Like You and Me: Choir Singing and Agency seen through the Eyes of the Singers and Professionals

Background:
Social and relational dynamics in a choir singing setting are important to explore. Knowledge is needed concerning the components of helping relationships and the characteristics of helping professionals.

Aim:
To explore agency and mental health potentials in choir singing.

Method:
The study involved open-ended interviews and applied Paul Ricoeur's phenomenological–hermeneutic theory of interpretation.

Findings:
Two themes – Like You and Me and My Buddy and Me. Singers and professionals shared sensations of vulnerability. Seemingly, small everyday occurrences are found to constitute building blocks for feelings of sameness, creating grounds for identity constructive encounters. These dynamics are tacit yet potentiated by the choir leader ‘going beyond the professional role’ and being ‘just like you and me’. A ‘Buddy system’ supports ground for building agency promoting feelings of inclusiveness and belonging.

Conclusion:
Small but empowering events, singers, and professionals meeting on equal footing, is important to consider promoting agency and mental health.