International Journal of Children's Spirituality

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The magic of music: a study into the promotion of

children’s well‐being through singing

Ruth Wills

To cite this article: Ruth Wills (2011) The magic of music: a study into the promotion of children’s
well‐being through singing, International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 16:1, 37-46, DOI:
10.1080/1364436X.2010.540750

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International Journal of Children’s Spirituality
Vol. 16, No. 1, February 2011, 37–46

The magic of music: a study into the promotion of children’s

well-being through singing
Ruth Wills*

Faculty of Education, Health and Social Care, University of Winchester, Winchester, UK

(Received 15 September 2010; final version received 14 November 2010)
Taylor and Francis
CIJC_A_540750.sgm

International
10.1080/1364436X.2010.540750
1364-436X
Taylor
2011
10Article
16
ruth_bolton@hotmail.co.uk
RuthWills
00000February
& Francis
(print)/1469-8455
Journal
2011of Children’s
(online)
Spirituality

This paper considers the spiritual nature of music making and in particular the
activity of singing. As a music teacher for children aged 5–11, I have recently
observed a change in the behaviour and self-esteem of certain children in school
since they joined the choir. This has also inspired them to flourish in other areas
of school life. This study focuses on three aspects of spirituality and well-being in
relation to the experiences of corporate music making: transcendence,
connectedness and ‘flow’. I note how these contribute to the transformational
nature of the musical processes. A theoretical framework focuses on the concepts
of ‘signals of transcendence’, ‘connectedness’ and ‘flow’ whilst empirical data
illustrates how these theoretical propositions are reflected in the reality of the
Primary school situation. Recommendations are made for practice.
Keywords: transformation; transcendence; connectedness; optimal experience

Introduction
Since September 2009, I have been working as music teacher in a primary school in
the UK. This experience has led me to believe that music has the power to change
human beings, help heal emotional hurts and enable individuals to fulfil their innate
spiritual potential (de Souza 2009, 181).
Children who flourish in music lessons in my school tend also to be in the choir.
A discussion with the learning support teacher for children’s special needs indicated
that many of these children have struggled in school – emotionally, academically,
socially and in their negative behaviour. Yet it became evident during the course of
one academic year that the daily life of these children was improving, resulting in
raised standards and modified behaviour. Although the correlation between this and
their involvement in music events was based on speculation, I felt compelled to
explore this philosophical observation further in order to provide validation for my
hypothesis that music is able to raise self-esteem and promote well-being for the
transformation of our children.
Over many centuries, Western music has testified to a strong relationship with
theology (music of Bach and Bruckner, for example, being written for and inspired by
the Church, the Bible and Christian worship). Yet from a non- religious point of view,
there is an equally strong relationship between music and spirituality – music being

*Email: ruth_bolton@hotmail.co.uk

ISSN 1364-436X print/ISSN 1469-8455 online

© 2011 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/1364436X.2010.540750
http://www.informaworld.com
38 R. Wills

