Source note · R050
Not Playing Any More: A Qualitative Investigation of Why Amateur Musicians Cease or Continue Membership of Performing Ensembles
Accounts of leaving and continuing show that ensemble membership depends on a changing relationship between music and everyday life.
- Setting
- Related music & arts
- Kind of evidence
- Qualitative & case studies
- Review extent
- Main text reviewed
What was studied
Three linked qualitative studies concerning band and orchestral participation, presented through five selected profiles.
What it contributes
Fit, confidence, support and practical demands shaped decisions. Stopping could bring relief as well as a sense of loss.
Where the evidence stops
Selected life histories do not establish prevalence or a single cause of leaving. Some profiles recur in later publications, so their findings are not independent replications.
Related accounts of continuing and leaving
Selected life-history profiles and interpretations recur across these publications. The later work adds analysis rather than an entirely independent set of participant experiences.
About this review
The main text was reviewed for its methods, reported findings and limits. This source note is an editorial summary, not a reproduction of the work.
Source note updated September 7, 2026. Read our approach to evidence.