Exploring opportunities for the generation of social and musical capital in a community music therapy project in the Western Cape

Abstract

Qualitative research was conducted in order to explore the generation of social and musical capital through music therapy sessions and musical activities with youths attending the Redefine Community Music Project in the Western Cape. This study was conducted from the perspective of Wood‟s Matrix Model (2006) of music therapy where different interlinking musical activities in a range of contexts are shown to extend the benefits of individual music therapy. Data were gathered through conducting a case study with one of the ensemble groups in the Redefine Community Music Project. This group attended music therapy sessions, and the members of the group took part in ensemble rehearsals in preparation for the bi-annual public performance. Data were analysed through using Ansdell and Pavlicevic‟s (2001) method of qualitative content analysis, as well as the analytic technique of open coding proposed by Gibbs (2007). The findings suggest that the multi-faceted format of the Matrix Model of music therapy (Wood, 2006), as reflected in the socio-musical networks of the Redefine Community Music Project, offered participants enhanced opportunities to generate social and musical capital. By facilitating diverse opportunities for musicing in various contexts, participants were enabled to accrue a broad range of social and musical capital with which to create valuable relationships to the self and with others. It is suggested that music therapists and community musicians wishing to facilitate the generation of social capital through music flexibly adapt their practices to the socio-musical needs of the communities in which they work and offer diverse formats of musicing in which social and musical capital may be generated. In this manner individuals and communities may be empowered to cultivate relationships of diverse value in a creative way.