Developing and sustaining audience participation for classical music in a regional Australian community: facilitators and constraints of engagement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the sociocultural and musical factors that facilitate and constrain audience engagement with classical chamber music in a regional Australian community. Much has been written about sustainability challenges for classical music institutions and practitioners in contemporary society, evidenced by an ageing demographic, declining audience numbers, and changing habits of consumption. Nevertheless, little is known about the phenomenon of chamber music both in regional Australian communities and from a place-based perspective. Adopting these foci, this study investigated the role of chamber music in engaging with community audiences and generating social capital in regional Australia.Seven areas of literature informed this study. The first considered the sociocultural and policy contexts that influence a shifting climate for classical music engagement. The second area outlined social capital as a theoretical framework that illustrates the sociocultural benefits of classical music in communities. The third focused on community chamber music from place-based and idiocultural perspectives. The fourth considered the role of music, career, and community identities as facets of classical music practice in regional Australia, and the fifth further explored shaping factors for music identity in this context. The sixth examined public stakeholder perspectives of classical music, considering literature on the audience experience. The seventh outlined alternative presentation formats that accommodate chamber music performances in community settings, including “indie classical.”This case-study investigation of the phenomenon of chamber music in a regional city drew on three strands of investigation: a case study of the culture and practices of a regional chamber music society; a case study of community stakeholder perceptions in relation to classical music; and, an autoethnographic investigation of a pilot “indie classical” presentation of chamber music. Four research questions were formulated to accommodate these perspectives:1. What are the facilitators and constraints for sustainable engagement practices of institutional chamber music in a regional Australian community?2. What are the music identities of members of a regional chamber music society and their shaping factors?3. How do public stakeholders perceive the role of classical music in a regional Australian community?4. What alternative presentation strategies for classical chamber music foster audience engagement in a regional community?This mixed-methods case study drew upon ethnographic and narrative approaches within a constructivist paradigm. Multiple methods of data generation were employed, including interviews, surveys, autoethnography, observation, and artefact analysis. Consistent with a naturalistic approach, reflexivity was embraced so as to acknowledge my central role as a contemporary researcher and former resident in the community under investigation.Findings from Strands 1 and 2 identified unsustainable engagement practices within a regional chamber music society that reflected place-based entrapment, dependence on volunteerism, and broader declines in civic engagement. Unsustainability was confirmed by a discrepancy between moderate classical music attendance (52%) and low awareness of local classical groups (10%) among the surveyed populace. Proportionally, younger populations (18–33 years) demonstrated much lower rates of attendance at classical concerts (27%) than older populations aged 34+ years (68%). A leading reason for non-attenders’ avoidance of classical events was “lack of interest” (40%). Such results emphasised the need for “indie classical” presentation formats that use alternative venues and cross-genre collaboration to engage audiences effectively. In a performance pilot project (Strand 3), cross-genre collaboration in an alternative venue was facilitated by musical forms of “disciplined improvisation” (Sawyer, 2004). Audience responses indicated that improvisation enhanced classical performances, increasing perceptions of interactivity and emotional engagement.This research advances knowledge in the areas of audience engagement, community music, and practitioner identities. Findings will inform developments within practice and public policy for regional arts engagement. Recommendations for practice include broadening connections with community stakeholders by diversifying place-based engagement, fostering practices that generate bridging social capital, aligning with community identity, and using alternative presentation formats, including musical improvisation. Recommendations for policy include fostering multi-level connections between government and practitioners to support venue diversification, institutional sustainability, and community engagement for grassroots chamber musicians. This study recommends further investigation into the phenomenon of chamber music from the perspectives of place, regionalism, and social capital. Links identified between community identity and regional arts engagement, and between alternative venues and improvisation as presentation strategies, are also posited as avenues for further research.