Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

This is a preliminary report of an ongoing study of senior centers in the United States. The centers included in this report are located in four different parts of the country, from big city to small town, attended by seniors with a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The study determines the role of music participation in the quality of life of senior citizens who utilize public senior citizen centers and the role of music within the operation of these centers. The researchers observed a wide range of activities, musical and nonmusical, in these centers and interviewed a sample of senior citizens who participated in these activities. Preliminary findings suggest that music participation promotes a sense of meaning and purpose in life that is connected to their past and present. Music participants reported numerous benefits in the social, physical, and psychological arenas. The centers collectively offer a wide variety of musical activities. Both staff members and participants of the centers feel that music is an essential contributor to quality of life. There is always a way to participate in music if one chooses to take advantage of the musical offerings at these centers.