We were interested in finding out how participation in TOSO, with its specific approach may contribute to a flourishing live. In this paper, we want to contribute to these studies by looking at the participants of a community music program, The Ostend Street Orkestra (TOSO) that revolves around homeless people and individuals with a psychiatric or alcohol/drug related background. Their results display many positive outcomes that can easily be linked to the concept of eudaimonia or be viewed as beacons that mark the road to a flourishing life, such as self-expression, sense of togetherness ( Schiavio et al., 2019), positive emotion and ownership ( MacDonald et al., 2012), confidence building and trust ( Vougioukalou et al., 2019) as well as peer friendship and empowerment ( Lee et al., 2017). A number of recent studies looked at the benefits of community music programs from both the viewpoint of their leaders or participants ( Hickey, 2015 Schiavio et al., 2019 Vougioukalou et al., 2019). This research shows how collaborative music making and improvisation can create a community and foster personal growth, social inclusion and self-realization.
Recent research indeed shows the importance of community music programs for establishing a sense of belonging and well-being for participants from different social, cultural and psychological backgrounds ( MacDonald et al., 2012 Lee et al., 2017 Schiavio et al., 2019 Vougioukalou et al., 2019 Welch et al., 2020). 22) state that “the ascendency of community music in the academy is a result of a number of factors, including the widening of perspectives to address broader societal issues, cultural diversity and sustainability along with the role of music as an activist force and contributor to the health and well-being of its participants.” In recent years, community music initiatives have emerged as tools to positively impact on inclusion and participation through encouraging frameworks for interaction, influencing identity and creating opportunities for active and meaningful musical engagement ( MacDonald et al., 2012). All of these components merge in joint music making, thus increasing the potential positive impact of focusing on well-being ( Hargreaves and Lamont, 2017 Lamont et al., 2018). Overall, we observed more focus on Relationship (sense of belonging), Engagement (flow in rehearsals and performances) and Meaning (belonging to something greater than yourself) and less on Positive Emotion and Accomplishment (goal setting).Īccording to Seligman (2011), well-being is related to eudaimonia, whereby flourishing emerges from the combination of Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. The initial open coding was aligned with the five elements of the PERMA model. Alongside verbal reflection through one-on-one interviews video recordings and analysis of moment-to moment observations should be used, in order to capture the complexity of community music projects with homeless people. Video recordings of performances and rehearsals showed clear enjoyment and pleasure while playing music. One interesting finding was the discrepancy in the participant interviews between social relationships indicative of a negative affect about social group interaction versus strong feelings of group coherence and belonging.
Participant data was analyzed through inductive analysis based on the principles of grounded theory. Between 20 data was collected through open interviews and video recordings of rehearsals and performances. The project revolves around The Ostend Street Orkestra (TOSO), a music ensemble within which homeless adults and individuals with a psychiatric or alcohol/drug related background engage in collective musical improvisation.
STUCK IN THE SOUND PURSUIT RAR FREE
In this contribution, we draw on findings from a non-formal, community music project to elaborate on the relationship between the concept of eudaimonia, as defined by Seligman, the interactive dimensions of collective free improvisation, and the concept of collaborative creativity.