The Ethics of Community Music

Abstract

This chapter outlines different concepts and positions on ethics as they apply to community music. An understanding of ethics is important in music because of its intrinsic nature as a human practice that involves acts of sharing, participation, interaction and engagement through music (Cobussen & Nielsen, 2012). The changing and diverse nature of communities means that community music facilitators need to have the necessary conceptual tools to consider the possible ethical consequences and directions of their community music actions. A critical, questioning approach is advocated for, so that the situational demands of different community contexts are taken into account. Following a discussion of ethical principles and values important to music education, the chapter outlines some ethical contexts and perspectives specific to community music. Finally, a simple framework is suggested that could be applied to the critical questioning of the ethics of community music (What? When? Why? How? Who? Where?). This could serve as a simple tool to help community musicians and cultural workers negotiate their way through complex decision-making and creative practice in their work.