Candidate Number: 1064704

Music in the Community Essay

Title: Music and the Community in High and Low
Anglican Churches

Word Count: 3,665

Final Honour School Examination in Music
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Introduction

This essay investigates the interaction between music and the community within

different models of the Anglican church. I argue that “high” and “low” churches have

different theological conceptions of community, and this is paralleled in the way music

functions within a church service. Within the field of “Community Music”, Huib

Schippers’ three-fold model distinguishes between community music as an “organic”

phenomenon, community music as an “intervention”, and institutionalised community

music (Schippers, 2018, p. 24). The music of the Early Church first developed as an

organic phenomenon as small communities met to worship God through loosely and

informally organised singing (ibid., 25). However, during the Middle Ages, the church

dominated religious and cultural practice in Europe and became an institutional centre

of musical composition and performance. Today, the musical life of the church draws

upon both organic tropes as music is sung in informal settings guided by the

congregation, and ‘institutional’ tropes as musical worship is led by trained choristers.

This essay summarises what kinds of communities are developed in the context of the

Anglican church, and the way that their theologically-derived conceptions of community

are manifest in the musical activities themselves. First, I examine the high-church,

second, I survey the low-church, and finally I investigate how music and the community

interact at the extremes of the low-church spectrum.

1
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Music in High-Church Anglicanism

The term “high-church” is used to refer to churches within the Anglican communion that

place a “higher” degree of emphasis on the church’s apostolic authority and the role of

the sacraments. High-church influence on the Church of England came from figures of

the Oxford Movement such as John Keble, Edward Bouverie Pusey, and John Henry

Newman. Beginning in the 1830s these men rediscovered the history and liturgy of the

early and medieval church to restore Catholic ritual and stress Anglican continuity with

the pre-reformation church (Champ, 2009). The Oxford Movement eventually developed

into Anglo-Catholicism1, which will be the school of thought and practice focused on for

this section.

“Vertical” High-Church Community

The Anglo-Catholic conception of community can be seen as a “vertical” model where

relationship with God is mediated through a priest. There is a greater emphasis on

salvation within the church through a sacramental system, namely, the mass, which is

performed and directed by the priest (Champ, 2009). Furthermore, the community can

be seen as a vertical model which holds a hierarchy of roles. This includes ordained roles

such as vicar, priest, deacon, and lay roles such as licensed lay minister or reader,

director of music, and organ and choral scholars. The hierarchical community is played

out in many aspects of the service including the use of vestments to distinguish clergy,

1
Anglo-Catholicism can be seen as far right on the low-church to high-church scale.
Churches in Oxford which identify as Anglo-Catholic include St Mary Magdalen, Pusey House, St
Barnabas Church, and the University Church of St Mary the Virgin.

2
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

set positions for where the clergy and choir sit, and limitations on who normally leads the

service and preaches (Morris, 2016, p. 241).

Another aspect where this theological conception of a vertical community is

manifest is in the musical activity of high-churches. For eucharistic services, the music

will normally comprise of a motet and a mass setting – both of which are choir-only – and

congregational hymns.2 Evensong services consist of a set of preces and responses, a

psalm, canticles, and an anthem all sung by the choir. Although the congregation is not

entirely devoid of any musical responsibility, it is clear that whatever the service, the choir

has a significant role and responsibility for the church’s musical worship. Moreover, the

way the music is performed reflects the hierarchy of relations within the church

community. It is the priest who leads the preces and responses, the director of music

who conducts the choir, and the choir who sing to the congregation. The congregation’s

musical involvement is mediated by a vertical hierarchy of relations: from God, to priest,

to director of music, to choir, to congregation. The theologically conceived identity of a

vertical community is ‘performed’ through the music (Shelemay, 2011, p. 368).

“Presentational” High-Church Music

The musical worship of a high-church service can be seen as a “presentational”

performance. Community Music scholar Thomas Turino distinguishes between

participatory performances which have no ‘artist-audience distinctions’ and seek to

include as many people as possible, from presentational performances where the artists

2
This varies church-to-church, and is part of a church’s practice rather than doctrine. However, an
inspection of the music lists of the Anglo-Catholic churches named earlier reveals these patterns of
musical worship.

3
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

prepare a performance for a listening audience (Turino, 2008, p. 26). The music in high

and Anglo-Catholic churches is a presentational performance as it is mostly prepared by

the choir for the congregation to listen to (ibid., 52). The congregation does not participate

in the music-making, rather, it is the responsibility of the performers to create something

varied and attractive that will sustain the congregation’s attention (ibid., 56).

The presentational style of performance reflects the vertical conception of

community in two ways. First, performance of traditional Anglican choral music reflects

hierarchical relationships between performers. The role of cantor3 for the preces and

responses is taken by someone near the top of the hierarchy such as the priest.

Meanwhile, the choir usually consists of a number of choral scholars, sometimes

distinguishing between junior and senior. Scholars act as leaders for their voice part, and

frequently receive solo opportunities where they might arise in a piece, again marking out

levels of hierarchy. Kay Kaufman Shelemay’s article on ‘Musical Communities’ (2011)

includes a case study on the music of the Ethiopian Orthodox church which bears

comparison. Based on the rules concerning which personnel could sing particular

chants, Shelemay argues that music serves to demarcate boundaries in the church

(Shelemay, 2011, p. 369). The performance of traditional choral-led music in high

Anglican churches serves to reinforce the existing social hierarchies between

performers.