an extension of man’s ability to create and connect with the aesthetic and transcendent
dimensions of reality (Adorno 2002, 117).
Music primarily involves three processes: composing, performing and listening.
Whilst being discrete activities, there is also an intense unity between the participants
of each, offered by a dimension that transcends language, culture, class, race and any
other form of difference. This is over and above any human constraints, intellect and
will, therefore it might be argued, within the realm of the spiritual. One can concur
with this notion if one considers the description of spirituality proposed by Elaine
McCreery (1996) as having some truth. Although the literature of children’s spiritual-
ity indicates that it means much more than this, she writes that spirituality is ‘an
awareness that there is something other, something greater than the course of everyday
events’ (197).
It is well documented that spirituality enjoys close links with resilience and well-
being. Fisher’s (1999) theory on spiritual well-being proposes that it represents a
dynamic state of being, shown by the quality of relationships in up to four domains:
personal, communal, environmental and transcendental (30–1). The processes of
performing, composing and listening each involve activity within all four of these
domains, which suggests a continued relationship between music and well-being.
Nevertheless my hypothesis is that the spiritual aspects of music contribute not only
to the spiritual well-being of children but in fact lead to transformation.
In 2009, the England and Wales’ schools inspection body OFSTED (2009),
produced a report entitled Making more of music. This was based on inspections
of schools over a three-year period and observed that: ‘Music made a difference to
pupils’ development, personally as well as musically’ (6). In other words, some
transformation took place. Bhagwan (2009) writes: ‘Musical play is complex and
transformative, as it nurtures the highest levels of creativity’ (229). In this light,
Rodger (1996) identifies transformation as a process in which the spiritual
elements of purpose, values and meaning become conceived as human fulfilment.
He suggests that spiritual experiences have the potential to engender a personal
growth and response. They can lead to specific short-term responses – sometimes
they might initiate a long-term commitment to action or can usher a person into a
permanent commitment and a way of life (53). This is not a religious transforma-
tion. The rules are not written. But he writes that transformation ‘always entails
transcending the ego in order to find the true self … a spiritual way of life is a
transformation of the person, affecting the whole of life and all the person’s
relationships’ (53).
Incidents in isolation do not amount to a person becoming human in the fullest
sense. However, through commitment on the part of teachers to the spiritual within
the curriculum, this indeed might be attained in the school context. Exploring the
spiritual nature of music, it is my intention to identify how transformation might
take place in the lives of children through the activities of music education, and
singing in particular.
This paper represents a case study within a theoretical framework. Initially, I will
consider three positions from within the rhetoric of children’s spirituality that resonate
with notions of well-being: transcendence, connectedness and flow, noting how these
might be reflected in the musical experiences of the Primary school. In the light of
theory I will then present empirical material pertaining to the children’s views on their
participation in the choir before drawing conclusions on whether there might be some
truth in the phrase: ‘the magic of music’.
 International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 39

Transcendence
Rumours of angels by Peter Berger (1969) is an inspirational text for advocates of
children’s spirituality. In this he strays away from traditional religious experiences as
the loci for spiritual encounters; instead he notes that they take place within everyday
occurrences. He calls these occurrences ‘signals of transcendence’ (70), the term
‘transcendence’ suggesting an ‘intrinsic impulse’, which corresponds to and trusts an
order beyond the immediate (74–5). These signals form part of what Berger names
‘inductive faith’: a theological method of faith development and transformation in
which one moves ‘from human experience to statements about God’ (76).
Although this study is not concerned with faith development and in fact, as Berger
(1969) notes, this ‘order beyond the immediate’ cannot be empirically proven (79),
one might concur with the notion that transcendence begins within human experience.
One example of a signal of transcendence is play (76). Justification comes in the
recognition that the locus of play is the ordinary, the everyday. Yet in a play event, the
participant also encounters something that is ‘other’ (79) and beyond the ordinary.
Berger argues that a play event sets up a new temporal dimension through which
participants ‘step out of one time into another’ (76). As in this dimension, the rules of
the ‘serious world’ are suspended, play sets up a separate discourse where the issues
of reality are put on hold. So, when play is a joyful activity, there is a sense of peace
and of liberation (76). It is this that leads to well-being and transformation.
Writing about happiness, emotional well-being and mental health, Eaude (2009),
asserts that the chance to play provides the opportunity for enormous pleasure. More-
over, it is through creativity that the individual discovers the self. ‘Creativity requires
the opportunity to experiment, to change and at times to fail, without the consequences
being too severe’ (194). It is a vital part of the positive development of each child in
our care.
I propose that music be considered as a signal of transcendence. Alex Rodger
(1996) writes that ‘spirituality emerges from common human experiences’ (47).
Performing, composing and listening are the ordinary experiences out of which an
extraordinary encounter might emerge. In school, they are the fabric of the curricu-
lum and the processes through which children are assessed. But each process
involves one’s attention moving away from that which pervades the temporal day-
to-day world into another realm that transcends time and space. These processes
allow the soul to connect with something beyond the self – a spiritual dimension
that ignites the imagination, stirs the emotions and allows for self-expression at a
level beyond and beneath cognition. Bowden (1983) writes that in creating music,
composers draw on a spiritual world beyond themselves and that the listener or
performer is drawn into that world as well (271). Therefore being multi-
dimensional, a music event engages its participants holistically, be they the creators,
the performers or the listeners.
In an example from school, a group of children in year 6 (aged 10/11), inspired by
a cross curricular study on an African village, composed a piece of music that
reflected the moods, sights and sounds of this context. On listening to their perfor-
mance, a visiting inspector to the school commented on how the music led his imagi-
nation to Africa, how he felt moved by the piece and how it inspired him to do
something tangible to help those in need.
MacQuarrie, (1977, 40) believes that the more people go beyond themselves, the
more their spiritual dimension of life is deepened and the more they become fully
human. This is the ongoing process of transformation.
40 R. Wills

