Contextual factors and wellbeing outcomes: Ethnographic analysis of an artist-led group songwriting program with young people

Abstract

Group-based therapeutic songwriting has been applied to enhance the wellbeing of young people. Artist-led songwriting experiences have potential to enhance wellbeing of young people but this has not yet been fully explored. Understanding how this activity impacts wellbeing can advance practice. This study offers a music therapy perspective on artist-led group songwriting, highlighting contextual factors that impacted wellbeing outcomes. A two-day artist-led songwriting program with 85 young people was observed. Video footage, ethnographic field notes and artefacts were thematically analysed and produced themes relating to contextual factors and wellbeing outcomes. Three overarching themes resulted: young people feel safe; young people have fun; young people push beyond boundaries. Contextual factors (sub-themes) included direct and honest feedback, high-energy rituals and emphasis on artistic excellence. Insights into circumstances permitting wellbeing outcomes for young people were obtained. Contextual factors helped shape the songwriting environment by promoting fun, safety and pushing boundaries. This environment enabled young people to engage in the program and benefit from its wellbeing-focused activities. Findings can inform music therapy and other professions using group songwriting with young people to foster wellbeing.

Keywords

artist-led programs community music music education music therapy regional communities songwriting wellbeing young people

Adolescence is a critical developmental period that can impact young people’s psychosocial wellbeing (World Health Organization, 2016). Music is a significant part of young people’s lives and engaging with music can benefit their psychosocial development (Hallam, 2015). Given music’s relevance to young people and its applicability as a health-promoting agent (R. MacDonald, Kreutz, & Mitchell, 2012), there is growing interest in music-based interventions to promote wellbeing for young people (Saarikallio, Gold, & McFerran, 2015). Despite the increased interest, qualified music educators or music therapists primarily deliver the majority of music-based interventions. Little is known about the role of artist-led music-based programs for young people working with school children in a community setting.

Songwriting is a music-based activity increasingly employed with young people to target wellbeing goals (Baker, 2016). It is defined as the process of composing lyrics and music within a therapeutic relationship to address individual or group objectives (Wigram & Baker, 2005). The versatility of songwriting means both musical and non-musical skills, such as writing lyrics, can be practised (Baker, 2015). Furthermore, group songwriting offers young people opportunities to practise teamwork skills, and specific group-based wellbeing measures such as connectedness can be enhanced (Baker, 2015).

Songwriting can also be a safe means of self-expression and identity formation for young people, as it typically employs a structured, organised process, promoting security and containment (Derrington, 2005). Studies of group songwriting programs for young people have demonstrated positive wellbeing outcomes in music education (Barrett & Bond, 2015), community music (Clennon & Boehm, 2014) and music therapy (McFerran & Teggelove, 2011).

Contextual factors impacting wellbeing outcomes

Facilitating group songwriting programs with a wellbeing focus involves considering the potential impact of diverse factors on wellbeing outcomes. Increased understanding of the contextual factors is necessary to maximise potential positive outcomes for individuals taking part in programs (Baker, 2015). These contextual factors may include facilitation style (S. MacDonald & Viega, 2012), group features (Baker, 2013a) and equipment (Paukste & Harris, 2015). However, as we alluded to earlier, these studies all used songwriting as delivered by music therapists and health professionals rather than artists.

A series of recent studies, drawing on clinical practice of 45 experienced music therapists, has enhanced understanding of the contextual factors relevant to songwriting (Baker, 2013a, 2013b, 2014). For example, perceived safety of the physical space was an environmental factor found to enable the songwriting process (Baker, 2013b), and group size and homogeneity (Baker, 2013a) and sociocultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of group members (Baker, 2014) impacted cohesion and group conflict. Research specific to group songwriting with young people provides valuable insights into contextual factors that inform the present study (e.g. Crouch, Robertson, & Fagan, 2011). To date, however, this research has not given explicit consideration to the potential impact of contextual factors on wellbeing outcomes.