Second, the performance of presentational music reflects hierarchical

relationships that lead members of the congregation up to God. The congregation do not

3
The cantor is ‘a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation respond’,
taken from Oxford Languages Dictionary.

4
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

perform, but rather receive the performance from those above them in this hierarchical

community. The bonds of connection to God are channelled via the presentational

performers (Turino, 2008, p. 62). Just as the mass is performed by the actions of the

priest, who functions as a mediator to God, so is the congregation’s relationship to God

channelled, or rather mediated, through the performance of the choir. This relates to

Martyn Percy’s model of high-church as a ‘support-based institution’ which has a ‘low-

threshold’ pattern of worship (Percy, 2020, p. 142). As a ‘support-based institution’ one is

not expected to become a member or partake in weekly activities of a church, but rather

can enjoy a church service how, when, and where of one’s choosing (ibid., 142). Similarly,

the patterns of worship in high-church are of a ‘low-threshold’ meaning one is not

normally expected to participate, but rather to sit, listen, and enjoy (ibid., 142). The model

of community posed here is one whereby worship is “presented” to you as you sit “under”

the hierarchy of those who have already prepared it. The musical affordance is that you

receive the contemplative quality of the music (Ansdell, 2014, p. 36). Overall, the

“vertical” conception of community, where relationship with God is mediated through a

priest, is paralleled in the “presentational” style of musical worship.

Music in Low-Church Anglicanism

Meanwhile, the term “low-church” is used to refer to churches that place less importance

on the church’s authority and the sacraments and have a more informal style of worship

with an emphasis on congregational involvement (Cross & Livingstone, 2006). The term

“evangelical” is often used interchangeably with “low-church” and describes a

movement shaped by the cleric Charles Simeon (1759-1836) (Marshall, 2015).

5
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Evangelicalism4 minimised continuity with the medieval past, stressed the importance of

personal conversion, and emphasised the divine inspiration of the Bible (Cross &

Livingstone, 2009).

“Horizontal” Low-Church Community

The evangelical conception of community can be seen as a “horizontal” model where

everyone has their own, individual, and direct relationship with God (Champ, 2009).

Although there still may be a minister or a group of elders in the church, there is no sense

that they have a mediating role between the congregation and God. Furthermore, in this

horizontal community there is less sense of a social ladder or hierarchy. Evangelical

ministers rarely wear vestments minimising the distinction between clergy and laity.

Members of the congregation can normally take any seat in any pew, and laity are more

likely to partake in the service by giving a reading, testimony, interview, or prayer. This

approach, which seeks to minimise hierarchy, is also manifest in the musical activity of

evangelical churches. This usually takes the form of congregational singing in the style of

“contemporary worship music”.

Contemporary worship music (CWM) is defined by Monique Ingalls as a ‘global

Christian congregational song repertory modelled on mainstream Western popular

music styles’ (Ingalls, 2018, p. 5). Often a musician, typically a guitarist, who has

charismatic qualities leads the worship band. Their presence can be a strong force for

forming community and a sense of belonging (Shelemay, 2011, p. 377). However, the

primary aim of the worship band is to encourage congregational participation. Mark

4
Churches in Oxford that would fall under this category include St Ebbes Church, St Aldates Church, and
St Andrews Church.

6
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Porter reflects on the musical life of St Aldates Church, stating that the congregation are

‘encouraged to enter into an experience’ where music acts as a medium for encountering

God (Porter, 2013, p. 205). The soft-rock style of music has potential to be emotionally

stirring and transform an individual to a state of awe and transcendence. As an ‘intensely

emotional space’ not only does the music encourage the individual to focus on their

relationship with God, but it also acts as a mechanism of social bonding and finding

emotional and spiritual intimacy with other congregants (ibid., 205). The music is

designed to aid equal and full congregational participation, and so performs the identity

of a “horizontal” community.

“Participatory” Low-Church Music

While the music of Anglo-Catholic churches fits Turino’s idea of a “presentational”

performance, the music of evangelical church services strives to be a “participatory”

performance. Contemporary worship music is normally led by a band, and they serve a

‘core role’ – their job is to perform their individual parts in a way that encourages

congregational singing even though it may limit their own artistic expression (Turino,

2008, p. 31). The sound of the band is important, but only because it inspires a greater

level of participation (ibid., 29). Contemporary worship music is ‘not for listening apart

from doing’, rather it is judged based on the degree and intensity of the congregation’s

singing (ibid., 33, 52).

The participatory performance reflects the horizontal conception of community

which sees no hierarchy between performers. Those singing in the congregation are no

less important than those playing in the band, and between members there is a sense of

collaboration and team-spirit. Moreover, the emotional intensity of the music can draw

7
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

church members together through a shared experience. The soft-rock style of

contemporary worship music is designed to be reflective and facilitate a feeling that

congregants can release their burdens, often through “prayer ministry” (Steven, 1999, p.

179). Prayer ministry is a time where every member of the congregation is invited to go up

to the front of the church to receive individual prayer, usually accompanied by the

recipient’s hand being placed on by the one speaking the prayer (ibid., 179). It is another

manifestation of the horizontal community: everyone is invited to receive prayer, and

there is no requirement to be a member of the clergy to be a part of the prayer ministry

team. Importantly, prayer ministry is normally offered at the end of a period of sung

worship, as the music acts as a vehicle of reflection. This demonstrates how the musical

model of participatory performance supports the theological model of horizontal

community. The social relations are realised through the performance (Turino, 2008, p.

35).

