Humphrey, Ryan David (2018) Music making and the potential impact for looked after children. Masters thesis, York St John University.

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Abstract

Across the United Kingdom, numerous music projects are working with looked after children and their support networks. However, there is very little research around the impact that participating in music making has on looked after children, particularly in helping them overcome difficulties in their lives and the broader impact that this engagement has on their family.

This study examines the impact that music making has for a looked after child by exploring the following questions:

• What, if any, are the holistic benefits that engaging in music projects has for a child in looked after care?
• What impact do these holistic benefits have for the family/support unit in the child’s lives?
• How are facilitators and organisations developing and running projects, in order to meet the musical needs as well as the development/care needs of the child?

Case studies of three projects contributed to the data collection: (1) SoundLINCS Fusion project, providing musical training for looked after children’s support workers based in Lincolnshire, (2) Loud and Clear Foster family learning, a project based in the North East of England working with foster children (aged 0-5 years of age) in a weekly music project, and (3) Loud and Clear Adoption family learning, a project based in the North East of England working with children going through the adoption process (aged 0-5 years of age) in a weekly music project. With these organisations, focus groups, interviews and participatory observations were undertaken.

The research may provide practitioners with an understanding of the importance that music can play within participants’ lives, helping them build attachments with family members, workforce staff and peers, ideally extending into the everyday life. A currently underexplored area within community music, this research aims to provide insight into how engaging in music projects can become an important and integral part of looked after children’s everyday life.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Status:	Published
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > M Music
School/Department:	School of the Arts
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/3539

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