Music and Wellbeing in Everyday Life: An Exploratory Study of Music Experience in Ghana.

In this paper we highlight the experience of music in everyday contexts in Ghana. Using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and semi-structured interviews, we examined how people experience and use music in everyday life in potentially beneficial ways to enhance subjective wellbeing. In contrast to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Legon Journal of the Humanities Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 29 - 47
Main Authors: Carl, Florian, Kutsidzo, Rosemond
Format: Article
Published: Pluto Journals 2016
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:In this paper we highlight the experience of music in everyday contexts in Ghana. Using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and semi-structured interviews, we examined how people experience and use music in everyday life in potentially beneficial ways to enhance subjective wellbeing. In contrast to previous research where music's self-regulatory role has been highlighted primarily in the context of solitary music listening, for the participants in our study music also played a crucial role as a form of social and participatory performance practice. This was particularly evident in the strong connection between music, religion and social dance.