The social value of music during the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring the benefits of online music participation for social capital, education, belonging and wellbeing

ABSTRACT

This article presents the findings of The Digital Turn research project (2020–2021) that sought to understand, via qualitative research, the social value of online music participation offered by Liverpool Cathedral during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article will establish the context for the study, followed by the research methods for data collection and analysis, and the presentation and discussion of the results, which are grouped along four themes: Social Capital, Education, Belonging and Wellbeing. The results show that online music participation during the COVID-19 pandemic enhanced people’s sense of social connectedness and belonging; provided important opportunities for formal and informal music education and learning and exposure to an eclectic range of musical styles; resonated with and reinforced participants’ sense of shared identity and belonging; and enhanced people’s general health and wellbeing, along with a sense of normality and routine. The article will conclude with the study’s limitations and vision for future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Musical value
• online music participation
• Covid-19 pandemic
• Cathedral science

Acknowledgments

The research has relied greatly on the exceptional support of a number of key people, notably my questionnaire and interview participants, and I’d like to thank them all for their time and insights. I sincerely thank The Revd Canon Prof. Leslie J. Francis for inviting me to contribute this article to the special issue on cathedral studies, along with his excellent editorial comments on various stages of the manuscript. I am continuously grateful to Mr Stephen Mannings, Mrs Tara Delve, The Very Revd Prof. Sue Jones, Canon Nick Basson, Dr Christopher Newton, Mr Lee Ward, and everyone at Liverpool Cathedral for continuing to support this research and its dissemination. The research was supported financially by Liverpool John Moores University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The full questionnaire, including questions and results, are publicly available under the following link: https://trackimpact.org/project/eu-west-1/9745/evidence.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported financially by Liverpool John Moores University.

Notes on contributors

Simone Krüger Bridge

Simone Krüger Bridge is a Professor of Cultural Musicology with research interests in ethnomusicology, Popular Music studies and cultural sociology. She has authored two monographs, two edited books, and numerous articles, chapters and other publications, and currently edits the 2-volume The Oxford Handbook of Global Popular Music (OUP) and Music, Meaning and Value in Paraguayan Song (Equinox). Her current research explores the social value of music, with a focus on two comparative settings: Liverpool Cathedral’s music outreach programme during the COVID-19 pandemic and in post-pandemic society; and the social value of online music participation during Paraguayan classical guitarist Berta Rojas’ Jeporeka projects. Simone is the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of World Popular Music and founding co-editor of the book series Transcultural Music Studies (Equinox). She is serving as an active member of the AHRC Peer Review College, including grant panel memberships; has served a four-year term as the Chair of the Arts, Professional and Social Science (APSS) Faculty Research Degree Committee (FRDC) at Liverpool John Moores University; a three-year term on the Committee of the British Forum of Ethnomusicology; and a two-year term on the Executive Committee of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, and is currently serving on three journal editorial boards. Since 2022, Simone is providing public service as a trustee and Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Liverpool Blue Coat School. Prior to embarking on her music-academic career, Simone completed a professional Masters in Banking Services and Operations (1995) and a BSc in Business Economics with Marketing specialization (1999).