The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is to understand the lived musical experiences of three individuals living with Williams syndrome (WS). We are interested in their lived musical experiences because the musical abilities of WS individuals are similar to those of normal control groups despite their severe cognitive impairments. Although there is literature on the medical manifestations of the syndrome, there is no research on their lived musical experiences. Their musical experiences need to be explored as a possible way to help them to cope with their unique challenges. In this IPA we used semi-structured interviews and the six steps of data analysis for IPA suggested by Smith et al. (2009). Four superordinate themes emerged from data analysis, namely, that: a) the participants have a passion for performance; b) music allows the participants to foster friendships; c) music allows them to cope with challenging situations; and d) they display musical dependency. The findings of this study can be used to advocate the importance of music in the everyday lives of individuals with WS.

The purpose of this literature study is to better understand the musical experiences of those diagnosed with Williams syndrome. The problem of this study is defined by the lack of qualitative studies done on the musical experiences of Williams syndrome individuals. Research done on music and Williams syndrome emphasise the intense affinity that those diagnosed show towards music listening and music making, yet very few qualitative studies have been done on the importance of musical experience in the everyday lives of those diagnosed with Williams syndrome. The study at hand will provide insight into the lives of individuals with Williams syndrome, while focussing on the importance of musical experience, raising the awareness of caretakers, educators, therapists and researchers. This qualitative study was aided by Atlas.ti 7 computer software which assisted me in document analysis through a grounded theory approach. For the data analysis process, significant statements were identified and then coded. These codes were then sorted to reveal categories and main themes. Literature revealed that music could in fact play an important role in the lives of those living with Williams syndrome. Musical experience does not only have a positive influence on a single aspect of the lives of Williams syndrome individuals, it has an impact on their lives in general, influencing their overall well-being.

The purpose of this narrative study is to explain the role that musicking plays in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic for 11 South African musicians. The research question is: How do the stories of 11 South African musicians explain the role that musicking plays in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic? There have been studies on how music helps in therapeutic and everyday settings, but there has been limited research on the role musicking plays in coping with pandemics. The 11 author-participants in the study have lived through this pandemic, and their stories served as the data. We used a narrative coding scheme to enable co-coding. Our findings are a collaborative interpretation of our analyses and are represented as a fictionalized dialogue. This dialogue revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a range of psychological effects on the participant researchers. Musicking contributed to proactive and reactive coping strategies, including listening to music actively, making music with others virtually and in their homes, finding solidarity through engaging with musical icons, allowing them to connect with others, escape, focus, relax, and find hedonic well-being and hope. Further research will be needed to understand the roles musicking may play in coping with pandemics.

This article presents a theory explaining how young adults living with Williams syndrome (WS) learn life skills through music. The article answers the question: What theory explains how young adults living with WS learn life skills through music? The theory presented in this article is informed by principles of care ethics and compassionate music education and theories of wellbeing and flourishing. The theory is further informed by empirical data, including data collected during semi-structured interviews, casual conversations, observations, field notes, and social media and blog posts collected at Berkshire Hills Music Academy, Massachusetts, USA, over six weeks. Thematic analysis was the data analysis strategy. The theoretical proposition represented by the findings is: (i) If young adults living with WS have the opportunity to learn through engagement in music activities within a safe environment in which they are engaged, supported, appreciated, motivated, feel that they belong and feel that they are competent, and (ii) if educators are willing to focus on the abilities of these young adults by putting their needs first, (iii) then young adults living with WS should be able to overcome various challenges and ultimately develop the life skills they need to live well.

This study focused on the role music listening experiences play in the lives of three South African adults on the autism spectrum. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is to understand the role that music listening plays in the lives of three adults living with autism. IPA considers three key areas of philosophical knowledge, which include phenomenology, hermeneutics, and idiography. We, therefore, interpreted the role of music listening for our participants by highlighting similarities and differences between the participants’ lived experiences. The findings emerging from this study revealed five superordinate themes explaining the significance of music listening in the adults’ lives: (1) coping with auditory sensitivity, (2) getting lost in music, (3) music is a companion, (4) self-regulation, and (5) finding connection. The importance of music for masking or coping with sensory overload is distinct from the studies conducted to understand the music listening experiences of neurotypical individuals. It is our hope that the findings of this IPA provide rich idiographic descriptions of the individual experiences of our participants, thereby humanizing their music listening experiences.