Furthermore, participatory performance reflects the horizontal conception of

community which sees no need for a minister to mediate between the congregation and

God. In evangelical churches, everyone is encouraged to grow in their own personal

relationship with God. While there may be a worship leader, their charismatic nature

inspires greater participation. In particular, congregants are frequently encouraged to

engage in musical worship by closing their eyes and raising their arms and hands upward

in an extended position above their head (Steven, 1999, pp. 154, 157). These physical

gestures emulate the posture of the heart which connects directly with God. There is no

vertical hierarchy where choirs and priests mediate access to God, but rather everyone

has an equal relation with one another, and their own relation with God. Martyn Percy’s

model of low-church as a ‘member-based organisation’ which has a ‘high-threshold’

8
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

pattern of worship also bears useful comparison (Percy, 2020, p. 142). As a ‘member-

based organisation’ your attendance to services and midweek groups define your

commitment to the church (ibid., 142). Similarly, the patterns of worship in low-church

are of a ‘high-threshold’ meaning one is expected to join in and partake in the worship

(ibid., 142). Even a Christian who likes to sing loudly but not necessarily with their hands

raised might feel out of place in certain evangelical churches. The model of community

posed by Percy is one whereby worship is “participatory” as you “join in” with the whole

community. The musical affordance is that you partake in the transformative nature of

the music (Ansdell, 2014, p. 36). Overall, the “horizontal” conception of community

where individual relationship with God is encouraged, is paralleled in the “participatory

style” of musical worship.

Music in Charismatic Anglican Churches

So far, this essay has demonstrated that community in high-churches can be seen as a

vertical hierarchy: relationship with God is mediated through clergy, and this is reflected

in the presentational style of music. Meanwhile, community in low-churches can be seen

as horizontal: everyone is encouraged to have their individual relationship with God, and

this is reflected in the participatory style of music. However, at the extremes of the low-

church spectrum sometimes the performance of contemporary worship music can

become more presentational than participatory. This creates a discrepancy between how

the horizontal community is conceived theologically and how it is performed musically.

The following section focuses on a growing movement within the extremes of low-church

Anglicanism called the “charismatic” movement. With influence from Pentecostalism,

9
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

the charismatic movement places more importance on the presence of the Holy Spirit in

the life of an individual and in the work of the church (Bowker, 2000). It also emphasises

informality, emotion, and personal experience in musical worship (ibid.). This essay

argues that in some charismatic worship settings5, the music can become sacramental,

the church can become a concert, and the worship leader as “pop star” can take on a

“priestly” function that defines the community of Anglo-Catholic churches.

First, some charismatic churches elevate contemporary worship music to a

“sacramental status”. In Anglo-Catholic churches, worship is centred around the

sacrament of the mass (Champ, 2009). The choir provides music for the ordinary of the

mass6 but the centre point of worship is on the consecration of the bread and the wine.

However, in some charismatic churches, the music is given centre stage. Churches begin

with a “time of worship” which is a “set” of contemporary worship music songs (Steven,

1999, p. 129). The fact that it has been called a “time of worship” rather than “sung

worship” or “musical worship” emphasises the high value placed on singing as the

primary act of worship. Bible readings, prayers, and a sermon typically follow too,

however many churches elevate this time of worship to the level of a sacrament7. In

addition, David Lemley argues that there is a “flow” to the way the “music set” is ordered

(Lemley, 2021, pp. 55-57). The set typically builds excitement before taking the

congregation to a calmer and more reflective mood, which can lead toward a feeling of

intimacy with God.

5
It is important to note that this is not an analysis of all charismatic anglican churches, but rather a trend
that has appeared in some of the more so-called “hyper-charismatic” churches at the extreme of the low-
church spectrum.
6
Ordinary of the mass refers to the parts that do not change depending on the liturgical season.
7
A sacrament is ‘a religious ceremony or ritual regarded as imparting divine grace’, taken from Oxford
Languages Dictionary.

10
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Second, in churches that focus heavily on this “time of worship”, the music can

become more akin to that of a pop concert. Monique Ingalls argues that in such cases

activities associated with rock concerts are ‘ritualised and reframed as acts of worship’

(Ingalls, 2018, p. 42). For example, a concert’s high production values are reproduced in

a church’s high quality sound systems; a concert’s visual spectacle is emulated in the

use of a dark room with bright lights; and performer-audience interactions are imitated

as worship leaders inspire the audience to worship God (Ingalls, 2018, p. 68). In such

circumstances, as the church’s music becomes more and more concert-like, the

“presentational” quality of the performance is augmented, and the “participatory”

quality is diminished.

Finally, in concert-like churches, the role of the worship band becomes so

elevated that the band effectively takes on the function of a choir, and the band leader

takes on the function of the priest. While it is still the band’s role to encourage

participation, in concert-like performances their role becomes so important that the

congregation become entirely dependent on experiencing God’s presence based on the

actions of the worship band. The band no longer has a ‘core role’ which encourages

participation, but rather they perform to the congregation (Turino, 2008, p. 31). If the

sound system were to be cut out and the band no longer heard, one would realise that

despite some congregational singing the focus was primarily on the musical sound

achieved rather than the degree and intensity of participation (ibid., 32). This creates a

system of hierarchy, whereby the evangelical band can be compared to that of the Anglo-

Catholic choir, and the worship band leader can be compared to that of the priest.

