Music for Life Lexi Finnie

Lifelong Learner Interview

I interviewed two adult musicians named Molly Shoemaker and Linda Lee. The main
objectives of these interviews were to identify possible inhibitors to lifelong participation
in music groups. Some of the main questions that were asked include: what does music
mean to you?, what motivates you to continue to make music in your adult life?, and
why do you think a lot of people cease their music participation upon graduating high
school/college? Answering these questions can help music leaders find ways to encourage
continued musical involvement through community events and ensembles.
Molly grew up in a musical family. Her first memory of music as a child is when her
father played Christmas carols, to accompany family and friends singing, on their home
piano for parties. Similarly, Linda also grew up in a very musical home. Both of her parents
were musicians, and she grew up immersed in the music program at her church and school.
Molly played violin and sang in the choir during her school years, and taught herself guitar
later in her life so that she could play folk songs with her group of friends. Linda learned to
play cornet from a young age in the Salvation Army. After being introduced to the basics of
piano and musical notation by her mother, Linda later taught herself piano from the
churchs hymnal. She also participated in her schools marching band, concert band, and
chorus, and took private cornet lessons for a few of her high school years.
Molly gradually stopped playing the guitar when her friends started moving away
and getting jobs, and because of the shift in the social culture when the Civil Rights
movement of the 1960s faded. She did not participate in any musical endeavors for the
next forty years of her life because she and her friends became increasingly busy and
involved with their jobs and families. Later, Molly re-entered the musical scene. When
working in the Ithaca school district, she became interested in the schools music program
and began taking trumpet lessons. This spurred her desire to deepen her musical
knowledge and involvement. Molly participated in a hand bell choir and currently plays
cornet in the Salvation Army. Conversely, Linda continued making music throughout her
transition into adulthood. She currently plays cornet in the Vestal Community Band, plays
piano at her local Salvation Army church, and is teaching herself harmonica.
Molly described music as being the expression of thought and feelings, and an
opportunity to experience community and belonging in a group. She stated: there is an
innate interest in expressing yourself through rhythm. Molly participates in musical
groups because it is fun and she enjoys hearing how the different instruments fit together
in different ways. She is a lifelong learner and enjoys challenging herself. Likewise, Linda
stated: Music is my life. I get a high from music- I get excited and thrilled. She also
explained her deep connection to music: Music helps me express what is going on in my
life. I can remember sitting down at the piano when I couldnt play in the band, and the
songs always touched my heart where I hurt the worse, and it helped me through a difficult
time. Linda explained that music should be taught in public schools because the discipline
that you need for music in the process of learning is something that children need to learn
today- they have lost some of that. Everything is too quick today, music is not quick.
Molly identified a possible barrier for continuing music participation after school.
She stated, I couldnt ever get into a community band here in Ithaca because they are too
good. Molly explains that it is important to have a community who supports people who
are not professionals and high-level musicians. Additionally, when Linda was asked why
she thinks that many people stop playing music after graduating from high school and
college, she stated that it is most people dont realize that there are opportunities to
continue playing/singing in ensembles within the community and churches.
These interviews have shown that non-professional musicians deeply value music,
but there are certain circumstances that may inhibit them from lifelong music making. In
order to encourage lifelong musicianship, music educators should communicate the
various ways that people can continue to participate in music within their communities.
Leaders and participants of the community ensembles should also aim to do a better job
promoting their ensembles more often and/or in a more visible way. To avoid alienating
non-professional musicians, this interview has taught me that the leaders of community
groups need to offer musical experiences that are open to all musicians regardless of their
ability level. In my opinion, another idea for breaking-down this potential barrier would be
to create jam nights and/or reading sessions where there is no long-term commitment
and there arent any formal concerts, but community members can make music together in
a stress-free and welcoming environment.