McFerran and Teggelove’s (2011) investigation of a group songwriting program for young people utilised songwriting methods. The authors highlighted the importance of high-quality, participant songs created with professional sound equipment. Although not explicitly stated, the high quality of participant songs appears to have been associated with wellbeing outcomes such as increased pride and mastery. Likewise, Smith’s (2012) songwriting program featured high-quality song recordings which were arranged and recorded with the accessible, low-cost GarageBand digital music production suite. The use of accessible resources may have increased the scope for sustainability beyond the program environment, thereby offering potential for longer-term wellbeing outcomes.

Professional recording equipment was also a significant contextual factor in two artist-led community songwriting programs reporting positive wellbeing outcomes for young people (Crouch et al., 2011; Paukste & Harris, 2015). However, clear causal inferences cannot be drawn.

The involvement of well-established professionals in the field is also a contributing factor to the overall positive outcomes of such programs. The SongMakers program positions high school music students as co-creators and producers of popular music (rather than just consumers) by employing high-profile songwriters and producers with international recording experience in schools for two-day workshops to write and produce new music with students. This program is having a positive impact not only on students’ music knowledge skill development, and understanding of the contemporary music industry, but on engagement, confidence in learning, and self-efficacy (Hunter, Broad, & Jeanneret, 2016).

While this professional qualification of the facilitators and resources is clearly important, it is the active involvement of the participants that is a key to the success of these programs. Recent research by Martin et al. (2013) with 643 students in 15 Australian schools brings a quantitative analysis to further support that active participation by students as creators in the arts – not just as observers or audience members – yields stronger positive effects. Similarly, Hallam’s (2015) meta-analysis suggests that music programs, which have an impact on children and young people, share common characteristics. They are “highly interactive”; provide opportunities for developing new skills and performing; develop interpersonal bonds and solidarity in pursuing shared goals; provide ongoing intensity and frequency of contact; develop mutual respect; and offer recognition and rewards for excellence.

Facilitation approaches during songwriting programs also contribute to wellbeing outcomes in school-based contexts. Barrett and Bond (2015) found the provision of clear structure, positive feedback to participants, and ensuring that participants were having fun is needed. The creation of a playful, fun and chaotic atmosphere was associated with positive wellbeing outcomes in an after-school care program where songwriting was an integral part of the youth’s activities (S. MacDonald & Viega, 2012).

In another education-based songwriting initiative, McGillen and McMillan (2005) assert that success was ascribed to a facilitation style characterised by the absence of clear authority figures. Teachers and students were described as companions in learning, and the authors placed high value on establishing positive socio-musical relationships, arguing that this would promote positive program outcomes. This positive impact of flexible teacher/leader roles, including that of facilitator and co-creator, has been well-documented throughout the music education literature, both in school and community settings (Green, 2008; Jeanneret & Wilson, 2016; Philpott, 2016; Wright & Finney, 2010). Similarly, the pedagogy advocated for community music leaders also espouses flexible strategies and facilitation modes (Higgins & Bartleet, 2012).

Drawing from music therapy, music education, and artist-led community music programs, songwriting appears to contribute to wellbeing in young people. While environmental, sociocultural, group, and facilitation style factors appear in various forms as an incidental finding in the aforementioned studies, what is clearly absent from the research literature is knowledge about the contextual factors of a community-based songwriting program for young people that is facilitated by artists. This study sought to address this gap in the literature. Gaining a better understanding of this relationship is required to increase awareness of how songwriting impacts wellbeing, an important aspect of improving practice and maximising wellbeing potential.

The study was conducted within the framework of a collaborative partnership between music therapy, music education and community music professionals. Within this setting, the authors had the opportunity to gain a music therapy-informed perspective of a large-scale artist-led (Musomagic) songwriting program for young people. The community-based program was led by two professional songwriters with support from a choreographer, videographer, and music producer but had significant overlap with existing models of therapeutic songwriting practice (Baker, 2015).

