Leisure-time music groups and their localities: exploring the commercial, educational and reciprocal relationships of amateur music-making

Membership of an amateur musical group is typically understood in relation to members’ experiences: this research poses new questions about the ways in which those groups connect with other people, organisations 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, this research identifies the commercial, educational and reciprocal relationships of a particular variety of amateur music-making. This article presents a new framework for understanding organised amateur musical engagement as part of a cultural ecology, and considers the implications of this for recognising and supporting leisure-time music groups.