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Reciprocal relationships in an intergenerational community music ensemble

This study investigates the connections between the experiences of participants and a facilitator in an intergenerational community music ensemble, including how participants make personal sense of their individual identities and positions within the field of the Intergenerational Community Cello Ensemble (ICCE), how participants map their musical and pedagogical interactions in the field of the ICCE, and how my experiences as a facilitator impact and evidence the construction of my own identities both within and beyond the field of the ICCE. I applied a lens of habitus based on Pierre Bourdieu’s social capital theory to examine how participants constructed a sense of self in their fields and to explore how participants shaped and were shaped by their social worlds.
Thirteen cellists, including me, participated in this study. These cellists represented differing socio-demographics of age, race, gender, and religion. I collected data from multiple interviews with seven of the participants, recorded observations of the ensemble rehearsals, and facilitated two focus group surveys. The focus group surveys were open to all participants, but attendance varied based on availability. Research questions included: How does the experience of participating in the ICCE impact individual identities and positions within the field of the intergenerational community music ensemble? How are these identities and positions impacted within the field of the ICCE? How are these identities and positions impacted within fields beyond the ICCE? Is there any transfer between the ICCE and fields beyond the ICCE? How do participants map their musical and pedagogical interactions in the field of the ICCE? How does my experience as a facilitator impact and evidence the construction of my own identities both within and beyond the field of the ICCE?
My data analysis suggested that participants experienced an overall sense of connection and increased musical proficiency in various areas: musical reading, instrumental proficiency and performance, and musical and pedagogic authority. I also considered how my identity was shaped by the reciprocal relationships developed through facilitation and participation in the ICCE. Findings suggest that participants advanced their musical and social skills as forms of personal development thus enhancing their perceptions of community music’s social and performative experiences. This study explores ways that trust, mutual respect, and shared capital were exchanged between participants and the participant-facilitator, including how these relationships enhanced confidence and connections reciprocally between those musicking and extending into broader communities in which they operate.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/46629
Date25 August 2023
CreatorsCatron, Amy Claire
ContributorsFrierson-Campbell, Carol
Source SetsBoston University
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis/Dissertation
RightsAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

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