Music for intergenerational well-being: A case study of the Link Sound Sinfonia Project

Link Sound Sinfonia Project is a social impact project initiated and coordinated by the WBL Music Unit at the Lingnan University. Through practical sessions in real-life community settings, the project aims to offer individuals from various backgrounds and musical abilities the training to interact with music learners, including people with physical, mental and/or intellectual disabilities (PWD) and special educational needs (SEN). The project developed network ranges from students, elderly helpers, university staff, taking roles as musicians, schoolteachers, social workers, clinical psychologists and art therapists. By gathering these cross-disciplinary professionals and facilitators we established a platform that cherishes intergenerational dialogues and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) with a shared love for music. The project also applies concept in "community music" and suggests tailor-made solutions based on the diverse needs of individual, to revisit links between the study of music with our well-being, and to open new dialogues on issues concerning intergenerational creativity and sustainability. The presentation focuses on the role of the researcher to review pedagogical approaches based on the experience in the teaching modules of the Link Sound Sinfonia Project, using them as case studies to explore how music-making activities may enhance the co-learning of students and community participants, in particularly through intergenerational collaborations to promote age-friendly living environment and the potential for music's therapeutic role in well-being.