11
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

As a consequence, the worship leader, who, in concert-like performances has

effectively turned into a pop star, becomes the “chief worshipper”. A cult of personality

can grow around them, and they are positioned at the top of an imagined hierarchy of

worshippers. The band as “presenters” of the worship are placed just underneath, with

the remaining congregation who receive the worship placed at the bottom of the

imagined hierarchy. This greater reflects the community structure of high-churches than

it does of low-churches. In addition, the worship leader as “pop star” takes on a “priestly”

function. Just as the high-church member’s relationship to God is mediated through the

actions of the priest performing the sacrament of the mass, so is the low-church

member’s relationship to God mediated through the actions of the worship leader

performing the “sacrament” of the music. Overall, in theory charismatic churches

encourage everyone to worship God individually, reflecting a horizontal community.

However, in practice the music can become more presentational than participatory as

the band become the primary worshippers. As a result, this creates an inconsistency with

how the community is conceived theologically and how it is performed musically.

Conclusion

This essay has argued that the theologically-conceived types of community in high and

low Anglican churches are manifest in the musical activity of the church service. In high,

or specifically Anglo-Catholic churches, the “vertical” community is derived from an

emphasis on the church’s apostolic authority and the role of the sacraments. This is

played out in many different aspects of the service including the music. The use of

traditional Anglican choral music is a “presentational” performance where the

12
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

congregation receive worship as they sit under the hierarchy of those who have already

prepared it. This system reflects both hierarchical relationships between performers and

hierarchical “priestly” relationships that mediate between the congregation and God.

Meanwhile, in low, or namely evangelical churches, the “horizontal” community stems

from greater importance placed on an individual personal relationship with God.

Contemporary worship music is a “participatory” performance where the congregation

partakes in communal singing led by a worship band. This style of music encourages all

church members to draw together through a shared emotional experience, and to pursue

their own personal relationship with God.

However, at extremes of the low-church spectrum, some charismatic Anglican

churches which have a horizontal vision of community can perform this musically in a

vertical manner. This happens when the church’s music becomes more presentational

than participatory, with the role of the worship band augmented and the role of

congregational singing diminished. In these pop-concert-like scenarios an imaginary

hierarchy of worshippers is formed. In addition, the worship leader as “pop star” takes on

a priestly function of mediating access between the congregation and God through the

“sacrament” of the music. Overall, the community is musically performed more like that

of a high-church than of a low-church. Clearly as the Church of England expands in a

number of different theological and ecclesiological positions, this becomes a burgeoning

literature. Future research should explore churches that situate themselves between the

extremes of high and low, often referring to themselves as “broad church”. In particular,

with the growing influence of the charismatic movement on Catholicism (Peter, 2004, p.

205), it would be interesting to explore whether changes in the style of musical worship

reflect the historic vision of community. In summary, this essay has demonstrated that

13
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

high and low Anglican churches have different theologically-derived conceptions of

community, and these are manifest in the musical worship of a church service.

Bibliography

Ansdell, G. (2014). How Music Helps in Music Therapy and Everyday Life. Farnham: Ashgate.

Bowker, J. (2000). Charismatic (movement). In The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World

Religions. Oxford University Press.

Champ, J. (2009). High Church. In J. Cannon, The Oxford Companion to British History (1 ed.).

Oxford University Press.

Champ, J. (2009). Low Church. In J. Cannon, The Oxford Companion to British History (1 ed.).

Oxford University Press.

Cross, F. L., & Livingstone, E. A. (2006). Low Churchmen. In F. L. Cross, & E. A. Livingstone, The

Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3 ed.). Oxford University Press.

Cross, F. L., & Livingstone, E. A. (2009). Evangelicalism. In F. L. Cross, & E. A. Livingstone, The

Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3 ed.). Oxford University Press.

Ingalls, M. M. (2018). Singing the Congregation: How Contemporary Worship Music Forms

Evangelical Community. New York: Oxford University Press.

Lemley, D. (2021). Becoming What We Sing: Formation through Contemporary Worship Music.

Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Marshall, W. M. (2015). Charles Simeon. In R. Crowcroft, & J. Cannon, The Oxford Companion to

British History (2 ed.). Oxford University Press.

14
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Morris, J. (2016). Modern Destinies: The Revival into the Twentieth Century. In J. Morris, The High

Church Revival in the Church of England (pp. 237-254). Leiden: Brill.

Percy, M. (2020). Anglican Cathedrals in a Secular Society: David Martin and the Sociology of

English Religion. Society , 140-146.

Peter, H. (2004). The impact of the charismatic movement on the Roman Catholic Church.

Journal of Belifs and Values, 25 (2), 205-216.

Porter, M. (2013). Moving Between Musical Worlds: Worship Music, Significance and Ethics in

the Lives of Contemporary Worshippers. In T. Wagner, C. Landau, & I. Monique, Christian

Congregational Music (pp. 215-230). Routledge.

Schippers, H. (2018). Community Music Contexts, Dynamics, and Sustainability. In B.-L.

Bartleet, & L. Higgins, The Oxford Handbook of Community Music (pp. 23-42). Oxford:

Oxford University Press.

Shelemay, K. K. (2011). Musical Communities: Rethinking the Collective in Music. Journal of the

American Musicological Society, 349-390.

Steven, J. H. (1999). "Worship in the spirit”: a sociological analysis and theological appraisal of

charismatic worship in the church of england. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Turino, T. (2008). Participatory and Presentational Performance. In T. Turino, Music as Social Life:

The Politics of Participation (pp. 23-65). Chicago and London: University of Chicago

Press.

