What is community music?
Community music is generally any kind of music-related activity in which a group of people take part in. Some local examples might be church choir groups or school music groups.
Self expression is one way community music can be beneficial to people. One thing I recall learning about in secondary school is how people use bhangra clubs to meet other people of the same background or culture and connect with their culture through music. Some other examples I could think of are big culture festivals or country-specific celebrations, as well as choir groups and instrument groups consisting of people of all ages.
How is community music used to benefit people?
Community music could also have a positive impact socially for people and might be the reason some people seek out community music. Being in a group or regularly seeing group performances could introduce someone to people who have similar interests, give someone a reason to leave the house and have fun without any pressure to be good at something. Plus, it can involve anyone at any age, so it can be an emotional release for anyone.
There is also creative growth that can happen through community music, as people may attend group sessions to talk to people about their knowledge on some elements of music or go to develop their skills at whatever a group specialises in.
Music can have great benefits emotionally and medically, especially in groups. Medically, music can encourage movement and develop motor skills. Emotionally, it can act as encouragement and evoke certain desired emotions, as well as remind people of happier times if they aren’t in a great place and can distract them for a while.