Summary
United Nations Agenda 2030 is a blueprint for creating a more equitable, healthier, and safer world. Goal #3 is focused on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. When considering questions of quality of life, there is now ample proof that music participation does enhance a person’s overall well-being, allowing participants to improve their lives and the lives of others. As the National Federation of Music Clubs Representative to the UN DGC, I present workshops and informational sessions at national and international conferences that explore the many benefits of music participation and how singing, especially group singing, improves quality of life, physically, emotionally, and socially, for older persons. These workshops have been presented at the Aging and Social Change 11th Interdisciplinary Conference, The International Alliance for Women in Music conference, American Society on Aging conference, College Music Society regional conference, and the Aging and Society 7th Interdisciplinary conference. As a professional musician and music educator, I share this important work because it is often omitted from discussions about healthy aging.
Planning and Implementation
-
What was the challenge you were trying to address?
Our goal is to serve as an informational resource and encourage the creation and support for music ensembles that offer music participation for older persons. The music profession has demonstrated the many benefits of participation in group music-making for older persons, but this information is often omitted from the discussion of quality of life issues. We aim to change that.
-
Who were you trying to impact?
Older people in general, Both older and younger people
-
What sectors were you targeting?
Education, Health, Other
-
Who else was involved?
Civil Society Organization
-
How did older people participate?
Older people were part of the process at multiple or all stages
Lessons learned
-
Please describe how collaboration worked in your initiative.
Many have collaborated to bring attention to the benefits of music participation in supporting healthy aging in older persons. Research and music professor Dr. Lisa Lehmberg collaborated with me on the American Society on Aging presentation (titled The Jury is IN! The Latest on Music Participation and Quality of Life of Older Adults). I am grateful to the members of the North Shore Community Chorus in Glen Head, NY and their director, Stephen Goldstein, for their assistance. I am also grateful to members of the National Federation of Music Clubs who participated in interviews with me, perform as members of our annual conference/convention Festival Chorus, and share their talents within their communities. Additionally, many of my composer and publishing friends responded to questionnaires about large-note music scores and writing choral music for older singers.
-
What was the impact of your initiative on older people, their families, and/or their communities?
Improving the Quality of Life of Older Persons Through Music Participation was started because of Agenda 2020 but has now become a part of our goal to support the Decade. The Decade has certainly impacted my work on behalf of the National Federation of Music Clubs. We use the ever evolving resources available to encourage life-long learning, music participation, and advocate for more research and dialogue about healthy aging. It is our hope that through my writings and workshops, the importance of music in improving quality of life for older persons will resonate more loudly with community leaders, resulting in the allocation of more funding and space to create additional opportunities for musical learning and growth. We also hope that others will recognize the benefits of music participation in all forms, and implement programs that welcome all who are interested to participate. Our NFMC members serve as examples and leaders in their communities, supporting life-long learning and healthy aging through active participation in music-making. We recognize and actively support the great work being accomplished by music therapists for those living with physical and cognitive challenges, but there is rarely a discussion about improving quality of life for healthy older persons. This is our current focus.
-
What issues did you face, and how did you address them?
I did not face any challenges to pursuing research, conducting interviews, or sharing findings. I sometimes meet with resistance when speaking about music participation as an integral part of healthy aging, but that resistance usually dissipates once I present the concrete, scientific pedagogy/research that supports this fact.
-
What lessons did you learn from implementing this initiative?
1) We learned that the pedagogical findings of music specialists about aging is both validated by older singers. While it is true that physical aging cannot be stopped (for example, the calcification of cartilage into bone), through physical activities such as singing, flexibility can be maintained into later life. 2) The benefits of social interaction were validated by the singers interviewed. Additionally, the need for social interaction through group singing was amplified during lockdown to such an extent that virtual choirs were created and choir directors with little computer knowledge began hosting virtual rehearsals using platforms such as Zoom. This allowed choir members to visit with each other and, while different, create performances. 3) Choruses are now returning to in-person rehearsals and performances, and we look forward to interviewing singers again to learn of their experiences.
-
Do you have any other reflections you would like to share?
We hope that communities across the globe will realize that participating in music brings a community together. And by creating safe and accessible places for music-making for older persons, all will benefit. We will continue to lead by example, advocate for funding, and celebrate the fact that older persons have so much to offer their communities if the opportunities are made available.