15
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Candidate Number: 1064704

Music in the Community

Reflective Placement Account
Title: “Discovering” the person behind the
dementia through songwriting

Word Count: 3,664

Final Honour School Examination in Music

16
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Introduction

The use of music with dementia patients is a widely researched topic, now including

scholarship in the fields of neuroscience (Baird and Samson, 2009; Crystal, et al., 1989),

psychology (Cooke, et al., 2010), and sociology (Hara, 2011). In particular, many studies

have investigated the value of “Community Music Therapy” - an approach to working

musically with people in their existing context (Ansdell, 2002, p. 1). Within the context of

dementia, scholars have discussed the physiological (Davidson & Fedele, 2011, p. 403),

relational (Götell, et al., 2002), and cognitive (Hong & Choi, 2011) benefits of singing. This

essay reflects upon the Turtle Song project the author undertook between January to

March 2024. Turtle Song is an active ‘intervention’ (Schippers, 2018, p. 24) form of

community music therapy. It is based on the needs of those with dementia, and seeks to

“intervene” by encouraging artistic and social interaction in clients through singing and

songwriting. I begin by giving a brief overview of the project before focusing on how music

has the ability to help “discover” the person behind the dementia. Insights from the

literature are used to interpret and contextualise my observations within theoretical

frameworks. Finally, for ethical reasons, I have pseudonymised the names of all

participants and staff involved in this project.

Methodology

Turtle Song, a project run by Turtle Key Arts since 2008, brings music and movement to

people living with all forms of dementia as well as their companions and carers. This year

in Oxford the project ran over 9 weeks, had 23 participants, and was led by a professional

17
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

director and composer with the help of seven music students. Most weeks generally

followed the same overall structure of socialising over tea and biscuits, warming up the

body and voice, singing through songs that were developed the previous week, forming

ideas for next week’s song, and finishing with a “cool down” performance by one or more

of the student helpers. The theme of this year’s project was “Turtlepedia!” with each song

designed to be a metaphorical page that one could pull out of an encyclopaedia. In the

first half of the project, students helped participants brainstorm ideas and lyrical content

for three different songs named ‘Time to Take a Holiday’, ‘Family Treasure’ and ‘Mother

Nature’, which were then arranged and orchestrated by the professional composer. In the

second half of the project, participants were split into three groups led by students, with

each group developing their own song based on an imaginary Treasure Island. The project

culminated in a performance of all six songs plus an introductory round to create a “song

cycle” which was performed to family and friends of the participants. The project aims at

helping people with dementia live a better quality of life and also helps to lead the way

for a fundamental change in attitude toward the type of provision needed for people living

with dementia.

In this essay, I explore how music can help ‘discover the person behind the

dementia’ (Smilde, 2018, p. 682). After each session I made preliminary notes on the

activities and any particular moments of interest such as conversations or behavioural

observations. After the conclusion of the project, I read through the notes, reflected on

them, and put them into themes. The issues that emerged include the nurturing of

expressivity and freedom through comfort and familiarity, the encouragement of a variety

of nuanced emotions through the balance of being silly and heartfelt, and the

development of both interpersonal and intrapersonal relations through the vehicle of

18
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

music. The superordinate theme of this essay is how music can help discover the person

behind the dementia, considered through the subordinate themes of encouragement of

movement, and dancing; telling stories and reminiscing; and social connection. I use

ethnographic research to observe the effects of an interventionist community music

therapy (Schippers, 2018, p. 24). For each theme I first present my experience and

observations, second, I analyse this data, and finally I interpret it and contextualise it

within the broader literature on music and dementia. However, to begin it is important to

examine a brief overview of what it means to discover the person behind the dementia.

“Discovering” the person behind the dementia

Recent scholarship has demonstrated the possibility of music to “discover” or “find” the

person “behind” or “through” the dementia. In his article on Musical Recognition, Gary

Ansdell argues that everyone has their own ‘core musicality’ – how a person sounds and

how a person is heard (Ansdell, 2014, p. 93). Our core musicality is often remarkably

resilient amidst illness, trauma, or disability such as dementia (ibid., 93). The way we

communicate through or respond to music can often help uncover something about who

we are. For example, music can give people an expressive medium in which to

characterise themselves. One’s varying responses to different specific musical elements

can give an indication of one’s sensitivities and preferences (ibid., 94). This can be seen

as our “musical signature”, and our musical identity often says something about our

character or personhood (ibid., 93).

Historically, approaches to identity-discovery through music have focused on the

use of ‘person-centred’, or ‘applied’ improvisation – improvisation that can be applied

19
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

within a particular space for a particular person (Smilde, 2018, p. 683). This approach

was first championed through Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins as they used varied

improvisation to help explore the emotional sensitivities of children with special needs

(Ansdell, 2014, p. 93). However, this approach is in the context of traditional music

therapy. Traditional music therapy tends to take place in a closed space, targets specific

non-musical health concerns, and is led by a therapist whose primary area of expertise

is psychotherapeutic or health-related (Aigen, 2012, p. 142). Meanwhile, community

music therapy takes place in an open space, targets an improvement in general quality of

life, and the therapist’s expertise is primarily music (ibid., 142). In this context, which is

the context of Turtle Song, person-centred improvisation is less possible as a therapist is

usually working with a number of clients at the same time. Therefore, this essay expands

upon literature that focuses on responses to applied improvisation and examines

responses to the multi-faceted dimensions of songwriting. This includes the

performance process consisting of singing8 movement, and dancing, the compositional

process which involves telling stories and reminiscing, and music’s collaborative aspect

which includes making music at all levels with other people.