Connectedness
Until now in this paper, the term ‘other’ has been used in relation to the transcendent
dimension of everyday experiences. But another important aspect of spirituality is an
awareness of ‘connectedness’ (or the ‘communal’ domain as according to Fisher
[1999]). In his book Children and spirituality: Searching for meaning and connected-
ness, Brendan Hyde (2008) notes the importance of the connection between the self
and ‘other’ within the spiritual dimension of human life. He marks the integration of
the whole person with a whole experience as ‘ontological awareness’ (88). When
‘ontologically aware’, a sense of self is gained through a combination of attention to
the mind, body and soul within an activity. Hyde writes that this sense of corporeality
promotes connectedness – bridging the divide between the self and everything other
than the self.
Hyde (2008, 91–2) also writes about the space that exists between participants in
an activity. He calls this relational space. It refers to the one unit that completes a task
and through which emerges a collective self. This is primal and need not involve
words or even communication. Yet is a felt space in which one connects with others
around. In music it might be a choir, orchestra, quartet or writing co-operative. What
is important when considering connectedness is that the relational space provides a
means of participants fulfilling their individual potential achieving whilst attaining
unity with others.
Performing, composing and listening can often also be shared experiences that
inspire a feeling of being at one with the other participants within that experience. The
relational space which is constructed between composers in a group composition is a
positive spiritual dimension that exists between the participants only – the rules and
ideas for the pieces are unique to the group and become the bonds that unite. Inspira-
tion for a creative piece comes from within, but in some cases recognises the involve-
ment of an ‘other’ dimension. After writing a song based on the theme of exclusion
and inclusion, one year-6 girl in school, surprised that her class were able to write
something so moving, asked: ‘Where did this song come from?’ Her retort to the
teacher response of ‘you wrote it’ was ‘yes, but where did it come from?’ acknowl-
edging a dimension beyond the immediate.
Tobin Hart (2003) refers to spirituality as the capacity to ‘constructively surrender’
(199), by this he means that the individual surrenders to that which is bigger than the
self and in turn becomes aware of a sense of connection between the self and others.
This affective dimension of human experience is over and above understanding but a
propos to personal response. Therefore one might share a common feeling of being
moved or elated by listening to a piece of music in a concert hall or stadium; one might
feel empowered by singing within a group of diverse yet unified individuals; or
inspired in composing something original borne out of connections with natural stim-
uli or aspects of everyday living. R.J. Stewart (1987, 30) writes that music can arouse
the unknown and mysterious within the consciousness of the listener and has an inner
spirituality with the potential for transformation. In reference to the music of
Taverner, Jeremy Begbie (2000) writes that this music can ‘make something happen’
(129) and I believe this to be potentially true for music events for all ages.

