Supporting wellbeing through place-making in virtual musicking for older adults

In this paper, we describe ways that older adults in the context of an online music and movement program used music, movement, and the Zoom platform to create places that fostered positive wellbeing during the period of lockdown in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they continue to do so afterwards. Establishing and supporting place-making was particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, given that place was restricted and reconfigured for most people. The virtual musicking environment, though initially considered limiting by many, is noteworthy in its ability to powerfully support relational wellbeing. This is particularly significant for older adults who seek opportunities to develop and assert autonomy over decisions and surroundings (White, 2017), foster empowerment (Francescato, 2017), retain confidence and comfort with expanding their community footprint (Biglieri & Dean, 2022), and engage with the world on one's own terms (Creaney et al., 2021). Though virtual musicking certainly reconfigures place differently from in-person music-making, this research reveals that the virtual musicking environment offers a promising opportunity for a rather unique form of place-making, and as such, deserves further examination. In the context of the growing preference for aging-in-place by older adults, the online space allows for the creative and accessible expansion of one's engagement with the community from home in ways that support wellbeing uniquely.