Sharing knowledge and power in adult amateur choral communities: The impact of communal learning on the experience of musical participation

This article is based on the findings of a qualitative investigation of factors influencing confidence levels amongst adult amateur choral singers. The research aims were: to explore the lived experience of choral singers; to examine the main influences on their perceptions of their voices and performance ability; to identify factors affecting their confidence as singers; to extrapolate strategies designed to manage confidence issues amongst amateur choral singers. Three focus groups, involving eighteen singers in total, and sixteen individual interviews were carried out, providing over 40 hours of recorded verbal data. Peer interactions were widely reported as having a positive effect upon perceived performance quality, the enjoyment of the choral experience and confidence levels amongst participants. Trust and rapport, musical and moral support, encouragement and validation, peer modelling and informal mentoring all emerged as important aspects of singer to singer interaction in choral rehearsal and performance.