A community five years later

Abstract

This study is the second installment in an ongoing investigation of a music fan community 5 years after the initial period of data collection ended in 2014. During original collection, 33 fans of the band JJJ [anonymized] participated in semi-structured interviews about their personal histories with music, their journey to find the music/scene of the band, and the friendships they formed with other fans. Now, 5 years later, while some have sustained those meanings and connections, others have significantly decreased participation. This study sought to explore the core properties of “communities,” and the continuing value of the concept to understanding individual meaning-making in social leisure settings. Ebbs and flows in participation are best understood over time, and as is displayed, even the most committed fans had periods of inactivity. The ongoing nature of the music scene served as a reliable touchstone for fans to (re)engage in their community.

Keywords:

• Leisure
• music
• community

Notes

1 This festival is especially important because some fans are only able to see a few concerts a year, and despite their inability to attend as many concerts as they may have in the past, the DMF, then, serves as their sole opportunity to maintain meaningful friendships and immerse themselves in the music and culture of the fan community.