Developing Engagement and Participation in a Community Choir: A Music Education Perspective

Abstract

This study looks at how teaching strategies and rehearsal structures in adult community choirs within Singapore's multicultural socio-cultural context shape participant engagement, learning motivation and sense of belonging. A Practice-as-Research (PaR) framework is used, with a focus on a four-week adult community choir project built around the Cantonese pop song Hong Ri, ending in a large-scale Buddhist community performance. Data were gathered through rehearsal observations, video recordings, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews with 20 choir members and expert practitioner interviews, all reviewed through thematic cross-referencing. It was found that rehearsal designs bringing together psychological safety, graduated skill demand and collaborative participation can support growth in musical ability, performance confidence and social connection among adult choral singers. The study adds to growing practice-based knowledge in community music pedagogy and can offer transferable insights for educators working in inclusive adult learning environments.