Singing, movement, and dancing

First, a person’s response to music through singing, movement, and dancing can help

discover the character of the person behind the dementia. During the course of the Turtle

Song project, it became apparent that the two participants at the most advanced stage

8
While singing could be said to generally uplift the mood of a person with dementia and unlock
personality traits, I did not witness any striking examples of this taking place within the Turtle Song
project. Nevertheless, I have included it in my argument based on examples within the literature (see
Pavlicevic, 2012, p. 201).

20
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

of dementia were Heather and Georgia. Both were severely reduced in verbal ability, with

words mainly restricted to ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘hello’, and ‘you okay?’. Georgia recognized her

speech limitations, while it appeared that Heather did not, and frequently had her head

down and eyes closed. Their respective carers often had to interpret what they were trying

to say and give regular verbal and physical reassurance and comfort. As mentioned

previously, one of the songs composed was called ‘Time to Take a Holiday’ and featured

an extended period of instrumental music in the style of Bossa Nova encouraging

participants to dance. As the weeks went by, the project director encouraged both of

these ladies to dance along to the music, and by the end of the project they were often

the first to jump up to dance. In particular, Heather’s eyes lit up during the dancing and

her body movements no longer appeared to face the restrictions that they had previously.

Similar features were also observed in Georgia. Meanwhile, in the song ‘Mother Earth’, the

gentle 3/4 lilting feel encouraged participants to waltz together during the instrumental

section. This time, Holly and Ben, and Peter and Harriet were the two couples that were

most keen to waltz together. Both took to the floor quite naturally appearing as if they

were re-living a pastime favourite.

My analysis of these two case studies reveals that while people with dementia

may respond to speech similarly to one another, their response to musical sound can

differ drastically. This helps reveal something about their personality. While working with

Heather, Georgia, and Peter, I found it very difficult to build up a relationship with them or

find out much about their lives. My experience of who they were was entirely dependent

on my relationship with their respective carers. However, Heather’s and Georgia’s

response to music revealed personality traits that were not evident from the way they

spoke or moved. It would appear that both Heather and Georgia who immersed

21
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

themselves in the Bossa Nova dance section displayed traits of an extroverted character

that dementia had severely inhibited. Furthermore, while Peter was not so keen to join in

on the Bossa Nova, he was much more enthusiastic about dancing to the waltz-like

music. Peter’s response demonstrated his preference for something that was more

classical and familiar, perhaps revealing preferences shaped by his family background or

cultural exposure. My experience suggests that the varying levels of response to different

types of music enabled a demonstration of particular extroverted and introverted

tendencies. This helped to “unlock” the personality that dementia can inhibit.

Examining the literature on Music and Dementia, my experience accords with the

evidence from Ansdell who suggests that everyone has their own ‘core musicality’

(Ansdell, 2014, p. 93). While Georgia and Peter had severely reduced verbal ability, their

response to music through dance and movement could act as an expressive medium

through which to characterise themselves. Indeed, dance and movement can be a

particularly effective response, as it enables people to express themselves when words

fail, which can often be the case for people with dementia. Furthermore, during the

student-led songwriting sessions I found it hard to engage Paul who often struggled to

keep up with the words of the song. However, he was the first to suggest actions and keen

to make sure they were implemented properly. It demonstrated his aim to “do things

properly” which could not necessarily be expressed by singing. Finally, scholars have

investigated the short time physiological benefits of group singing such as stress relief,

relaxation, breathing, posture, and lowering of blood pressure (Davidson & Fedele, 2011,

p. 403) (Creech, Hallam, McQueen, & Varvarigou, 2013, p. 96). The aim of the Turtle Song

project was to improve one’s general wellbeing and quality of life rather than focus on a

specific health-goal. This can help lift the mood of many people with dementia, reduce

22
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

activity disturbances, aggressiveness, and anxiety, and help unlock personality traits that

had been hidden by dementia (Svansdottir & Snaedal, 2006) (Odell-Miller, 2002, p. 155).

This was my experience particularly with Heather, and helps explain her significant

change of behaviour that enables us to see her as a vibrant and enthusiastic dancer.

Telling stories and reminiscing

Second, songwriting provides an opportunity to ‘uncover’ the life of someone with

dementia by encouraging them to retell stories and reminisce upon the past. In the

second and third week of the project, the group developed a song about ‘Family Treasure’.

The students encouraged participants to think about what objects were precious to

them, and the stories behind the objects. The following week participants were then

invited to bring in any objects mentioned and display them to the whole group. This

provided an opportunity for participants to share what was special to them without

necessarily having to rely on words to explain the objects. Some participants brought in

objects that had an emphasis on family history and legacy such as a family Bible, war

medal, wedding ring, or even a teething ring! Meanwhile, other participants brought in

objects that had an emphasis on experiences and hobbies such as a rare “muesli bowl”

from Egypt and a Bob Dylan record cover. The way participants demonstrated their object

also varied with some being reluctant to show, while others wanting to show off their

object and even personifying it. Similarly, in week one, for the composition of the ‘Time to

Take a Holiday Song’, participants were encouraged to reminisce upon holidays. While

people’s memory of holidays and ability to share their past varied, what was particularly

interesting was how some participants kept to the “facts” of their holiday experience,

while others, such as Daniel, deliberately exaggerated and fantasised upon their past.

23
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Daniel liked to tell stories of travelling round with other people within the group and

making up nonsensical adventures.