Although the Musomagic program was not explicitly wellbeing-focused, from an ongoing collaboration with the authors, it was hypothesised that positive wellbeing outcomes such as increased connectedness, self-confidence and competence would be observed. With this in mind, we drew on focused ethnography (Knoblauch, 2005) to identify the contextual factors present during an artist-led songwriting program with young people in a regional area of Victoria, Australia.

Method

Design

We drew on focused ethnography (Knoblauch, 2005) to address our research aim because the method is most suited to observing phenomena emerging within a specific context, particularly when the researchers are interested in a specific phenomenon they expect will be performed in some way (Knoblauch, 2005), and allows for intensive data collection on this specific phenomenon (Higginbottom, Pillay, & Boadu, 2013). Ethnography is best suited to the roles of the researchers who were present during the two-day events as both observer (outsider perspective) and participants/assistants (insider perspective; Geertz, 1973/2000). Baker and Clarkson have expert knowledge of models of songwriting within therapeutic contexts and Jeanneret has expert knowledge of music education and the impact of artist-led practices on young people. Ethical clearance was obtained from The University of Melbourne’s Human Research Ethics Committee, approval number 1545824.1.

Research context: Musomagic program

The two-day program took place at a community hall in regional Violet Town, Victoria. Ninety young people from local communities attended; one of the program leaders reported that many of the young participants faced barriers to participation in mainstream (education) settings. Songwriting activities comprised preparatory games and tasks, creating the lyrics, rehearsing, recording and performing the song and accompanying dance, and planning/recording a video for the song.

The songwriting process in the Musomagic program aligns broadly with “strategic songwriting” principles from music therapy practice (Baker, 2015); for example, music and the lyrics of the chorus were created in advance and participants helped create verse lyrics to complete the song. The chorus lyrics and topic of the song in this instance was on the broad notion of addiction (drugs, phone usage, toxic relationships), which was identified by their local community as being an issue for young people.

An ethnographic analysis of the Musomagic program by Baker, Jeanneret, and Kelaher (in press) found that the program promotes youth involvement through modelling, scaffolding, and providing expert-driven support. Rituals such as having a rotating team leader wearing a Musomagic cap, group hugs, and activities interspersed by free dance activities break down barriers between the participants and foster whole-group cohesion. The program is inherently resource-oriented, encouraging participants to become consciously aware of their own resources that they bring to the songwriting experience. Finally, the program has activist intentions and is ecological in that it attempts to build bridges between the youth and their community.

Participants

Songwriting participants in this study were young residents from three Shire Councils in regional Victoria – Strathbogie, Mansfield, and Mitchell. While no specific inclusion criteria were set, the participants were loosely selected for participation in the Musomagic program because they were identified by youth workers or school staff as not fitting well within their school culture or were home schooled and had a need for engagement in a program that might boost self-esteem and enhance social connectedness with others. Songwriting participants who consented to participate were 85 young people (male = 28, aged 12–19 years, M = 13.94, SD = 2.17) enrolled in the program. Artist leaders (n = 2) headed the program, supported by a videographer, choreographer, music producer, 13 youth mentors (alumni of previous programs), 4 youth workers, and 3 school teachers. Artist leaders led program delivery, directing activities, engaging the youth in the songwriting process, and coordinating all adult and youth assistants. The videographer, choreographer, and music producer assisted the artist leaders in facilitating the music video creation by filming young people (for the video), teaching them a choreographed routine for the chorus, and recording the young people singing their self-composed lyrics (including recording some solos). The youth mentors played an important role in helping to facilitate small working groups of youth. Having completed the program a number of times in previous years, they were able to assist the young people in creating lyrics; a peer-to-peer approach. The youth workers (from local councils) and school teachers who recruited participants and accompanied them on the program were there to support the Musomagic team and young people, as directed by the artist leaders.