The notion of ‘flow’

Within the literature of well-being, a widely acknowledged text is Flow by Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi (1990). The ideas proposed by Csikszentmihalyi consider the state
 International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 41

of flow as the ‘optimal experience’, where one is in control of consciousness and

participates in determining the contents of one’s life (3). The author proposes that it is
through the optimal experience that a sense of achievement and fulfilment is gained.
Within consciousness, ‘intentions’ arise as goals, which form the end result of the
optimal experience and a sense of well-being (27) whilst ‘attention’ is involved in
decision making, remembering, making improvements and raising the quality of an
experience (37). He writes that as the individual takes control of consciousness, one
also can take control of the quality of an experience, which in turn leads to personal
liberation and happiness (22).
Flow is also noted as a state in which people are so involved in an activity that
nothing else seems to matter (Csikszentmihalyi 1990, 4). The event of singing in choir
reflects the points above: it involves being ‘in the moment’ – away from the pressures
of real life and within a dimension that appears to transcend time and space. Working
towards a performance provides a goal and ‘attention’ involves evaluating and
improving through the rehearsal process (41). Csikszentmihalyi makes a distinction
between pleasure and enjoyment. In a pleasurable experience, nothing is changed as a
result. An enjoyable experience, on the other hand, is one of accomplishment (46–53).
Therefore a performance in a recital is one of accomplishment and contributes to well-
being. Yet I argue that singing for fun also has the inherent goals of personal
fulfilment and delight.
Flow is also involved with the fusion of two broad psychological processes: differ-
entiation and integration (Csikszentmihalyi 1990, 41). Differentiation is concerned
with uniqueness, personal growth and establishing one’s own identity; integration is
to do with unity with others and a sense of belonging to something beyond the self.
Again, in choir, the communal achievement of a performance reflects this statement,
affording transformational personal and collective growth and which will become
evident in the presentation of the empirical data pertaining to this study.

The empirical study

Influenced by the literature review, the direction of the study now turns to focus on
the example provided by my school choir. Before embarking on the empirical project,
the major research enquiry was identified as follows: to ascertain whether the three
spiritual themes explored above are manifest within the children’s own experiences of
choir. In order to identify this, I engaged in a voluntary discussion with five commit-
ted members of the choir (six were chosen but only five participated). Children were
chosen under the following criteria:

● A balance of gender (3 boys, 3 girls)

● A balance of ages (2 in year six, 2 in year five and 2 in year four), being 11, 10
and 9 years old, respectively
● A balance of religions and cultures (a mix between Catholic, non-Catholic and
Muslim children)
● A range of ‘needs’ such as low literacy, behaviour issues, attention issues, self-
esteem issues (4 children) as well as the more resilient and articulate (2 children).

At the outset, it is important to note an important factor within the research findings:
the children are all known to me, I am their music teacher and also the choir leader.
Therefore although during the interview process the children were asked to respond to
42 R. Wills