Analysing these observations, it is clear that songwriting acts as a medium for

sharing experiences and ideas with a low threshold of participation. This is well-suited to

people with dementia who may struggle to articulate their thoughts. The process of

songwriting involved open-ended questions and responses, with each participant

encouraged to share something without the pressure of continuing to engage in a one-to-

one conversation. Sometimes I found it tricky to unpack people’s experiences and

memories, particularly when their verbal ability was so limited. Here there is a danger of

assigning certain characteristics to those with a wider range of verbal ability. However,

the opportunity to “show and tell” their object enabled participants to demonstrate to a

greater extent, through their body language and facial expressions, what was important

to them. For example, while Heather’s affection for a “Pinky and Perky” album had to be

relayed through her carer, a photo of her holding the album enthusiastically pointing to

the title cover revealed how fondly she remembers the album. My experience suggests

that the compositional process of songwriting enables lots of ideas to be thrown together

in a melting pot, without feeling like one has to “out-do” someone else’s contribution.

This enables a low threshold of participation which can encourage a greater degree of

involvement, helping to reveal what is important to participants and how fondly they

related to past memories.

Having examined scholarship on songwriting projects for people with dementia,

my experience accords with that of In Sil Hong and Min Joo Choi who found that

songwriting can help stimulate cognitive functions to reminisce the past, understand the

24
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

present, and express the future (Hong & Choi, 2011, p. 221). Songwriting can provide a

space for participants to reflect upon the past which can help “remember” who they were

before dementia. As group singing activities have a low threshold of participation

(Davidson & Fedele, 2011, p. 403), participants are more likely to share who they

remember themselves to be, which helps others to discover the person behind the

dementia. Furthermore, SangNam Ahn and Sato Ashido discuss how listening to music

can enable people with dementia to reminiscence life experiences by providing ‘access

to lost memories of life events and people’ (Ahn & Ashido, 2012, p. 6). While the Turtle

Song project primarily focused on songwriting rather than listening, it was interesting to

note people’s reactions when they heard their object being sung about in the family

treasure song. One’s past memories took on a new life and were frequently met by large

smiles on the participants faces as they heard their object sung. In addition, for the

cooldown in week two, the students performed an A Cappella arrangement of ‘The Bare

Necessities’ which coincidentally unlocked Molly’s love of the Jungle Book. In the

following week, she brought in a record cover of her Jungle Book album to show to the

group as her family treasure. Overall, it is clear that songwriting and listening to music

can stimulate cognitive functions of the brain which can help participants remember who

they were before dementia. When these stories are shared in a non-pressured and low

participatory environment, others can begin to discover the person behind the dementia.

Social connection

Finally, community music therapy supports an environment whereby everyone is treated

as equals. This fosters good social collaboration, helps enable individuals with dementia

to flourish, and allows others to discover the person behind the dementia. At the

25
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

beginning of each week everybody participating in the Turtle Song project was given a

name label, with no distinction between staff, students, carers, and people with

dementia. This provided a good platform whereby the attention was off people’s ability,

and instead everyone was treated as equals. Furthermore, it allowed people with

dementia to make contributions to many aspects of the project. Had it been obvious that

they were a person with dementia, they may have felt less confident. For example, Jo, a

quieter lady previously reluctant to contribute to group discussion, had thought about

lyrics for a Treasure Island song during the week and shared her ideas with the group in

week four. In addition, a number of participants were involved with giving a short reading,

including both people with and without dementia. While it became apparent over time

who had dementia and who did not, there was never a categorisation of participants.

Furthermore, participants were encouraged to develop connections with the students.

This included chatting over tea and biscuits before the session began, brainstorming

song ideas together during the session, and singing as one big group. The connection to

students sparked energy and quick-witted humour and brought a sense of youthfulness

to the project.

My analysis of these observations suggests that group music making is an

effective way of encouraging “normality” rather than making people with dementia feel

like they are a “problem” that needs to be “solved”. In this context, participants are likely

to feel more comfortable sharing thoughts and acting with greater freedom and

expressivity which can help unlock their personality. In my experience, people with

dementia were less likely to attempt to contribute to group activities, and it was the

student’s role to facilitate their equal participation by encouraging patience and active

listening. This could potentially lead to accidently patronising people with dementia if

26
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

their participation seemed to be forced. However, on the whole, it was clear that this

environment founded on equality, trust and mutual support enabled individuals with

dementia to regain a sense of ability and confidence.

Psychologist Tom Kitwood argued that the idea of personhood is key to improving

“person-centred care” for people with dementia (Kitwood, 1997). Central to personhood

is the fact that it is relational: we are bestowed personhood in relation to who we are with,

and where we are (Ansdell, 2014, p. 99). Attempts to affirm personhood have been

particularly effective in hospitals where community music therapists have worked within

the whole domain of a hospital (Aigen, 2012, p. 144). In such situations, the difference

between patient and professional is blurred, changing the focus of the community music

from being primarily psychotherapeutic to musical. The Turtle Song project had the same

focus, the primary aim was to make music together rather than to “fix” individuals.

Importantly, participants were not questioned on whether the project had improved their

quality of life, or stimulated cognitive functions, but rather each week was primarily a

celebration of the songs that we had together created and performed. The distinctive

roles of being a staff worker, student, or participant with dementia were replaced by the

shared role of “musician” and enabled individual personalities to shine through

(Pavlicevic, 2012, p. 204). In addition, Kenneth Aigen discusses the potential for

community music therapy to perceive the whole community as “client” due to music’s

ability to build bridges and unite groups with little in common (Aigen, 2012, p. 148). In the

Turtle Song project, music helped to form relations between students and participants,

and improved the student’s awareness and understanding of how dementia affects a

person. In this context, students were more likely to notice particular characteristics of

individuals and see through the dementia to discover their personality.

