Rethinking Motivation in Choir Participation: Proposing a Contextual Model of Motivation

Abstract

Choir singing is a worldwide, multifaceted phenomenon, thus, to some extent choral research can be described as a multidisciplinary field. However, research on motivation in choir participation does not show the same multifaceted diversity, which would create opportunities for expanding present discourse. The aim of this chapter is to rethink the notion of motivation in choir participation by emphasising the importance of cultural and social contexts, and by doing this, offer a deeper and more nuanced understanding, which also includes sociological, cultural, and emic bottom-up perspectives. The data for this study were generated in Sunnmøre, Norway, and includes twelve interviews, notes from participant observation periods with four choirs, and a larger online survey. Through a “near-to-the-data” analysis the findings are expressed through a contextual model of motivation, where a range of motivational factors were sorted according to whether they are perceived to be central or peripheral to the informant. The model proposes connections and dynamics providing insight into how motivation may evolve both individually and collectively, and offers alternative ways of speaking and thinking, creating opportunities for changing how we experience and do choral work and research.