open-ended questions and no intentional coercion took place, I am aware that my

relationship with the children might have potentially influenced their responses to my
questions. This must be borne in mind when accessing the research data.
Ethical guidelines were followed (Gregory 2002). Written consent was gained by
the parents or carers and children (39) and a summary of the research was provided
for all participants and families at the end of the study. The safeguarding guidelines
provided by the Local Education Authority were upheld. No names or distinguishing
characteristic features are explicitly stated in the presentation of the data (50) and the
recorded interview CD has been destroyed.
The discussion took the form of a semi-structured interview, which was recorded.
I followed the guidelines suggested by Steinar Kvale (1996) in the book Interviews. I
therefore considered three key issues: ‘what’ – formulating what is required by the inter-
view; ‘why’ – what the purpose of the interview is for the short and long term; and ‘how’ –
deciding which techniques to apply to the interview (129–30). I decided to take a thematic
approach to questioning. Fourteen questions were prepared, which related to the three
theoretical themes, with the main questions directed at all children in turn, but follow-
up questions inserted for further information or for clarification. An open-ended
approach was used and I was careful not to steer the conversation in a certain way in
order to ascertain the material I required (Gregory 2002, 33). The questions were short
and directed at the children themselves without inviting responses that were private.
On reflection after the interview, I noticed that the children at some points didn’t
seem themselves, as though they were trying to give the ‘right response’. Yet there
were some times when the responses seemed more authentic. This was when the
answers were quick and enthusiastic and involved a loud ‘yes’, a laugh or a quick
show of hands in eagerness to answer the question. The low literacy levels of some of
the children did affect the level of response. The children clearly did not have the
language with which to express what they really felt or meant: the potential reason for
their falling into ‘default language’. However their non-verbal responses compen-
sated. Their body language was positive, always smiling, using their eyes in commu-
nicating and talking quickly in response to some questions. I found that they were able
to articulate their expressions more easily when referring to tangible examples of their
experiences, for instance the experience of recently performing in a local concert hall,
singing in school performances or in church.
The method of analysis was again drawn from Kvale (1996): the method of ‘meaning
condensation’ (193–6). Because my questions correlated with themes that connected
to my reading, it would be impossible to use a method such as ‘grounded theory’ (Glaser
and Strauss 1967), which codes themes as they emerge. In this study, the themes are
already in place. My chosen method then aimed to ‘discover what constitutes learning
for ordinary people going about their everyday activities, any how the learning is accom-
plished’ (Kvale 1996, 193). It also demonstrates how one systematically deals with data
that is expressed in ordinary language. It represents a five-step approach:

(1) To read the interview as a whole.

(2) To understand what is meant by the ‘meaning units’ of the interview, i.e. the
different aspects of the conversation.
(3) To identify a theme that dominates a natural meaning unit.
(4) To assess how this relates to the wider aim of the study.
(5) To evaluate the residual statements after the dominating themes have been
assessed.
 International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 43

Through this process I identified the natural meaning units as they correlated to the
themes pertaining to my prior theoretical study. I then identified the dominant themes
within the responses. What interested and surprised me was that there appeared to be
a dominant theme within each child’s response. One might term the dominant themes
‘signatures’ (reminiscent of Hay and Nye 2006, 97) as each marks the individual’s
self-perception in relation to the wider study. Each dominant theme seemed to linger
throughout the discussion and this became the most interesting and surprising aspect
of the research. The dominant themes are italicised. The residual comments provide
relevant data from outside of the thematic framework and again provide evidence of
the children’s dominant themes as well as material indicating the corporeal dimension
within their experience of choir.

Children’s views
The following statements have been selected from the transcription of the conversa-
tion with the children and represent the different ‘meaning units’ of the interview as
indentified through the data analysis.

Transcendence
Although an ordinary school activity, singing in choir provides a dimension that tran-
scends the immediate:

When I am at choir I forget about everything else at school and at home. I can show my
feelings and express myself. (Child 1)

If there was no choir there would be a big hole. At choir I am in a different place and I
can be myself. I don’t get picked on. I don’t get mad. (Child 2)

Connectedness
All children said that in choir it was easy to make friends, unlike in the playground.
All said they would come to choir everyday instead of playing outside:

Its rubbish playing out. There’s nothing to do. I have friends in choir and the teachers.
It’s better being with other people. (Child 2)

When you sing with other people, you make a better sound. It makes you sound better
and helps you improve. The choir are my friends and it is better not to be on your own.
(Child 3)

It’s like I can do something at last; I feel proud when I have sung, like being at the
Bridgewater Hall, singing with all those children. It makes you feel special. Singing with
other people is better, it gives you a feeling. (Child 4)

The notion of ‘Flow’

Intention and attention

You can try really hard to make it sound better. That’s why we do choir, to make us sing
better. You have to concentrate on the tune and the words and when you do you sing
better. Sometimes I forget about the teachers because I am concentrating. (Child 3)
44 R. Wills

