Music Deep and Wide in Older Adults

The purpose of this book is to address older adults’ musical group activities and their relation to quality of life in Japan, situated on a crossroad between deep Eastern cultural traditions and broad contemporary innovations and Western influences. This is the first book that offers both insider and outsider perspectives on older adults’ music participation in Japan. It is the result of a collaborative effort of a team of academics in Japan led by a Fulbright researcher from the United States, who resided and worked on the project in Japan for six months. The collaboration continued for a few years beyond the Fulbright residency period.

The book consists of 10 chapters in three parts. The first part includes an introductory chapter that sets the stage with strong cultural traditions in the contemporary ambience for older adults’ music participation. Part two contains studies of seven diverse cases jointly conducted by native Japanese researchers and a researcher with Chinese-American background. The majority of the researchers received training in the UK and the US. This allows each study with built-in perspectives from within and outside of Japan and with deep Asian, Japanese, and Western insights. These case studies are set in rural areas (Kojima, Nishio, and Uonuma), mid-size cities (Miyazaki and Sendai), world class metropolises (Nagoya and Tokyo), and suburban areas (Odaka and Seto). Three of the case studies include non-musical groups in comparison with the musical groups. Part three contains two chapters. One is a synthesis of the case studies in the seven locations, identifying the main factors that make older adults’ music participation positive and impactful to their quality of life. The final chapter includes implications relevant to older adults’ music participation in support of their quality of life. Recommendations can be applicable far beyond the locales of the cases being studied.