The Effects of Gender on the Motivation and Benefits Associated with Community Singing in the UK

Abstract

Community singing has become one of the most common forms of active musical participation in Western societies. However, studies carried out across Canada, the USA, Germany and the UK have shown the mean percentage of male participation to be just 35 percent. A recent study sought to examine the ways in which amateur singers perceive the motivations and benefits associated with community singing and how these are affected by gender. It highlighted the development of musical skills, personal development, and socialization as the main factors in the motivation of singers. However, it also found that female singers are particularly motivated to sing as a way of responding to personal challenges. Similarly, while singers of both genders identified benefit to emotional and physical well-being, social connectedness, and aesthetic benefits, female singers were more likely to identify benefits associated with increased confidence, improved mood and emotional resilience.