Data collection

Data were collected intensively over two days and comprised of several sources. Audiovisual footage of the entire program was captured by two cameras; one positioned to capture the whole group’s activities and a second GoPro camera mounted on Baker’s head was used to capture individual and small group activities. Other data sources included field notes and artefacts such as YouTube video of the group’s song and song lyrics. The field notes captured were thorough and meaningful personal observations made by the authors which also served as an audit trail, increasing trustworthiness and validity of research findings (Ratcliff, 2003).

Data analysis

An inductive approach to the data was consistent with the exploratory research questions, and entailed an iterative process of analysis and interpretation (Braun & Clarke, 2006). This process was also informed by guidelines for using video data (Derry et al., 2010), principles of focused ethnography (Stige & Ledger, 2016) and thematic analysis procedures (Braun & Clarke, 2006).

Given the intensive use of data collection (video footage), transcriptions of data were necessary to facilitate meaningful analysis (Higginbottom et al., 2013). This was a time-consuming activity, involving approximately 12 hours of footage; therefore data was transcribed in summarised form (i.e. not verbatim, other than selected pivotal moments). The entire corpus of footage was used in the data analysis process to facilitate the desired macro-level perspective of emerging wellbeing outcomes and associated contextual factors over the course of the two-day program. Authors Baker and Clarkson independently watched the videos multiple times to familiarise themselves with the artist leaders’ actions and the subsequent responses of the youth, whereby an individual or group of individuals responded in a way that demonstrated a change in their participation, engagement or general behaviour. These “pivotal moments” were identified and marked up on the video. Authors Baker and Clarkson discussed and agreed on these before a final selection was made for transcription and analysis.

Clarkson took responsibility for the subsequent analysis. The first step of the data analysis process was transcribing video data (pivotal moments) into written form. Brief dialogues were included to represent participant voices (Stige, 2005). Although a factually-driven process, this inevitably involved some interpretation due to application of a subjective lens (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Given the large body of video data (> 12 hours) the primary research foci of contextual factors and wellbeing were used to focus in vivo observations of the footage during creation of the summarised written accounts. Following this process, transcribed qualitative data were read repeatedly to ensure familiarity and enhance trustworthiness. Observations relevant to the research questions were coded (N = 199); these codes were combined, split or refined as analyses proceeded in an iterative fashion (Saldana, 2013). Themes and sub-themes relating to the main theoretical constructs (contextual factors and wellbeing outcomes) were created through a consolidation and mapping process of codes identified through holistic, in vivo, descriptive and pattern techniques (Saldana, 2013).

Results of thematic analysis

Three overarching themes emerged from the inductive analysis and these are listed in Table 1 alongside their sub-themes (contextual factors) and the contextual factory categories. Each one of these three themes is described in detail below.

Table 1.

Themes describing salient characteristics of the program.

Overarching theme	Sub-theme(Contextual factor)	Contextual factor category
1. Young people feel safe	Clear, age-appropriate language Direct and honest feedback	Facilitation Facilitation
	High-energy rituals*	Program design/Facilitation
	Humorous facilitation*	Facilitation
	Practical demonstrations	Facilitation
	Rules clearly articulated	Facilitation
	Large group size*	Program design
2. Young people have fun	Fast-paced activities	Facilitation
	High-energy rituals*	Facilitation
	Humorous facilitation*	Facilitation
	Large group size*	Program design
	Motivational music	Equipment and resources
	Professional sound equipment	Equipment and resources
3. Young people “push beyond” boundaries	Emphasis on artistic excellence	Facilitation
	High expectations articulated	Facilitation
	Leaders model participation	Facilitation
	Leaders show belief in young people	Facilitation

Indicates sub-themes common to more than one overarching theme.

Theme 1: Young people feel safe

The first theme that was derived from the analysis was that the young people felt safe within the boundaries of the Musomagic environment. Young people felt safe and able to voice their opinion without fear of judgement. The highly structured two-day program was consistent, predictable and had a strong emphasis on supporting one another through teamwork. Table 2 provides examples of how the three sub-themes, large group size, direct and honest feedback, and high-energy rituals emerged from data.

