Implementation and Strategies of Community Music Activities for Well-Being: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Abstract

The benefits of community music activities for promoting well-being have been well recognized in previous literature. However, due to their wide variability and flexible approaches, a comprehensive understanding of the research and practice of community music activities for well-being promotion is sparse. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize published literature pertaining to community music activities for well-being promotion and identify key implementation characteristics and strategies to inform future practice and research. Studies of community music activities that investigated well-being outcomes in participants of all ages and conditions were eligible for inclusion. Through electronic database and manual searches, a total of 45 studies were identified and included in the analysis. The main findings showed that community music activities for well-being were characterized by a wide range of populations and applications, collaborative work, an emphasis on social components, and musical accomplishments. However, this variability also revealed a lack of consistent and thorough information as well as diversity in well-being conception across studies. The review offers practical recommendations for future research and practice based on the current findings.