Songwriting and Youth Self-Concept.

Sophia Miao, Wendy A Stewart

Current literature on the therapeutic outcomes of youth engagement in active music-based interventions is limited in terms of both the number of studies and methodology. This pilot study combined phenomenology and quantitative measures of self-esteem and self-efficacy to explore the impact of storytelling through lyrical and musical composition on youth self-concept. Thirteen youth ages 12 to 16 engaged in a series of 5 consecutive daily music workshops, and themes related to participating in the workshop were identified. Participants also took the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Sherer General Self-Efficacy Scale before and after completing the workshops, and pre- and posttest scores were compared using t-tests. Key themes that emerged from the analysis were empowerment and accomplishment. Although the results of the t-tests were not significant, the qualitative data from this pilot study suggest that the workshops had a positive impact on participant self-concept. These preliminary results could be used to inform further research and to plan active music interventions to positively impact youth mental health.