This article explores the themes of community of practice, rock culture and identity construction in Me and THE BAND'its, a rock band of ex-inmates. Using a narrative inquiry approach, two specific scenarios provide the background for two narratives being presented in the research. The first narrative is rooted in a dramatic life-threatening knife assault in which the lead singer in the band was almost killed. Considering different violent options, Me and THE BAND'its decided to take revenge by not taking conventional revenge. The context of the second narrative is the negotiation between the band and the cultural administration of the community about a performance production. Meeting with a bureaucratic and cumbersome system led to frustration but at the same time strengthened the inner bonds in the band. This resulted in the decision to take "alternative revenge" by developing skills and authenticity of their music instead. Me and THE BAND'its alternative action of doing music instead of taking revenge in traditional violent ways can be viewed as creative adjustment in opposition to the traditional approaches of the Correctional Services. The resource being used by Me and THE BAND'its in the process is mainly the community of practice that their rock band establishes. Me and THE BAND'its is embedded in rock culture, using alteration as a strategic repertoire for identity construction. In conclusion, the identity of members is defined and reinforced in the community of practice.
For most interventions to reduce criminal recidivism, long-term effects are uncertain. Music therapy has shown effects on possible precursors of recidivism, but direct evidence on long-term effects is lacking. In an exploratory parallel randomized controlled trial, 66 inmates in a Norwegian prison were allocated to music therapy or standard care and followed up over a median of 6 years, using state registry data. Median time to relapse was 5 years, with no differences between the interventions. The imprisonment of most participants was too short to provide a sufficient number of therapy sessions. Sufficiently powered studies are needed to examine the long-term effects of appropriate doses of therapy.
This article explores how the members of Me and THE BAND, a rock band consisting of three ex-inmates and a music therapist, experienced playing together, how it helps them, and whether and how this can be related to the concept of self-help. Focus group interviews were conducted to explore the members’ experiences, analysis was grounded in a hermeneutic philosophical understanding and the theoretical framework is based in a community music therapy approach. The study indicates how musicking helped the band members of Me and THE BAND’its to create agency, structure, meaning and community. The band appeared to function through collaborative processes, and the music therapists as facilitator need to prepare the qualities of equality, mutuality and participation. As a conclusion, the members of Me and THE BAND’its do not identify as being a self-help group, although they clearly report that musicking helps them. The crux of this paradox is that it is important for the group members to identify as a band, but they still include self-help concepts and traditions. They maintain their own uniqueness and independence, while making musicking a possible way out of criminality.
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