A compelling body of research demonstrates that music continues to offer powerful potential for enhancing health and well-being and that music participation can increase feelings of enjoyment of life, quality of happiness, social contact establishment, a sense of community and ability to face challenges (Gembris, 2008; Laes, 2014). Active music-making has been found to provide a source of social cohesion, enjoyment, personal development, and empowerment, and to contribute to feelings of personal well-being (Creech, Hallum, McQueen, 2013). Music participants attributed improvements in feelings of quality of life to active engagement with music, and a wide range of cognitive, social, emotional and physical benefits (Hallum, Creech, Varvarigou, McQueen, 2012). The aim of this investigation was to gather adult singer (N = 95) perceptions on impacts of choral participation in a community choir. Feelings of well-being and belonging as well as perceived cognitive, emotional, social, musical and physical impacts of choir participation were examined. Participants (age 22 – 85 years) were members of an adult community choir. Participant perceptions were gathered through a short survey on feelings of well-being and belonging (e.g., Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992; McGreal & Joseph, 1993). Participant perceptions were also gathered through a researcher-created questionnaire on cognitive, emotional, social, musical and physical impacts of choir participation and rationale for choir participation. Open-ended interviews were conducted with a random sample of choir members (n = 10). Field notes of rehearsal observations and rehearsal videos were collected for subsequent analysis.
Results indicated adult singer participants felt a strong sense of belonging and choir participation was perceived to have social, emotional, cognitive, musical and physical impacts. Adult community music opportunities, in this case choir, are essential for lifelong musical engagement and may impact singers’ lives in positive ways.