Music for institutionalized elderly: perceptions of the intervening musicians

Abstract

This qualitative study analyzed musicians' perception of their musical activities with institutionalized elderly in Portugal and France using a questionnaire and the Collective Subject Discourse to organize the data. The musicians see their performance as a human experience; they intentionally look for proximity and communication; they recognize the old persons' reality and wish to transform it; they present difficulties in interpersonal communication and in professional development, and adopt musical, personal and intuitive criteria when choosing their repertoire. The results indicate social, human and professional commitment from the musicians analyzed, and may be used as a source for reflection for the health team.