A compelling body of research demonstrates that music continues to offer powerful potential for enhancing health and well-being in old age. Active music-making has been found to provide a source of enhanced social cohesion, enjoyment, personal development, and empowerment, and to contribute to recovery from depression and maintenance of personal well-being throughout these latter stages of adult life. Within a context where life expectancy at age 65 years is rising rapidly and yet where increasing numbers of older people are reported to be living in isolation or suffering from depression, this body of research has important implications for understanding how access to active music-making may enhance the lives of older people. This article reviews a body of literature relating to specific benefits of active participation in music-making amongst older people. A case study is presented, illustrating some of the key points from the literature. Some barriers to participation are identified and implications for older people and their carers are discussed.

The enhanced subjective well-being found among participants in music may have been due to the potential for music to provide a sense of purpose through progression in music and creative expression. Control and autonomy may be supported by the holistic nature of musical engagement, whereby meeting new musical challenges involves physical and cognitive engagement. Finally, social affirmation may be supported through social interaction; giving and receiving peer support; and performance, which confers status, a sense of giving something back to the community, pride and opportunities for positive reinforcement. Further research needs to identify the mechanisms through which music is able to achieve these effects.

Music education has faced considerable challenges in trying to bridge the gap between music in young people's lives and that taking place in the classroom. The 'Musical Futures' initiative aimed to devise new and imaginative ways of engaging young people, aged 11-19, in music activities through a process of informal learning based on popular music. This research aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of the impact of adopting the Musical Futures approach on students' learning and attainment. Twenty-eight music teachers completed questionnaires and 30 were interviewed. The majority of music staff agreed that since doing Musical Futures students demonstrated higher levels of attainment, greater enjoyment of and positive attitudes towards music lessons, enhanced musical and performance skills, team working, concentration, confidence, listening skills, musical understanding and independent learning.

There is now an accepted need for initiatives that support older people's well-being.There is increasing evidence that active engagement with music has the potential to contribute to this. This paper explores the relationship between musical possible selves and subjective well-being in later life. The research reported here formed part of a larger project that focused on how active music-making could support positive cognitive, social and emotional outcomes. The research comprised three UK case study sites, each offering diverse musical activities. A sample aged 50+ (total N = 398), some of whom were novices and others who are more experienced, was recruited to complete questionnaires that included open questions and measures of well-being. In addition, individual interviews (n = 29) and focus groups (n = 15) were carried out, where participants in musical activities reflected on the meaning and function of musicmaking in their lives. The interpretation presented here suggests that through music many older people found a means by which they were able to formulate well understood and highly esteemed versions of their possible future selves. This, in turn, may have been a significant factor in helping to navigate the process of ageing in later life with enhanced subjective well-being, including a sense of purpose, a significant degree of autonomy and a strong sense of social affirmation. Varvarigou, M. (in press). The role of musical possible selves in supporting subjective well-being in later life. Music Education Research.

This article focuses on the reported benefits of participation in music activities, identified by participants of the Music for Life Project. The participants engaged in weekly music activities offered in three locations: two centres in London and one in the North of England. Their responses were collected through questionnaires and focus group interviews. Music participants attributed improvements in quality of life to active engagement with music, and a wide range of cognitive, social, emotional and physical benefits were reported. This article offers an insight into what participants said about improved health, social interactions, emotional support and learning that occurred as a result of active involvement in music.

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Music education has faced considerable challenges in trying to bridge the gap between music in young people's lives and that taking place in the classroom. The 'Musical Futures' initiative aimed to devise new and imaginative ways of engaging young people, aged 11-19, in music activities through a process of informal learning based initially on popular music. This research aimed to explore pupils' perceptions of the impact of adopting the Musical Futures approach on students' learning and attainment. 671 students completed a questionnaire and 171 participated in focus group interviews to establish their perceptions of informal learning. The findings showed that the adoption of the Musical Futures approach enhanced student interest and confidence and increased their musical skills. Students appreciated the control that they had over their learning but some raised issues about working in groups and the level of support that teachers were able to offer.

Although there is now an accepted need for initiatives that support older people’s well-being, little attention has been paid to the role of those facilitating such activities. This research explored the benefits and challenges for those working in facilitating musical activities with older people. The research was undertaken at three UK case study sites, and involved 14 music facilitators who completed questionnaires and were interviewed about their work. The findings showed that there were many rewards in working with older people but also considerable challenges in terms of venues, resources, and a lack of initial and ongoing training opportunities.