University Music Ensemble Participation and Psychological Well-Being - Study on Music Ensemble Effects

Oct 15, 2026

Examines psychological well-being outcomes among university students enrolled in a music ensemble compared with those not enrolled. Using purposefully gathered self-reported data from students in the Rocky Mountain region, the study measures life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety and evaluates ensemble-related contributors through autonomy, competence, and relatedness, plus basic need satisfaction. Findings show higher life satisfaction for ensemble participants, while ensemble participation was not a significant predictor; music majors reported higher anxiety, and group comparisons revealed differences in autonomy and competence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Study Purpose and Design

Measures of Psychological Well-Being

Key Findings and Group Differences

Literature Review

Music-Mental Health Evidence

Group Singing and Psychological Outcomes

Contributions to Music Education Vol. 48 (2023), pp. 99-119. Erin Noel Bailey Brigham Young University University Music Ensemble Participation and Psychological Well-Being The purpose of this study was to examine psychological well-being outcomes and indicators of university students enrolled in a music ensemble and those not enrolled in a music ensemble . Self-reported data were purposefully gathered from university students in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States . Along with reporting demographic information, students reported perceptions of their psychological well-being using measures of life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety, as well as potential contributors to psychological well-being within ensembles: autonomy, competence, and relatedness . Ensemble students responded to additional questions designed to measure the impact of ensemble participation on basic need satisfaction . Analysis of the responses revealed that music ensemble participants reported significantly higher life satisfaction than non-music ensemble participants, although regression analysis found that ensemble participation was not a significant predictor for life satisfaction . In music ensembles, music majors reported experiencing significantly higher levels of anxiety than non-music majors, with music major status remaining a significant predictor of anxiety even after controlling for demographic variables . Statistical tests revealed differences in autonomy and competence between ensemble comparison groups: choral vs . instrumental, auditioned vs . non-auditioned, etc . Keywords: anxiety, music ensemble participation, music majors, psychological well-being, self-determination theory The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reported that 29% of young adults aged 18 to 25 are affected by mental illness (NIMH, 2019) . Of the 67,625 individuals interviewed as part of the NIMH survey, young adults (n = 16,665) reported the highest prevalence of mental illness when compared to the other adult age categories. Results of the survey also indicated that young adults were the least likely adult group to report receiving mental health services. Twenge et al. (2019) reported that from 2005 to 2017, young adults experiencing major depression symptoms in the last 12 months increased by 63%(from 8.1% to 13.2%), the highest percentage increase reported in any adult age category. In addition, the Contributions to Music Education American Psychological Association (APA) reported that during the global pandemic ofCOVID-19, young adults showed alarming trends in increased isolation, stress, depression, and anxiety (APA, 2020), with 1 in 4 respondents between ages 18-24 reporting that they had considered suicide within the past month (Czeisler et al., 2020) . Literature Review Researchers in psychology and music therapy have suggested that participation in music ensembles may improve psychological well-being and reduce mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression. In a review of literature examining music and mental health studies, McFerran et al. (2016) distinguished studies on the impact of music-making from studies on music listening. Speaking of the seven articles focused on active music-making for at-risk or disadvantaged youth, they wrote,“All articles reported enhanced quality of life in some form, from social connectedness to personal well-being” (p. 526) . However, they note that experimental studies that would provide causal evidence are rare, with most researchers reporting on correlation or using qualitative interview data. Of the seven articles in McFerran et al.’s review, six were music therapy groups with only one study examining student outcomes in a music education setting. Shields (2001) examined pre-and post-assessment data of at-risk students who participated in a chorus or percussion performance class for 16 weeks and found no significant changes in self-perception of scholastic competence, soci

FAQs

What is the study’s main purpose?

To examine psychological well-being outcomes and indicators for university students enrolled in a music ensemble versus students not enrolled.

Which psychological well-being measures were used?

Participants reported life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety, alongside perceptions tied to autonomy, competence, relatedness, and basic need satisfaction.

What differences were found between ensemble and non-ensemble participants?

Ensemble participants reported significantly higher life satisfaction, but regression analysis showed ensemble participation was not a significant predictor of life satisfaction.

Oct 15, 2026

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