International Journal of Community Music 11.3 is now available
Intellect is happy to share that the International Journal of Community Music 11.3 is now available! For more information about the issue, click here >> https://bit.ly/2T4pUml
Contents
Editorial
Authors: Lee Higgins
Music and world-building in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Helen Jane English And Sarah Monk And Jane W. Davidson
This article investigates the perceived benefits of music community membership within a historical framework of music making in the same geographical locations. Research was carried out in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter Valley regions of New South Wales. These regions were selected because of their connection with ongoing historical research on the role of music in world-building for these communities in the early settler period. Coalmining was the major industry underpinning the founding of these regions and today it is still a dominant presence, whether it be as active mines or felt as the impact of mine closures. The research aimed to compare music communities across time, looking for continuities and discontinuities in paradigms and experiences related to world-building. while music’s affordances in the historical communities were deduced through a close reading of historical sources, the perceived personal and social benefits of current communities were investigated using qualitative methods. Six music communities were chosen for their historical connections and diversity in musical styles, instrumentation, approach and membership. The researchers attended rehearsals and held focus groups to explore changes over time and the effect on members. The qualitative data analysis revealed clear links back to earlier music community experiences in the region.
Creativity in Cantonese operatic singing: Analysis of excerpts from Hu Bu Gui by three artists as examples
Authors: Bo-Wah Leung
Cantonese opera is one of the most representative traditional art forms in Hong Kong; since the nineteenth century, numerous artists have established their own personal singing styles. Similarly, audiences have been enchanted with the art form’s creativity. However, in recent years, artists in Hong Kong have tended to merely imitate their predecessors, rather than striving to develop their own styles. This study aims to explore the attributes leading to the establishment of personal style. It firstly reviews literature about creativity in psychology as well as socio-historical phenomenon of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong, followed by an analysis of two Aria Type excerpts sung by three eminent artists, in order to explore the creative elements of some well-established personal styles. Findings suggest that a keen competitive environment among artists with a knowledgeable and demanding audience may help artists to determine in striving for development of personal styles, which is, in essence, ‘imitation with flexibility’.
The role of genre-based community music: A study of two UK ensembles
Authors: Kit Tapson And Norma Daykin And David M. Walters
Background: there is a growing trend towards addressing social inclusion through community music, and at the same time, increasing interest in the way that participatory music can benefit health and well-being. However, relatively little research has been undertaken on community ensembles that addresses personal and social well-being through genre-based music. This pilot study examined community music impacts and processes in contexts where there are higher than average health needs and well-being inequalities. Methods: participant observation and semi structured interviews were undertaken with music leaders, project managers and musicians in two UK ensembles: a Community Orchestra (CO) that focuses on reggae and a jazz Big Band (BB). Thematic analysis identified twelve key themes. Findings: while each ensemble addresses specific needs, common themes and challenges were identified. These include positive and negative experiences that are mediated by musical identity and genre, inclusive practices, the role of the Music Director (MD), community connections, and governance and structure. Conclusions: membership of a community ensemble can afford creative and educational opportunities as well as supporting the well-being of members and a wider sense of empowerment in the communities from which they are drawn.
Continuing to play: Music participation in the university years
Authors: Roger Mantie
The purpose of this study was to examine issues of continuity by asking non-music majors in a university marching band about their family involvement in music, formative music experiences, how their college music experiences compared to their prior involvements in music, their desires for improvement and their future plans for music involvement. Participants in the study (N = 12) were drawn from a large university in an urban setting in the southwestern United States. Findings suggest that most informants preferred their university over their high school experience; many informants reported being from smaller and/or lower achieving music programmes; strong family support was not a strong factor for recreational musical participation; and the informants had embodied the norms and expectations of marching band as a musical practice. Although a minority of informants appeared to have a clear conception of how they could continue to improve musically and continue to participate in music beyond graduation from university, most appeared less certain.
Manukau Symphony Orchestra: Reflections on a sustainable model for a community orchestra in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Uwe Grodd And David Lines
The Manukau Symphony Orchestra has continued to thrive for 25 years as a community orchestra based in the multiethnic region of South Auckland in New Zealand. Its continued success is partly attributed to its ability to maintain a negotiated ‘middle ground’ and dialogue within the community and also the way it has valued both musical and human aspects in its daily life. This study, written collaboratively by the researcher and music director and conductor, reports on recent ethnographic case study research conducted with the orchestra, its leaders and its administrators, and seeks to uncover key themes and actions that have enabled the orchestra’s ongoing sustainability. The case study found that an active and thriving space for dialogue with the community has continued over the years and this has sustained positive relationships with cultural groups, changing financial and policy strategies, a sense of ownership in the orchestra, a built-in mentoring structure, a community of care and a contemporary philosophy of community music making within a semi-professional orchestral context.
An ecological perspective on music programmes for at-risk children and families in Australia
Authors: Laura Morell And Helen Shoemark
The capacity for organizations to articulate key components of their programmes is pivotal in establishing and maintaining support from funding bodies and participating communities. This study sought to understand how music programme practitioners situate their programmes in the ‘music, health and well-being sector’. Practitioners and managers of two Australian music programmes for at risk children were interviewed about their understanding of the programmes for themselves, and how this understanding was communicated to participating communities and funding sources. The initial findings indicate that the two programmes operate within distinctly different theoretical frameworks – one based on a development and well-being theoretical framework, and the other in a sociological paradigm focused on the lived experience of music making. This distinction is important as it highlights the unique contributions of the two programmes to the wider ‘community music programmes’ sector.
A content analysis of the International Journal of Community Music, 2008–18
Authors: Debbie Ann Rohwer
The purpose of the current content analysis was to describe the publication characteristics found in the International Journal of Community Music from the first print issue in 2008 through 2018. Across the ten years, each of the 30 issues were coded for page length, types of articles, editorials, review board characteristics, single- and co-authored article details, repeat authors and author countries. Results showed that approximately half of the articles were research, with qualitative studies being the most common. Exemplars and position papers were the most common non-research articles. Adults were the most common age level addressed. Approximately three-quarters of the articles were single-authored and the United States was the most common country of publications. Conclusions address the strengths of the journal and future directions for community music writings, including expansion of topics, areas and article formats.
