Exploring communities of music in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley

Community music practices may offer paths to broaden the scope of the music education field by providing meaningful alternatives to traditional approaches found in many formal music education systems. As specific social settings shape and define community music, prominent researchers have called for further investigation into practices in the local contexts. This pilot study explores community music in the context of Rockingham County in Virginia, which contains rich musical traditions associated with educational institutions, faith communities, organized community ensembles and informal music making contexts. Dialogue with prominent local practitioners sought to profile their roles and groups, explore the nature and content of their music making, describe interactions in teaching and learning and identify any perceived interrelationships among the communities of practice.