Exploring the musical identities of adult self-defined 'non-musicians' : an interpretative phenomenological analysis

• Main Author: Caldwell, George Neville
• Published: Glasgow Caledonian University 2014
• Subjects: 780
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.658605

Much previous music psychology research has centred on quantitative findings related to musicianship, formal music education and instrument-learning across childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Also, a significant increase in the amount of psychology research into a specific sub-set of identity, namely musical identities, has recently evolved. The aim of the current thesis is to build upon and add to current data sets, through a qualitative exploration of musical identities centred on a currently un-researched group of participants, namely, adult self-defined 'non-musicians'. The present thesis documents an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) centred upon data collated through a single open question; semi-structured interviews; adult self labelled non-musician participants (n = 10), 7 of whom were male and three female. Ages ranged from 37 to 47 years of age. The subject matter, theory and methodological approach adopt an idiographic interpretative analytical stance, which seeks to broaden not only the participant base but also the methodological approach into research centred on adult 'non-musicians' within music psychology. Results reveal emergent, recurrent and overarching themes in direct relation to three central factors within their 'nonmusician' status. The first of which centres on: the impact of family influences on past and current musical identities, whereby an initial baseline of musical identity formation evolves; the second on the importance of relational and social communications in musical identities, which mediates the negotiation and maintenance of musical identities across time; and, the third on the importance of the centrality of music in everyday life, which relates to musicality more than musicianship and is seen as an essential element of being. Future research possibilities are also presented.