Contributions of the musical activities in older people quality of life

The purpose of this study was: (a) To evaluate and to compare the impact of three music programs
(choir, music appreciation and preventive music therapy sessions) on the quality of life of healthy older
adults, and (b) to identify the motivation and the difficulties that the seniors encounter when participating in activities of this type in order to come up with recommendations and strategies for the design
of appropriate programs for older adults. A pre-posttest quasi- experimental design without equivalent
control group was used in this project. The sample included 83 persons over 65 years of age. The sampling was intentional. The data collection was carried out through an ad hoc questionnaire that included
the four aspects of the construct of quality of life (physical health, subjective health, psychological wellbeing and interpersonal relations), a questionnaire on motivation and another on satisfaction about the
program. This last questionnaire was administered twice: at the beginning of the programs (pre-test)
and at the end (posttest). The results of this study indicate that the participants perceived improvements
in some aspects of their quality of life. In addition, the main reasons which motivate participation in
these musical activities are to broaden their social network and to acquire new knowledge. The results
are discussed in the light of the challenges of active and satisfactory ageing.