initiatives that contribute to sustained quality of life for older people.
Contributing to development of knowledge in the disciplines of arts and humanities, education and psychology.
Key non-academic user groups that were targeted
These included:
Older people in the community.
Older people in residential homes, their relatives and carers.
Policy makers with responsibility for decisions about the most effective ways to provide older people with access to musical activities.
Community musicians.
Community music programmes.
Music departments in the adult and community learning sector Charities and other organisations representing older people, both living in the community and in care homes.
Music organisations with a commitment to outreach activities Educators and trainers of health and social care professionals.
Charitable organisations and other agencies whose remit is to promote initiatives that contribute to sustained quality of life for older people.
Assistance needed from the NDA programme in this targeting
Assistance needed included:
A high profile for the overall NDA programme facilitated maximisation of the policy and practice impact of the project.
Targeted press releases and promotion of findings to a wide range of non-user groups.
Facilitation of contacts with non-academic user groups.
Support to develop and produce targeted user-friendly information and recommendations in hard copy and on the web.
Findings
Key findings:
Measures of well being were consistently higher amongst the music participants (n=398) than amongst the comparison group (n=102).
There was some positive change over time on quality of life measures, for those involved in musical activities.
Participants reported social, cognitive, emotional and health benefits of participation in music.
Some barriers to participation were identified, relating to access to information, structural, dispositional and social issues.
Facilitators of musical activities with older people had specific training needs but few opportunities for CPD.
Facilitators played a key role in fostering positive outcomes.
Music for Life (PDF, 1.2MB)