scholarly journals Jammin’ the Blues: Experiencing the “Good Life”

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth A. Debrot

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics, attitudes, and perceptions of older musicians who participated regularly in a local blues jam. Six core dimensions of eudaimonic well-being and their conceptual foundations provided a framework for examining the way that music-making contributes to subjective well-being during the lifespan of an individual. The following research questions guided this investigation: (1) In what ways do biographical factors and engagement with music influence the lives of older adult blues/rock musicians who participate in a local blues jam? (2) What implications for subjective well-being with regard to music learning might be used to inform music education practices? Interviews and observations over a 2-month period provided data for understanding how lived experiences impacted personal well-being, and musical growth and development over time. Findings suggested that eudaimonic well-being is the result of active engagement in human activities that are goal-directed and purposeful, and a good life involves the self-realization of individual dispositions and talents over a lifetime. Implications for music education include individualized pedagogical approaches that encourage learners to discover a sense of well-being in and through music.

Author(s):  
Valerie L. Vaccaro

This chapter reviews multidisciplinary research from the fields of consumer behavior, humanistic and positive psychology, music education, and other areas to develop a new Transcendent Model of Motivation for Music Making. One’s “extended self” identity can be defined partly by possessions and mastery over objects, and objects can “complete” the self. Music making involves a person’s investment of “psychic energy,” including attention, time, learning, and efforts, and is a creative path which can lead to peak experiences and flow. Music making can help satisfy social needs, achieve self-actualization, experience self-transcendence, enhance well-being, strengthen spirituality, and improve the quality of life.


Author(s):  
Diane Thram

In the current era of electronic domination of human experience, be it via cell phone and/or computer addiction, or the ubiquitous television, actual participation in music- making is less and less common for the average person, child or adult. Passive participation through listening is most often cited by people as their major experience with music in their lives. When asked if listening has therapeutic effects, it is rare for anyone to respond in the negative. Likewise, for performers/active participants in music- making, be it solitary or as part of a group, invariably an enhanced sense of well-being from the act of making music is reported.This paper addresses therapeutic aspects of musical participation (singing, clapping, playing an instrument, dancing, listening) by providing a historical overview (12th c to present) of attitudes toward music’s therapeutic effects. It argues that music exists through the interaction of our biological capacity to make music with our cultural circumstances. How individuals benefit in all aspects their being – physical, mental and emotional – from engaging in the act of making music is illustrated with examples from field research in southern Africa. Finally implications for Music Education are explored which emphasize how more comprehensive integration of music into the curriculum can serve as an antidote to the increasing isolation and alienation of modern life.


2010 ◽  
Vol 49 (4II) ◽  
pp. 863-879
Author(s):  
Rashida Haq Rashida Haq ◽  
Azkar Ahmed ◽  
Siama Shafique

Since quality of life research is essentially concerned with measuring and monitoring welfare. In order to measure quality of life, one must have a theory of what makes up a good life [Cobb (2000)]. There is a variety of such theories and notions of what constitutes a ‗good life‘ and correspondingly different concepts of welfare and quality of life have been developed. Various approaches and operationalisations are to be distinguished, each of which reveals a different concept of welfare and thus highlights different components and dimensions [Noll (2000)]. Among the various efforts to operationalise welfare in general and the quality of life concept in particular, two contrary approaches are to be distinguished, which define the two extreme positions on a broad continuum of concepts currently available: the Scandinavian level of living approach [Erickson (1993)] and the American quality of life approach [Campbell (1976)]. The Scandinavian approach focuses almost exclusively on resources and objective living conditions, whereas the American approach emphasises the subjective well-being of individuals as a final outcome of conditions and processes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 599-610
Author(s):  
Amininiye Macgregor Manuel ◽  
Ntiedo Asuquo

This study investigated the relationship between parenting styles and subjective well-being among undergraduate youths in the University of Port Harcourt using the correlational research design. The study was guided by five research questions and their corresponding null hypotheses. The sample for the study was composed of 400 undergraduate students drawn using the purposive sampling technique. Two instruments were used for data collection which were the parenting style inventory and the subjective well-being inventory. The instruments were assessed for reliability and validity and were shown to be suitable. Data analysis was done using linear regression and multiple regression for answering the research questions, while ANOVA associated with linear and multiple regression were used to test the null hypotheses. Result showed that authoritative parenting style had the highest independent prediction on the subjective well- being of youths, while authoritarian had the least independent prediction. On the basis of the result obtained, it was recommended that parents adopt the authoritative parenting style when dealing with their children so as to achieve an optimal state of subjective well-being.


