Music for Life: Music Participation and Quality of Life for Senior Citizens
C. Victor Fung and Lisa J. Lehmberg
Abstract
This book addresses the impact of musical experiences on the quality of life of senior citizens. “Evergreen Town,” a retirement community in the southeastern United States, serves as the backdrop for three research studies examining the role of music in the lives of its residents: a two-phase study (survey and focus group interview) and two in-depth case studies (a church choir and a bluegrass group). Evidence suggests that music participation does indeed play an important and positive role in the quality of life of senior citizens. The authors incorporated the literature from the fields of mu ... More
This book addresses the impact of musical experiences on the quality of life of senior citizens. “Evergreen Town,” a retirement community in the southeastern United States, serves as the backdrop for three research studies examining the role of music in the lives of its residents: a two-phase study (survey and focus group interview) and two in-depth case studies (a church choir and a bluegrass group). Evidence suggests that music participation does indeed play an important and positive role in the quality of life of senior citizens. The authors incorporated the literature from the fields of music education, adult learning, lifelong learning, gerontology, medicine, music therapy, and interdisciplinary studies in the research findings while reflecting on music education from a lifelong perspective. The book concludes with a proposition of a new mindset to chart a new direction in the facilitation of the musical lives of people of all ages, so that everyone may live life to the fullest with the richness of music as a substantial contributor to quality of life. Music education for life is a sine qua non to achieve a high quality of life.
Keywords:
lifelong learning,
music education,
musical experiences,
music participation,
quality of life,
retirement community,
senior citizens,
new mindset
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2016 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199371686 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: May 2016 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199371686.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
C. Victor Fung, author
Professor of Music Education, University of South Florida, Tampa
Lisa J. Lehmberg, author
Assistant Professor of Music, University of Massachusets, Amherst
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