Unfreezing identities: Exploring choral singing in the workplace

Abstract

Abstract The topic of this article is the emerging trend of singing at work. The discussion is exemplified by results from case studies of singing interventions carried out at two different work places. The research comprised group interviews, participant observation and questionnaires. Our phenomenological and hermeneutic approach focuses mainly on the employees’ experience of singing at work. The analysis was driven by thematic coding. The discussion is illuminated mainly by Etienne Wenger’s community of practice theory. The following research questions were developed: how do the members of a workplace community experience choral singing? What implications do the participants see for themselves as individuals and for the organization? We identified four axes of impact: enjoyment, comfort zone, communality, and identity and roles. A workplace choir can challenge perceptions about how collegues view each other and transform individual identities. Consequently, the choir may also change the workplace as a practice community.