Table 2.

Themes, contextual factors, and examples from the data.

Theme 1: Young people feel safe
Sub-theme (Contextual factor)	How observed	Examples from excerpts of authors’ descriptions of audiovisual recordings
Large group size	Number of young people working together in groups.	During a flash mob performance of the group’s song and dance, strength in numbers is observable, as 90 young people look comfortable and confident during their performance in public.
Direct and honest feedback	Positive feedback and constructive criticism given by leaders as appropriate.	“90 awesome young people that have come together here to do some great stuff” (facilitator talks to the audience at final performance).“I’m really super proud of you” (facilitator comments to the group after they perform their song).“Make a commitment cos right now you’re half Dog, half Frog” (facilitator comments to a young person in “Dog” team chatting to “Frog” team member).
High-energy rituals	Repeated group activities throughout program.	Dance music pumps through the loudspeakers as young people run into the hall. Lots are singing along and dancing together in small groups. The group are directed to get into a big circle, one of the artist leaders breakdances in the middle as others watch on, clapping and cheering.
Theme 2: Young people have fun.
Motivational music	Music as a soundtrack for program activities.	The soundtrack for initial arrival of young participants into the hall is carefully designed, down to the exact point on the dance track (Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake) at which the door swings open and people begin to walk in.
Humorous facilitation	High-spirited interactions with young people, choice of language and intonation.	(Facilitator verbalising what many young people may be thinking as they arrive on the first day to a scene more akin to a night-club): “Is this a cult?! … Freaky, weird religious thing where they kidnap us?”. The young people seem to find this amusing and many who looked uncomfortable upon arrival are now laughing and chattering excitedly.
Professional sound equipment	On-site mobile recording studio for recording and playback.	Young people get to record their lyrics at the mobile sound production desk, using impressive professional equipment including headphones and mic.
Theme 3: Young people “push beyond” boundaries
High expectations articulated	Asking for commitment and 100% effort.	Hearing about the tight deadlines for the song and video, the young people appear to be in stunned silence. The leader tells the group “the only way this is possible is for you all to give 100%”.
Emphasis on artistic excellence	Artist leader influences song.	The song has significant artistic input from artist leaders, who comment that the word “go” appears twice in the lyrics, suggesting another word should replace one of the instances. The leaders end up choosing the replacement word.
Leaders model participation	Leaders embody the participation levels they demand.	One of the artist leaders is observed dancing with an aged care resident during flash mob, modelling appropriate interaction; young participants are later observed imitating this positive social interaction.

Large group size was the first contextual factor that impacted young people’s feeling of safety. The group consisted of 85 young people in total; some of the songwriting work was undertaken in smaller sub-groups of approximately 15–30 people. This is still considered large for group work in therapeutic songwriting settings (Baker, 2015). The large group size was perceived to help create a sense of safety for young participants, as it enabled quieter individuals to “blend in”.

Direct and honest feedback was also identified as a facilitation contextual factor that impacted the experience of feeling safe. Artist facilitators were straightforward in their approach with young people. Authentic praise was frequently offered, and far outweighed constructive criticism (referred to as “calling (people) out” by the facilitators). When they arose, facilitators tackled difficult issues with the group immediately, and then once addressed they moved on and the issue was not raised again.

Ritualised, high-energy activities were facilitated with infectious energy and enthusiasm. They were observed to provide predictability and structure and help break down social barriers to participation.

Theme 2: Young people have fun

Great efforts were taken in creating an environment where young people could have fun whilst working hard towards program goals. Developmentally appropriate games were used to create interludes of playfulness between periods of hard work. Table 2 provides examples of the sub-themes that emerged from the data. Equipment and resources in the form of motivational, age-appropriate, contemporary music was found to be an important contextual factor in enabling young people to have fun. Humour was often employed by facilitators, frequently interspersed between more challenging activities. Humour was observed as a facilitation factor that helped reduce tension in the group, break down barriers, and promote team bonding. Professional recording and playback equipment was also an important contextual factor used throughout the program. Cutting-edge sound production equipment helped create a party-like atmosphere during songwriting activities, which supported the young people’s experience of fun within the workshops.

