Musomagic: Artist-led personal development programmes for youth as viewed through a Community Music Therapy lens

Large (80+ participants) artist-led programmes with young people frequently take place in school settings, and the artist has limited background knowledge of those attending. This study examined the components of an artist-led programme to identify the nuanced behaviours of artists and volunteer helpers that support musical engagement, personal and social development, and promote social capital. From an analysis of videos and interviews, we examine the activities and outcomes of artist-led programmes as viewed through the lens of Community Music Therapy (CoMT). We found that the programmes were ecological, ethics-driven and participatory, and espoused activism, which are core features of CoMT thinking. We found that within this model, there was importance placed on the youth taking the music outside formal spaces and sharing it with the community in public places such as local cafes, residential care facilities and police stations. The role of the artist-facilitator goes beyond preparing the youth for this experience and extends to preparing the local community – an ecological approach.