Exploring the meaning of community music activities : a collective case study

Abstract

This collective case study was inspired by two community music projects in the Vaal Triangle in Gauteng, South Africa. The participants of both cases came from deprived backgrounds where music activities, such as opera, light and popular music, were uncommon, if not absent. Both cases started spontaneously when participants approached the community music (CM) leaders for support and guidance. The needs of the participants were different in the two cases: the one being to perform music activities for enjoyment and the other being vocal tutoring for better performance. The focus of this qualitative, interpretative research was to explore the meaning these participants ascribe to the community music activities in the two cases. My investigation followed the theoretical structure for the research process as suggested by Denzin and Lincoln (2013:25). Existing literature was studied, and data was collected by conducting open-ended interviews with focus groups and individuals, by recording observations and by taking photographs. I thoroughly researched the backgrounds of the participants of both projects. The interview transcriptions were analysed by means of Atlas.ti 7. Eight themes emerged. 1) The crucial role of the background of the participants, 2) the functioning of each case with its own unique aim, 3) the role of performances, 4) the relationships the participants formed, 5) the skills and 6) values they developed, 7) how their lives developed after they had left the projects, and 8) how they aspired to share their knowledge in communities in future. The outcome of this research proved that the community music activities in both cases, regardless of the diverse initial aims, changed the lives of the participants and transformed them into worthy citizens of South Africa with visions for their future