The benefits of lifelong musical participation have been repeatedly demonstrated through research and anecdote, and yet the challenging question of why more people are not engaged in these activities is rarely addressed. This project used interviews with eighteen current and past amateur ensemble members to explore themes of social acceptance,…

Three case histories concerning difficulties in the social dimension of mainstream inclusion were reviewed retrospectively. For two of the pupils, one of whom had a disfigurement, nothing seemed to help. For the third, who also had a disfigurement, things were resolved more readily than expected. Importantly, in the successful and unsuccessful…