The Psychosocial Aspects of Music in the Lives of Older People: An Australian Perspective

Abstract

This study examines the personal meaning and importance of music in the lives of older people, paying particular attention to the ways music contributes to self-identity and quality of life. The data is derived from qualitative in-depth interviews with a purposeful sample of 56 older Australians aged 65 years and over living in rural and urban settings. The findings reveal that music provides people with ways of understanding and developing their self-identity, connecting with other people, maintaining well-being, experiencing and expressing spirituality, enhancing cognitive and physical functioning, and providing strong associations and memories with a person's life stages. Music also provides ways of knowing and identifying self that is critical to quality of life issues. The results reveal how music promotes quality of life by contributing to positive self-esteem, helping people feel competent and independent, and lessening feelings of isolation and loneliness. The data maps the emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual roles that music can play in older people's daily lives. The significance of this study is that it argues how music can be a symbol that older people can use to develop a better quality of life. The study highlights the need for health practitioners, community workers, and educators working in gerontology to be better informed of how music can facilitate and sustain older people's quality of life.