Differentiation and integration

It’s an opportunity. You can really concentrate on something and make it better then you
feel better. Singing with others makes your voice sound better. It helps you to be a better
singer. (Child 3)

Accomplishment
All children indicated that they felt good after a performance, feeling a sense of
achievement:

I like doing solos. I like singing and music. It’s better than games because you can put
everything into it. (Child 2)

I feel really good at choir and when we sing like at Christmas and in the hall. It makes
me really happy. I like it when the teachers smile and tell us we have done well. It’s like
a feeling inside. You can feel it. It’s the best thing in school. (Child 5)

The children unanimously used the word ‘happy’ to describe how they feel when
singing. This was reflected in their facial expressions and liveliness when answering
the question:

It like gives you butterflies in your tummy. It jumps all over the place. I get excited and
happy all the time. (Child 5)

Residual data
One of the most interesting responses was when Child 2 referred to the corporeal
nature of singing. Although she found it hard to articulate, she indicated that the vibra-
tions made in the body when singing made her feel good. The other children
responded positively to this, each trying to make their own descriptions of the bodily
activity that takes place during singing. When asked how they would feel if choir
stopped, each responded quickly. In keeping with their dominant themes, the children
tried to express their feelings on the matter:

● Child 1 said she would be depressed because she would not be able to express
her emotions.
● Child 2 said there would be no point in coming to school. He would be mad.
● Child 3 said he would not become a good singer which is what he would like to
be in the future.
● Child 4 indicated that there would be nothing else through which she could
achieve in school.
● Child 5 said she would be sad.

Finally, each child expressed how through the course of the year, they have been
transformed:

● Child 1 felt more confident.

● Child 2 felt he was less angry and more tolerant of others.
● Child 3 felt he was more confident in what he wanted to be as an adult.
 International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 45

● Child 4 had found her niche in school.

● Child 5 was happier.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe that this study raises some questions for education in the
primary school. It also considers the role of music in school life. The report Making
more of music (OFSTED 2009, 5) notes that music increases self-esteem and
maximises pupil learning in all areas of the curriculum. Yet in a survey of 84 primary
and 95 secondary schools, the quality of provision of around half of them was found
to be inconsistent, in some cases inadequate. Many schools do not have regular music
teaching and professional development in the subject is rare. Where music teaching
does take place, as the OFSTED report found, ‘most of the schools visited did not
capitalise on its potential’ (6). In my opinion, programmes in the recent history of
education within the ‘SATS’ (standard attainment tests) era in England and Wales
have meant that, in many cases, foundation subjects such as music, art and drama have
fallen to the bottom of the list of curriculum priorities in favour of those areas subject
to testing (primarily literacy and numeracy) as well as the ‘boosting’ of attainment in
these ‘core’ areas. I believe this has been to the detriment of the primary experience.
Whilst supposedly raising standards and producing a more suitable workforce for the
future, the erosion of the holistic nature of primary education appears to have contrib-
uted something to the reduced sense well-being experienced by our nation’s children
(UNICEF 2007, 2).
Until the formation of the coalition government in 2010, green shoots of change
began to appear through the Rose report (DSCF 2009) and the overhaul of the primary
curriculum. At the time of writing, this change has unfortunately been put on hold.
However, through other government initiatives such as ‘Sing up’ (www.singup.org),
which provides materials for children in all primary schools to engage in communal
singing, and the ‘Young Voices’ initiative which brings children together on a large
scale to sing, music is beginning to come back onto the radar of educational thinking.
Beyond the social and enjoyable aspects of music, I believe in its power to transform.
From the perspective of personal growth, fulfilment and well-being, my conclusion
lies that singing contributed something to the personal lives of children in my school
and I believe this to be the ‘magic of music’.

Notes on contributor
Ruth Wills is a part time teacher in a UK Primary school. She is also a PhD student at the
University of Winchester and is committed to using education in the enhancement of children’s
spiritual lives.

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