Theme 3: Young people “push beyond” boundaries

Young people were observed to work hard throughout the program’s activities, pushing beyond their typical boundaries and taking risks. “Push beyond” comes from the co-created song lyrics of their song. Table 2 provides examples of the sub-themes that emerged from the data. From the start of the program high expectations of young participants were articulated explicitly, and facilitators demonstrated belief in the capabilities of the group through their words and actions. There was an emphasis on artistic excellence. Artistic excellence and credibility were both integral components of the Musomagic experience. “Aesthetic quality” was frequently emphasised over “song ownership” of young participants. Artistically talented individuals were rewarded through the opportunity to sing solos and contribute significant proportions of song lyrics.

Finally, facilitators modelled participation by embodying the participation levels they demanded of young people and frequently leading by example during group activities. For example, during one of the group warm-up activities at the start of the day (a whole group dance to Can’t Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake), facilitators were observed dancing animatedly alongside the young participants.

Wellbeing outcomes

Thematic analysis identified the four most salient features of wellbeing outcomes (themes) for young people during the program: (1) young people are more connected; (2) young people appear more confident; (3) young people feel proud of their achievements; (4) young people appear less connected and engaged. The four wellbeing themes are presented in Table 3 with examples of how these themes were derived from the data. The overarching themes from the first thematic analysis (Table 1) were observed to indirectly influence the first three wellbeing themes. One of the sub-themes (emphasis on artistic excellence) was observed to directly impact wellbeing theme 4 (young people appear less connected and engaged).

Table 3.

Themes describing wellbeing outcomes.

Theme	How observed	Examples from written descriptions of the audiovisual recordings
Young people are more connected	Positive verbal and non-verbal interactions.	Several young people call out “You can do it bro!” to one participant who finds the group environment particularly challenging.A young male is observed standing a distance away from the rest of the group. Another young person invites him to join the group by jovially pushing him towards the middle of the room where young people are dancing.
Young people appear more confident	Increased enthusiasm observed in performance.	In contrast to the first day, every young person is engaging in the group dance, waving their arms in unison, smiling, and dancing enthusiastically.
Young people appear to be proud of their achievements	Increase in positive non-verbal behaviours.	An artist leader sings out a lyric suggested by a small group of participants, and comments “that’s REALLY good guys”. The young people are then observed smiling, fist bumping, and patting each other.
Young people appear less connected and engaged	Reduction in positive non-verbal behaviours.	The artist leaders ask for suggestions to replace a word that repeats in the verse. Participants suggest replacements but these are rejected, with the changed lyric eventually being contributed by one of the leaders. There appears to be a decrease in engagement and connectedness within the group. Increased fidgeting and reduction in positive facial affect/smiling are also observed.

Pedagogy

Drawing from the video analysis, it was obvious that the two-day workshop had been very carefully planned and there was a wealth of practical experience, reflection and refinement supporting this planning. Trial and error and experience means the artist leaders knew how the participants would react; right down to choosing a name for the band on the second day. The seamless and energetic pace included the rapid turnaround with the technical support – the recording, mixing and video editing. The leadership was strong and clearly defined and included all the adults present, recognising the advocacy power that comes from adults who have participated in the program. These skills extended to the establishment of carefully chosen “mentors” who create a bridge between the artists’ leadership and the participants. The artist leaders seem to know just what to do, what van Manen (2016) might describe as “pedagogical tact” or thoughtfulness – where the facilitator/teacher knows when to allow the child to act for herself by maintaining a certain distance. This approach is in operation with the larger group and with the mentors, where the facilitator recognises the developmental aspect of the first time mentors, seeing their “mistakes” as a positive movement towards growth.