Author(s):  
Kylie Peppler

This chapter focuses on the importance of community to both music education and the ways that youth shape their ideas, interests, and identities in music. Musical learning is rarely, if ever, about a learner operating a new musical technology-based tool in isolation. Music is inherently social, and these influences have a great impact upon the development of musical identities. This chapter explores the ways that out-of-school spaces like those in the Computer Clubhouse Network, YOUmedia, and Musical Futures support social music learning by providing private recording studios that allow youth to assume increasingly public roles as musicians, performers, and producers. The chapter also describes how mixing formal, nonformal, and informal learning spaces helps to develop a youth’s musical maturity through what is known as the “progression pathways model.”


Author(s):  
Lisa Mansfeld

AbstractMigration implies both benefits and costs. The latter include a possible breakdown of social networks, and thus a loss of social capital. Although there is some literature on the evolution of family networks after migration, not as much is known about friendship. This article assesses the quality of friendships between German emigrants and their friends who stayed in Germany. In particular, it asks three research questions: (a) How does the quality of relationships with friends in Germany differ from the quality of other relationships after migration? (b) How is friendship quality after migration related to socio-demographic or socio-economic factors? And (c) is there a link between friendship quality and the subjective well-being of emigrants? Results indicate that friendship quality measured as frequency of contact with friends falls in the middle range of contact frequency, as emigrants typically have more contact with partners and children, but less contact with some other relatives, compared to close friends. Furthermore, several determinants of contact frequency (e.g. gender, age, length of stay and household constellation) can be identified and correlations with various aspects of subjective well-being were found.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-112
Author(s):  
Nik Shahrizan Nik Mad ◽  
Marzudi Md Yunus ◽  
Muhammad Shamsinor Abdul Azziz

Subjective well-being is the self-assessment of happiness, pleasure, satisfaction and quality of life, measured specifically and holistically. The assessment of subjective well-being is varied based on the area of focus of the researcher. Events that occur over some time also could affect an individual’s evaluation. Various factors assess well-being, such as character, love, wisdom, excitement and experiences leading to a good life. The evaluation of the positive and negative effects also affects the subjects’ emotions and mood during a study. Earlier studies showed that well-being is not merely related to income and ownership, but issues on health, activities, personality, emotions, mood, family, environment and various other factors. Therefore, this article aims to discuss aspects, assessment methods, theories and progress based on articles, books and research related to subjective well-being. This study utilises the literature review approach to collect data on subjective well-being. The finding shows that the level of subjective well-being is diverse and dynamic, and not limited to certain aspects and factors that could affect humans. Keywords: subjective well-being; self-assessment; happiness; life satisfaction; quality of life.


Author(s):  
Alfred Bordado Sköld

In this paper, I seek to revitalize the concept of happiness by conceptualizing it as a relational and instantaneous phenomenon with both existential, ethical and political dimensions. Happiness hap-ens – in and through encounters, and it does so when we least expect it. Drawing on Bachelard’s writings on ‘the instant’, as well as Gumbrecht’s and Rosa’s much related concepts of ‘presence’ and ‘resonance’, I attempt to formulate a more relational and nonvolitional counter-concept of happiness that blurs the border between eudemonic happiness and subjective well-being on the one hand and positive affect on the other. Safe-guarding opportunities for these moments to happen is to be seen as vital in a contemporary society governed by individualization, rationalization and hedonistic principles. Even though one cannot choose to be happy, one can indeed lead a good life; colored by an openness towards the other and what might come.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Salvador

In this article, I present a comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed research articles published in English between 2000 and 2017 regarding active music making in early childhood (EC) educational settings. My specific research questions were: who was making music? Who else was present? What did the children and other persons do? In what kinds of educational settings did the music making take place? How did the researchers frame and design their studies, and how did they collect data? What did the researcher(s) seek to understand? What did the researchers find? The results of this review challenge the EC music education profession to support every child’s right to a musical childhood by telling the whole story, communicating across places and communities of practice and understanding teaching and learning as contextual, varied and nuanced.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Varvarigou ◽  
Lee Willingham ◽  
Vicky Abad ◽  
Jonny Poon

A growing body of research is concerned with how lifelong music learning and participation in community contexts may support well being and quality of life. Research focused on how non-formal community music learning and participation can be supported and facilitated is more limited. This article sets out three case study examples of the ways in which facilitators of music learning in diverse community contexts (including the home) can be supported and trained. Following these examples, a model for music facilitation is presented and discussed, highlighting key tools for supporting active music-making across the lifecourse.


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