27
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Conclusion

This reflective placement account has focused on my experience of music’s ability to

help “discover” the person behind the dementia. First, a person’s response to music

through singing, movement, and dance can help reveal the character of a person, being

expressed through different responses to musical sound. Second, songwriting provides

an opportunity to uncover the life of someone with dementia by encouraging them to

retell stories and reminisce upon the past. The compositional process acts as a medium

for sharing experiences and ideas with a low threshold of participation. Finally, Turtle

Song supported an environment where everyone was treated as equals rather than as

“problems” to be “solved”. In this context everyone took on the shared role of musicians

which helped individuals to regain a sense of ability and confidence.

Clearly, community music therapy is an emerging discipline and many projects

such as Turtle Song are helping people with dementia live a better quality of life. In

addition, such projects are also helping to lead the way for a fundamental change in

attitude toward the type of provision needed for people living with dementia. One

potential area for development I suggest is the potential to include music software

applications such as GarageBand or Logic in the songwriting process. Participants

involvement was mainly limited to the creation of lyrical content, with the professional

composer creating the musical content in his own time. It would be particularly

interesting to explore the possibility for participants to experiment with and express their

preferred musical style by selecting loops on apps such as GarageBand. This could be a

pleasant and non-threatening way to be actively involved in the music composition

process (Aasgaard & Blichfeldt Ærø, 2015, p. 657). Furthermore, the choice of musical

28
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

style may help participants to articulate their musical preferences. Their differing

responses to a wider variety of musical sounds may continue to uncover personality

traits. To conclude, this essay has demonstrated how group performance and

composition in the context of Turtle Song can help “discover” the person behind the

dementia.

Bibliography

Aasgaard, T., & Blichfeldt Ærø, S. C. (2015). Songwriting Techniques in Music Therapy Practice.

In J. Edwards, The Oxford Handbook of Music Therapy (pp. 644-668). Oxford: Oxford

University Press.

Ahn, S., & Ashido, S. (2012). Music therapy for dementia. Maturitas 71(1), 6-7.

Aigen, K. (2012). Community Music Therapy. In G. E. McPherson, & G. F. Welch, The Oxford

Handbook of Music Education, Volume 2 (pp. 138-154). New York: Oxford University

Press.

Ansdell, G. (2002). Community Music Therapy and The Winds of Change. Voices: A World Forum

for Music Therapy, 2(2), https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v2i2.83.

Ansdell, G. (2014). Musical Recognition. In G. Ansdell, How Music Helps in Music Therapy and

Everyday Life (pp. 91-100). Farnham: Ashgate.

Baird, A., & Samson, S. (2009). Memory for music in Alzheimer's disease: Unforgettable?

Neuropsychology Review 19(1), 85-101.

29
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Cooke, M., Moyle, W., Shum, D., Harrison, S., & Murfield, J. (2010). A randomized controlled trial

exploring the effect of music on quality of life and depression in older people with

dementia. Journal of Health Psychology, 15(5), 765-76.

Creech, A. (2018). Community-Supported Music-Making As A Context For Positive And Creative

Ageing. In B.-L. Bartleet, & L. Higgins, The Oxford Handbook of Community Music (pp.

89-108). New York: Oxford University Press.

Creech, A., Hallam, S., McQueen, H., & Varvarigou, M. (2013). The power of music in the lives of

older adults. Research Studies in Music Education, 87-102.

Crystal, H. A., Grober, E., & Masur, D. (1415-1416). Preservation of musical memory in

Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 52, 1989.

Davidson, J. W., & Fedele, J. (2011). Investigating group singing activity with people with

dementia and their caregivers: Problems and positive prospects. Musicae Scientiae

15(3), 402-422.

Götell, E., Brown, S., & Ekman, S.-L. (2002). Caregiver Singing and Background Music in

Dementia Care. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 2002, 24(2), 195-216.

Hara, M. (2011). Music in Dementia Care: Increased Understanding Through Mixed Research

Methods. Music and Arts in Action, 34-58.

Hong, I. S., & Choi, M. J. (2011). Songwriting oriented activities improve the cognitive functions

of the aged with dementia. The Arts in Psychotherapy 38 (4), 221-228.

Kitwood, T. M. (1997). Dementia reconsidered: the person comes first. Buckingham: Open

University Press.

Odell-Miller, H. (2002). Musical narratives in music therapy treatment for dementia. In L. Bunt,

The handbook of music therapy (pp. 149-155). London; New York: Routledge.

30
Music in the Community Candidate Number 1064704

Pavlicevic, M. (2012). Between Beats: Group Music Therapy Transforming People and Places. In

R. MacDonald, G. Kreutz, & L. Mitchell, Music, health, and wellbeing (pp. 197-212).

Oxford: Oxford Univeristy Press.

Schippers, H. (2018). Community Music Contexts, Dynamics, and Sustainability. In B.-L.

Bartleet, & L. Higgins, The Oxford Handbook of Community Music (pp. 23-42). Oxford:

Oxford University Press.

Smilde, R. (2018). Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning. In B.-L. Bartleet, & L. Higgins,

The Oxford Handbook of Community Music (pp. 673-692). New York: Oxford University

Press.

Svansdottir, H. B., & Snaedal, J. (2006). Music therapy in moderate and severe dementia of

Alzheimer’s type: a case–control study. International psychogeriatrics 18 (4), 613-621.

31