With groups of 85 and an understanding of the young people’s capacity over these two intense days, the artist leaders provide a chorus as a stimulus and a number of interventions that speed up the process towards the final product, but without diluting the young people’s ownership and investment. One of the two artist leaders has a professional standing and long-time participation in the music industry that clearly lends him credibility and kudos amongst these young people, as well as providing access to the highly professional resources that support the program. This artist recognises the importance of the physical experience and has the capacity to deftly “flip” between formal and informal moments of activity, but this learning also “flips” ownership of the activities (Philpott, 2016). This ownership of the music also recognises the participant’s musical culture, which is acknowledged throughout the literature as being critical to young people’s engagement and investment in music activities (Hallam, 2015; Wright & Finney, 2010).

Discussion

Through the emerging research process, a complex set of interrelated constructs emerged to highlight the contextual factors and their relationship to wellbeing outcomes. The three overarching themes that were identified translate to broad program characteristics. These broad program characteristics were impacted by a number of contextual factors (sub-themes), many of which confirmed findings from previous songwriting studies.

The theme “young people feel safe” indicates the artist-led program created an environment that is consistent, predictable and teamwork-driven, thereby promoting feelings of being safe for young participants. Similarly, perceived safety of physical space (Baker, 2013b), and security and containment (Derrington, 2005) were relevant factors identified in this research. Findings did not substantiate McGillen and McMillan’s (2005) facilitation approach, characterised by the lack of authority figures, but certainly supported other literature noted earlier. The Musomagic facilitation approach had a clearly defined leadership structure, however some of the facilitation factors impacting the overarching theme “young people feel safe” overlapped with McGillen and McMillan, for example, practical demonstrations and use of humour.

The second theme “Young people have fun” was a salient feature of the Musomagic program, as dynamic artist facilitators, high-tech equipment, high-energy, ritualised activities, and motivational music combined to create a group songwriting experience that epitomised “fun”. Fun was also a significant facilitation feature implicated in wellbeing-focused group songwriting programs targeting young people in music education (Barrett & Bond, 2015) and music therapy (S. MacDonald & Viega, 2012) programs. The contextual factor of professional sound equipment also supported prior research (Crouch et al., 2011; McFerran & Teggelove, 2011; Paukste & Harris, 2015).

The third theme “Young people ‘push beyond’ boundaries” describes observations of participants pushing themselves out of their comfort zone to work hard and achieve results. Of all the contextual factors impacting this program characteristic, emphasis on artistic excellence is the most noteworthy. This artist-led facilitation feature has significant differences with typical music therapy approaches which are less concerned with artistic perfection and more interested in the meaning of the songwriting experience (Baker, 2015).

As evidenced in the findings, the song created in the program had significant artistic input from facilitators, and at times the aesthetic quality seemed to be prioritised over young people’s ownership of the song (see example in Table 3). As discussed in the context of therapeutic songwriting models, this may have reduced the potential for wellbeing outcomes, such as autonomy (Baker, 2015). Conversely, the contextual factor “emphasis on artistic excellence” was also perceived as a wellbeing enabler, through helping achieve a credible, highly professional song product that participants could feel proud of (see example in Table 2). Furthermore, through sharing this high-quality artistic creation with others, the listener/viewer’s perception of the young participants may also have been positively impacted. This mirrors references made in the literature regarding the role of song sharing and performance in effecting wellbeing outcomes that impact beyond the individual (Baker, 2013c, 2013d).

Within the Musomagic workshops, the artist facilitators took an active role in deciding which lyrics to include in the song which led to the observation that young people appear less connected and engaged (see Table 3). This level of facilitator-influence contrasts with the resource-oriented approach more common to music therapy approaches (Rolvsjord, 2010), where participant ownership of the song is emphasised (Baker & MacDonald, 2013). Baker (2015) asserts that original songwriting (both music and lyrical content created by participants) provides a stronger sense of ownership than less original methods, such as the strategic method employed by Musomagic. Baker also references the potential of more original songwriting to provide increased agency, an essential part of psychological wellbeing for young people (Baker, 2015; Baker & MacDonald, 2013).

