The magic of music: a study into the promotion of children’s well‐being through singing

Abstract

This paper considers the spiritual nature of music making and in particular the activity of singing. As a music teacher for children aged 5–11, I have recently observed a change in the behaviour and self‐esteem of certain children in school since they joined the choir. This has also inspired them to flourish in other areas of school life. This study focuses on three aspects of spirituality and well‐being in relation to the experiences of corporate music making: transcendence, connectedness and ‘flow’. I note how these contribute to the transformational nature of the musical processes. A theoretical framework focuses on the concepts of ‘signals of transcendence’, ‘connectedness’ and ‘flow’ whilst empirical data illustrates how these theoretical propositions are reflected in the reality of the Primary school situation. Recommendations are made for practice.

Keywords:

• transformation
• transcendence
• connectedness
• optimal experience