An Exploratory Study of the Concept of Meaningfulness in Music.

An essential part of music education/therapy is selecting music that will be meaningful to clients and students in order to motivate engagement and success in music activities. This study explores the concept of meaningfulness of music by drawing from theoretical interpretations and investigating possible factors associated with the term. Based on the constructs of purpose, security/efficacy, worthiness/self-worth, and value/importance, 10 statements were developed to identify factors associated with the perception of meaningfulness in a music listening task. Thirty-three college students utilized music identified as meaningful and not particularly meaningful, rating agreement with the ten statements. Results indicated that certain factors appeared to be more associated with the perception of meaningfulness in music than others. Specifically, being moved by music, the occurrence of memories or associations to music, and considering music as valuable, important, or a reflection of personal identity were important factors associated with meaningfulness. Suggestions for further research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]