Implications

Group songwriting programs have therapeutic potential as a means of enhancing psychosocial wellbeing outcomes. For young people who participate in group songwriting programs to realise this potential, they first and foremost need to engage in the activity. It is suggested that young people’s wellbeing in the Musomagic program was enhanced through their engagement in an environment that allowed them to have fun, feel safe and push beyond boundaries (the three overarching themes), and that the 14 contextual factors identified in Table 1 (sub-themes) helped shape this environment.

We propose that the contextual factors (Table 1) and wellbeing outcomes (Table 3) may relate to each other, as is shown in Figure 1. Here, the starting point is the contextual factor of creating a safe environment for the youth. As the young people feel safe, they are able to have fun and when they engage in fun with other young people, they feel more connected to them. Such connectedness may lead to increased confidence. Similarly, when they feel safe, they can take a risk and push beyond their boundaries. Taking a risk leads to achieving new things, in this case, creating a song they can be proud of. Such achievements also lead to increased confidence.

Figure 1.

Contextual factors impacting wellbeing outcomes.

Based on our findings, we recommend that regional communities where youth tend to have less access to meaningful age-appropriate music engagement activities employ short-term artist-led programs such as Musomagic to enhance the wellbeing of their youth. Although the Musomagic leaders demonstrated insight into the facilitation style required to create the safe environment needed to spur on individual and group change, it cannot be assumed that all artist leaders attempting to deliver programs similar in structure to this will achieve the same ends. We recommend music educators, music therapists, and youth workers who may encounter such programs in regional communities, take initiative in communicating how such contextual factors can impact young people. Imparting such knowledge is likely to improve the quality of the artist-led programs and therefore, lead to better outcomes for young people.

Limitations and future research

The findings of this study are contextually based and may not be generalisable to other artist-led programs. We noted that the two facilitators were not merely great songwriters and respected musicians, but also very charismatic, and young people were instantly engaged by their facilitator styles. The scope of this research did not permit member checking of data interpretations. Gaining perspectives of young participants and program leaders may provide a different perspective on the impact of observed contextual factors on wellbeing outcomes for young participants.

The present study provided concrete examples of specific contextual factors relevant to wellbeing outcomes in artist-led group songwriting with young people. The findings from this study offer music therapists, as well as other professionals who work with young people, valuable insights into how engagement in wellbeing-focused interventions might be enhanced by applying some of the contextual factors identified in this study. Future research on some of the contextual factors identified in the present study may shed more light on how they could be applied in music therapy or classroom music education contexts.

Future programs may need to alter the degree of influence of emphasis on artistic excellence depending on wellbeing goals. For example, if giving voice to marginalised young people is the primary aim then more focus on participant song ownership may be necessary (Baker, 2015), as compared to the goal of promoting self-esteem and pride, where a high degree of artistic input may be advantageous to ensure aesthetic value of song product and resulting sense of pride.

The issues presented in relation to the impact of the “artist-led” component of the Musomagic program also raise the question of how the concept of artistic excellence might be integrated into future wellbeing-focused programs. Further research might contribute to this topic by making comparisons between participant-perceived wellbeing outcomes in programs situated along a continuum with varying degrees of emphasis on artistic excellence, and participant song ownership focus.

Conclusion

This study described the relevance of music to young people, and the potential for group songwriting programs to foster wellbeing for this population. A music therapy perspective of an artist-led songwriting program was provided. This perspective highlighted a number of contextual factors in a Musomagic songwriting program for 85 young people, and suggested ways in which these may have (in most instances) fostered wellbeing. Insights into circumstances permitting wellbeing outcomes for young people gained from this research can inform music therapy, music education, and other professions that employ group songwriting techniques with young people to help foster wellbeing.

Footnotes

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research project was funded by a UNESCO grant (2016), FreeZA funding and the support of Strathbogie, Mansfield, and Mitchell Shire Councils, Victoria, Australia.

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