Leisure-Time Music Groups and Their Localities: Exploring the Commercial, Educational, and Reciprocal Relationships of Amateur Music-Making

Abstract Membership of an amateur musical group is typically understood in relation to members’ experiences: the research undertaken for this article poses new questions about the ways in which those groups connect with other people, organizations, and venues in their locality to build a broader sense of culturally engaged citizenship. The networks built by amateur musicians are often rendered invisible in the research literature and in policy-making in ways that limit the understanding and recognition of their contribution to contemporary society. Through a collaboration with the national network Making Music, the commercial, educational, and reciprocal relationships of a particular variety of amateur music-making are revealed. This article presents a new framework for understanding organized amateur musical engagement as part of a cultural ecology, and considers the implications for recognizing and supporting leisure-time music groups.